Frost then rain. The wonders of our British weather!

Friday 5th December 2025.

While walking the dogs early this morning, I took a quick photo of Highland Road Cemetery during first light.

A day of two halves regarding the weather as first thing this morning, there was a layer of ice on the car windscreen as temperatures plummeted overnight which included a ‘Super Moon’. However, rain was coming in from the west and sure enough, by 2pm, the first drops of rain began to fall and a wet and wild night followed.

Pembroke Road, Old Portsmouth:

An orangy start to the day in Pembroke Road.

In the cold, near frosty morning, up to 16 bird species were noted during my first shift that included a flock of 6 Brent Geese flying low over Curtain Moat heading eastbound and a single Cormorant circled the area until disappearing from view. I think Starling numbers are increasing in the area with at least 20 birds circling and also landing on the Garrison Church. I also saw a large flock doing a ‘murmuration’ around South Esplanade Pier where they roost on my way back home along the seafront.

An Isle of Wight Car Ferry going out into the Solent behind the Garrison Church.

There were a few passerine species around too with a flock of 5 Greenfinches circling overhead and a single bird seen later in the afternoon. The House Sparrows were calling within the Bowling Green hedge and seen a few times while up in the Holm Oaks, a pair of Blue Tits flew out and flew off northbound. A Great Tit was singing near the Bowling Green as was a Wren and both Dunnock and Robin were heard calling from the same area.

The afternoon was a wet affair at Pembroke Road.

Though nothing out of the ordinary here in Old Portsmouth, to see 18 species in one area is a good achievement here and to be honest, seeing birds literally every minute here is always a pleasure. Yes, the weather turned windy and wet in the afternoon, but watching the Gulls fly so easily in the worst of weather is something to see.

The following birds were recorded here today in Pembroke Road:

• Cormorant
• Brent Geese: 6
• Herring Gull
• Black-headed Gull: 2
• Great Black-backed Gull: 2
• Wood Pigeon
• Feral Pigeon
• Carrion Crow
• Magpie
• Blue Tit
• Great Tit
• Wren
• Dunnock
• Robin
• House Sparrow
• Starling
• Pied Wagtail
• Greenfinch: 5

In Hampshire today:

Incredibly, the Great Grey Shrike is still in the same place we saw it last month, in the Shatterford area along with a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker and a Raven also seen. The three Velvet Scoters were still off Weston Shore along with a Great Northern Diver and a Bittern was seen in flight at Fishlake Meadows by one lucky observer. 

Away from Hampshire, a Lesser Crested Tern was found a few days ago off Dawlish Warren, Devon; a species I have always wanted to see in the UK. I dipped on seeing one a few times in the past in my ‘twitcher’ days and it looks as though I am going to ‘dip’ on this lovely bird too. Fellow birder Simon Craft kindly allowed me to put a couple of his photos of the bird on my blog.

The Lesser Crested Tern at Dawlish Warren, Devon. Photos by Simon Craft.