Wednesday 1st October 2025.
A pleasant start to the day again as I gave the dogs their early morning this morning, though there were hardly any birds calling or heard going overhead. Thankfully, Pembroke Road made up for that with a nice variety of birds seen or heard this morning. My new bulb for my Moth Box is on its way and so hopefully get back into checking the Moth Box soon. October is now upon us and with it, hopefully, will come a wealth of scarcities and rare birds to hit the UK.
Pembroke Road, Old Portsmouth:
By the time I got to Pembroke Road at 7.45am, it was now overcast and my mobile phone warned me that rain was due to arrive in a few hours. Thankfully, not on my first shift and this morning I was rewarded with up to 15 bird species recorded this morning. There was virtually no wind as the mild temperatures produced a few nice birds.
Best of all was a Firecrest. One of my Teacher friends asked me what I was looking at and I replied I think it is a Goldcrest high up in one of the Sycamore trees on the opposite side of the road and I went on to explain how small they were. I had already seen a Chiffchaff up there and after my friend had left, the ‘crest’ had flown out and unbelievably, it flew right at me! It was only in the last moment that it veered off and flew to the other side of the road and then up into the nearby Holm Oaks and began calling. I knew already when it was flying towards me that it was a Firecrest, with its green upperparts and white underparts; but its facial pattern was diagnostic for this gorgeous little bird.
A Song Thrush, which was most likely a migrant bird, flew out of the Holm Oaks and headed off west, calling in doing so. A pair of Jays were also in the Holm Oaks until flying off north over the road to the nearby trees north of Pembroke Close. Just the one Meadow Pipit seen this morning, heading south, but no Siskins today. I am hoping that I might pick out a Redpoll soon and as you readers might know, that Common Redpoll, Arctic Redpoll and Lesser Redpoll have all been lumped as one species, Lesser Redpoll. I have yet to see one this year and I am pretty confident that I will before the year’s out. Of interest, I was 99% certain that a Hummingbird Hawk-moth flew past me at great speed, but before I could get to grips with it, it flew over the rooftops and disappeared!
This afternoon, I was struggling with my cold and my eyes were watering a lot with the bright sunshine and a very itchy nose! Someone asked me if I was upset about something so I had to explain to her why my eyes were watering!!! However, despite this, the Firecrest was showing again in the Sycamores and quite vocal at times before flying off back towards the Holm Oaks. Sadly, no new bird species were added to my total this afternoon.
In Hampshire today:
The Ring Ouzels were still at Old Winchester Hill on the southern slope of the Hill Fort. I was hoping to pay a visit there or Butser Hill on Saturday, but this 'Storm Amy' coming into the UK on Friday might put paid to that idea. Three more Ring Ouzels were discovered at Beaulieu Heath in the New Forest. Farlington Marshes held a selection of notable waders today including 2 Ruff, 2 Curlew Sandpipers, 2 Little Stints and singles of Common Sandpiper and Snipe. Titchfield Haven held a single Glossy Ibis, Common Sandpiper, Great White Egret, 16 Snipe and the Bearded Tits were showing well for the lucky few. Up to 21 Eiders were off the Sailing Club at Hill Head.
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