A very early trip to the Cemy.

Thursday 2nd October 2025.

An eery dawn within the Cemetery this morning.

It was a calm still morning here in Southsea and as I took my dogs for their early morning walk, I noticed that the Cemetery gates were open and at 6.45am, that surprised me. So instead of walking around the block like I do every morning, I took a walk into the Cemetery instead. There was a low mist over the Cemetery, reminiscent of a ‘Hammer Horror’ film (if you can remember that far back!), but I find it so ethereal and so ventured inside.

Highland Road Cemetery, Southsea:

And another lovely dawn beckons.

I took a series of photos of the Cemetery as I thought they looked so atmospheric as dawn rose over the site. I didn't expect to see very much, but I did hear the likes of Chiffchaff, Goldcrest and Siskin while I was there. Sadly, I did not have the time to walk around the site and so made my way back home to get ready for my first shift at Pembroke Road. As I turned into my road, I saw a Hummingbird Hawk-moth fly around within someone's forecourt and then flew off over the rooftops. I expect it must have been roosting under a porch perhaps?

Some more photos of this morning's walk in Highland Road Cemetery. Below, a Herring Gull flying over.

Pembroke Road, Old Portsmouth:

The Hot Air Balloon over Pembroke Road. That's a first!

The morning here was pleasantly mild between 8 and 9am as I carried out my duties in Pembroke Road today. Even a Hot Air Balloon, that attracted a lot of attention from passers by as it drifted high over northbound, carried along by a light breeze no doubt! A count of 14 bird species were obtained during my time there of which probably a Chiffchaff was probably the highlight! Sorry to say, no Firecrests were around this morning or anything else unusual this morning, but to bang off 13 species in just 15 minutes is always good.

The Common Plume moth in Pembroke Road this afternoon.

This afternoon, the weather remained mild, with hazy sunshine over Southsea, but there were no new birds to add to my morning total. However, I noticed that the owner of the house had her Hibiscus Bushes pruned. This in turn must of disturbed some of the insects within the Bushes as I found a Common Plume moth perched on the white external wall of the house.

In Hampshire today:

This superb photo of a male Ring Ouzel was taken yesterday at Old Winchester Hill. Photo by Di Stedman.

There was one sighting of a Ring Ouzel at Old Winchester Hill today and a Lesser Redpoll at Woolmer Pond Cottage. An Osprey was in Langstone Harbour again. More to follow. To be honest, not a great deal seen today bar a Yellow-legged Gull at Lower Test Marshes and a small flock of Crossbills at Titchfield Haven. Over at Keyhaven Marshes, a late report of a ringtail Pallid Harrier was seen and photographed flying over the saltmarsh! Wouldn't it be good if that lingered?

One of the juvenile Little Stints on Titchfield Haven. Photo by Daz Gorman.