My first Common Pug for the year. This is a regular species for my garden and I should see these throughout the next six months.
Another cloudy start to the day and a little chilly too as I had both my Moth Box to check out and another trip to Pembroke Road. The good news is that I had two new moths to add to my year list and up to 15 species were seen at Pembroke Road. Still no sign of any Swifts over Portsmouth today, but I did see a pair of Swallows while driving through Eastney around midday. A big group of ‘Lazee Birders’ were off to Albania for a week's birding (yes, I am very envious) and tonight, I have just found out that a male Red-backed Shrike had been found in the Point Field on Farlington Marshes! If it is still around there early tomorrow morning, I just might have to make a pip stop before heading to Fishlake Meadows.
The Moth Box:
A Rusty-dot Pearl in Spring is nothing to be sniffed at. I usually see these in Autumn, so I am pretty chuffed to get one at this time of year.
Two new moths were added to my year list this morning: a Rusty-dot Pearl and a Common Pug; both are relatively common to my garden, but the former moth is normally found in the Autumn rather than the Spring and so I consider this a rather good record for my garden. The moths present this morning included the following:
Rusty-dot Pearl x1
Common Pug x1
Angle Shades x1
Light Brown Apple Moth x1
White-shouldered House Moth x1
Ruddy Streak x1
Pembroke Road, Old Portsmouth:
The Harlequin Ladybird I found in Pembroke Road this afternoon.
Fifteen species were recorded today at Pembroke Road and the best of them had to be the Jay that appeared out of the blue opposite where I was standing, on my second shift this afternoon. All the usual birds were seen, similar to yesterday and the Wren was belting out a tune most of the afternoon. I found a Harlequin Ladybird in a bush close to where I was standing this afternoon as I like to keep an eye out for interesting insects when the sun is out and now a lot of the plants are in bloom.
Birding pal Andy Fisher took this photo of a Nut-tree Tussock today.
Andy Fisher sent me a moth photo to ID and it was a fine Nut-tree Tussock (see photo), a fine looking moth that is regularly seen in the Spring. Hopefully, a Hawk-moth will arrive soon especially with the weather warming up next week. There was a lot reported on Hants Birding today with a host of migrants being seen, so tomorrow is looking good for a good days birding with some great friends. Hopefully, a good array of moths to kick off the day with and then some good birds. Fingers crossed.
Shelduck flew west over the Solent on my sea-watch this morning.
I thought the weather was a bit more grey than yesterday and there was still a bit of a chill in the air first thing this morning at Pembroke Road, Old Portsmouth. There was a light southerly wind, which helped me pick up the distant birdsong, which was always a pleasure to listen too when there were no cars moving down the road. After my first shift, I took myself back over to the shelter on Southsea seafront for a two hour sea-watch to check if anything was on the move or coming in off the sea. Over on Hayling Island, Sandy Point was getting some coverage this morning by a couple of Hampshire’s 'Top Guns' and notching up a nice little list of birds going through too.
Pembroke Road, Old Portsmouth:
I managed to notch up around 13 species this morning, but it was a bit slow going at times and nothing really out of the ordinary this morning either. I did enjoy watching a Wren perched on a traffic sign close by and then bursting into song a few times. I actually got within about 6 feet from the bird and so left it alone to proclaim its territory. The usual pair of Pied Wagtails were joined by a Starling on the Bowling Green before the first Bowlers turned up. On my second shift, as expected, the temperature rose into double figures and was quite comfortable standing in the sunshine. A Swallow was a pleasant surprise as it flew along the road heading westbound until disappearing over the rooftops.
Southsea Seafront:
Having just caught a fish, this Sandwich Tern flew off west along the shoreline.
Though there was hardly any wind to speak of, the sea was nearly flat calm, but visibility was a bit restricted with a lot of sea on the horizon. However, during my two hours here in the Shelter, it was rather peaceful with hardly anyone walking or jogging past, though I did have a nice chat with a couple who live near me and chatted about the Swifts and the nest boxes in their road. I have not seen any Swifts yet so far this year, but I am sure they should be here over the coming days. Over 300+ were recorded at Staines Reservoir already!
There was a nice variety during my 2 hours here, including a few birds arriving in off the sea and also a Harbour Seal popped its head up out of the calm sea fairly close in and for a minute or so, it checked its surroundings before it sank back into the sea. The bird life seen this morning included the following:
Black-throated Diver: I picked up two distant Divers heading east over the Solent and as they passed Horse Sands Fort, I could clearly see their plumage details and was happy that they were both Black-throated Divers. A good record here for a Spring sea-watch.
Sandwich Tern: A couple of pairs were fishing just offshore throughout my stay and at least 8 more were seen out in the Solent either passing east or west.
Mediterranean Gull: It is always nice to see the Med Gulls passing by and today I had three small groups flying east, with one pair flying westbound low over the sea.
Whimbrel: Three single birds were seen during the two hours all heading east.
Above, small numbers of Med Gulls flew through and below, a Mute Swan sails gracefully eastbound. Last week, I had a Black Swan drifting past and today, a Mute Swan. What next?
Above, the female Sparrowhawk coming in off the sea and below, a flock of Oystercatchers head east over the sea.
Above, a Seal poked its head briefly out of the water.
Common Scoter: A pair was seen to fly low over the sea heading west.
Shelduck: A flock of four birds were seen to fly west.
Oystercatcher: A flock of 8 birds headed east over the sea.
Great Crested Grebe: Not often seen here during a sea-watch, but a pair were seen flying fast westbound.
Swallow: Three single birds came in off the sea and then straight on north over the promenade. Fantastic to see them flying over the sea, having probably had a good feed on the Isle of Wight on route.
Sparrowhawk: A real surprise and a species I rarely encounter on a sea-watch. This female bird was luckily picked up when I was watching a Sandwich Tern fly by. I watched it carefully in case it was something much rarer, but the bird was getting more obvious as it eventually flew over my head.
Earlier, as I was making my way to the seafront from Old Portsmouth, I watched a small flock of four Grey Lag Geese flying west high over Southsea. Meanwhile, over at Sandy Point (Hayling Island), Gary Fennemore and others, had a Great Skua off the Point and the bird actually sat on the sea for some time. Also, a pair of Cattle Egret went past as did several Fulmars, Kittiwakes and a Red-throated Diver on the sea. Mark Francis had 3 Arctic Terns among Common Terns off Hill Head and 3 Hobbies were over Fishlake Meadows today along with a Cuckoo and Grasshopper Warbler.
This week's 'Blast from the Past' was from 22 years ago when I 'twitched' my second ever male Black-headed Bunting. The bird showed very well over on the Selsey Peninsula and a warm sunny day. I had earlier seen one on the Isle of Sheppey a year before that, but I could not resist making my way to see this colourful bird. Here are my notes on the bird:
The weather was pretty much just like yesterday, but I wasn't prepared for all that rain and wind last night as I had put my Moth Box on. The garden was in a bit of a mess from the flower pollen from my neighbours tree which was everywhere. The Moth Box was unscathed as I checked the area thoroughly for Moths. Pembroke Road was fairly uneventful with the bird life there, though still a tad cold during my first shift there.
The Moth Box:
One of two Angle Shades moths.
There was nothing new for the year within or by the Moth Box early this morning. A total of 8 moths of 5 species were recorded that included the following:
Angle Shades x2
Double-striped Pug x1
Brimstone Moth x2
Shuttle-shaped Dart x1
Bloxworth Snout x1
Light Brown Apple Moth x1
Pembroke Road, Southsea:
A total of 15 species were recorded over both shifts here today and though to be honest, there was nothing out of the blue seen today. However, I enjoyed a Wren singing its heart out close to where I stood and it's amazing how loud they are when just a few feet away! The sweet sounds of a male Blackbird perched on the rooftop opposite rounded off my day in Pembroke Road this afternoon.
My stepson Russell filmed these Fox cubs at his workplace today.
When I got home, I let the dogs out in the garden and watched a Holly Blue butterfly exploring my garden before flying off into my neighbours garden. In Hampshire today, at least two Grasshopper Warblers were at Fishlake Meadows and some nice photos have been taken of the birds over the last few days. I do hope they linger till Saturday. A lot of migrant birds have been seen in Hampshire including good numbers of Lesser Whitethroats.
One of several Garden Warblers at Fishlake Meadows. Photo by Emma Parkes.
There were a few Starlings in the Cemetery this afternoon including this bird clinging to the perimeter wall searching for food.
It was back to Pembroke Road in Old Portsmouth after my Easter Break and although it was bright and sunny, it was still rather cold at first thing and with a breezy south-westerly wind blowing down the road, my poor hands were freezing! After my second shift, I took the dogs for a leisurely walk around Highland Road Cemetery to not only give them a bit of exercise but also to see if any migrants might have turned up.
Pembroke Road, Old Portsmouth:
The view from my office window!
Finally, the Water Company responsible for the utter mess in Gordon Road (bottom of Pembroke Road) had finally cleared up and moved on, leaving a straight through run to the end of Pembroke Road. It only took about 6 months!!!! As mentioned, looks can be deceiving when it comes to the weather as I was damn cold first thing this morning at 8am, but the birds came in thick and fast as I notched up 16 species during my hour there. A pair of Jackdaws were unexpected as they flew overhead and made their way north over the houses. This is a very uncommon species here; the last being a large flock in the Autumn of last year. A Chiffchaff was heard briefly singing somewhere near the Bowling Green and a pair of Pied Wagtails were actually on the Bowling Green until flushed by a Groundsman.
This afternoon, the only bird added was a Black-headed Gull to make it 17 species here for the day. At least it was a bit warmer this afternoon!
Highland Road Cemetery, Southsea:
Several Robins were seen including this individual searching for food.
It was rather pleasant here in the afternoon though the wind was still a bit breezy. There were a few bird species of note that kept me happy as me and the dogs walked round that included my first Swallow over the Cemetery this year. I simply didn't have time to grab a photo of the bird as it flew low over the northern end and within seconds, it was up and away over the rooftops! An adult Med Gull was seen flying east high overhead, calling in while doing so, but apart from all the usual suspects, all was fairly quiet.
Above, Common Field Speedwell grows abundantly and below, one of the Collared Doves preening on a rooftop.
Above, this male Blackbird was on the search for food and another Robin posing in the sunshine.
There were a lot of insects flying around including a couple of Small White butterflies and a few Hoverflies (Syrphus species and a few Drone Flies) and Bees were on the wing too. The Green Alkanet was now in bloom by the Mausoleum and plenty of Common Field Speedwell put on a fine show around some of the graves.
Above, an Andrena species of Mining Bee and below, this is a female Syrphus species of Hoverfly.
I heard some interesting news this afternoon when I found out that this Maccao Duck that was present on Ibsley Water, Blashford Lakes, was actually confirmed by the Hampshire Ornithological Society as a 1st winter Ruddy Duck!!! This constituted my 171st species in Hampshire for the year and also put a very big smile on birding pal Andy Fisher's face no doubt. More interesting news is that a Little Bittern had been found on the River Stour near Bournemouth today and is still present this evening. I have only ever seen one Little Bittern and that was many, many years ago down at Dungeness and even then, it was a crap view of the bird!
As it was an overcast evening yesterday, I put my Moth Box on overnight and there were a good number of moths present this morning. A total of 22 moths of 12 species were recorded this morning including my first ever Apple Nymph. New for the garden this year included Brimstone Moths and a Twenty-plume Moth and also my second Brindled Pug and Silver Y for my garden this year.
Above, the Twenty-plume Mothand below, a Silver Y.
The Moths present this morning included the following:
Brimstone Moth x2
Double-striped Pug x4
Brindled Pug x1
Shuttle-shaped Dart x2
Silver Y x1
Beautiful Plume x1
Common Plume x2
Twenty-plume Moth x1
Ruddy Dart x3
Apple Nymph x1 (New for year)
Hourglass Mompha x3
Light Brown Apple Moth x1
Above, the Hourglass Mompha and below, the Apple Nymph micro moth, which was new for the year.
While checking the moths, a Pied Wagtail flew overhead heading south and it was good to hear a lot of House Sparrows squabbling in a nearby neighbour's garden. They have been so scarce this year around the gardens. I shall be putting out some bird pellets this morning to encourage them.
Eastney Point:
Med Gulls on Eastney Beach.
This afternoon, I had the opportunity to take my dogs for a pleasant walk around the harbour entrance in Eastney and also taking in Eastney Point. The weather was overcast, but hardly any wind whatsoever and not too many people about either, especially around the Point area. Arriving around 1pm, I first parked up on the spit adjacent to the Hayling Ferry and checked out both Lock Lake and the southern end of Langstone Harbour, but all I could find were Herring and Black-headed Gulls on the mudflats and the odd Oystercatcher passing low over the water.
Above, an Oystercatcher flying over Langstone Harbour and below, a pair of Med Gulls quietly watching the world go by near the Hayling Ferry.
However, a pair of adult Mediterranean Gulls were quietly sitting on the beach by the Car Park and showing very nicely close to the small road. Med Gulls are very vocal and have that very distinctive call and could be heard out in Lock Lake. After a 10 minute walk around here, we got back into the car and took the short drive to the Ferry Road Car Park where I passed a lot of Oxford Ragwort in bloom along the side of the road.
Above and below, more Mediterraanean Gulls were near Eastney Pier.
Above, a female and below, a male Linnet on the perimeter fence.
Parking up, we took a look at the field adjacent to Fort Cumberland where there were four more Mediterranean Gulls on the field and a pair of Linnets showed well on the perimeter fence. A pair of Collared Doves sat on the wires and I could hear a distant Common Whitethroat calling in the distance as was a singing Dunnock. A male Greenfinch briefly was doing its display flight (the first time I have seen this so far this year) and then returned to the same flowering tree it came from. A Skylark suddenly rose from the beach area and began singing and then eventually settled in the field by the perimeter fence.
Above, Sea Radish and below, Hoary Cress growing abundantly near Eastney Pier.
Above,Oxford Ragwort also growing abundantly here at Eastney and below, Buddy and Ted enjoying the walk on the beach.
Above, a pair of Sandwich Terns flying westbound out into the Solent and below, yet another Med Gull showing very well near the Pier.
Above, top four photos of the Skylark seen by the Pier and then flying into the adjacent field. Below, a pair of Collared Doves were seen perched on the perimeter fence.
As we moved on south to Eastney Pier, there were many more Mediterranean Gullson the beach and they looked stunning in the summer plumage. A pair of Sandwich Terns flew south and then west along the beach as I let my dogs run free for around 15 minutes or so and had a quick paddle in the water. I was sure I heard a Whimbrel flying over, but failed to see the bird as the sky looking south was getting darker due to incoming rain. So we made our way back slowly to the car and took in some of the flowering plants on the beach and footpath that included Sea Radish, Oxford Ragwort, Mallow and Hoary Cress. A pleasant walk was had of which I must bring the dogs back here again for there are not many places where I live they can be off their lead.
The Lake area on Farlington Marshes. Will the reedbeds grow back to its former glory? The years I spent here since I was a teeneger and it only took a few weeks to nearly destroy an act of stupidity. Lets hope all goes well for the restoration of this wonderful place in the future.
When news reached me on the ‘Lazee Birder’s Whatsapp site that a Short-eared Owl was found on Farlington Marshes and photographed, I simply had to go down there and hopefully see the bird. I never saw one last year and with one so late for this time of year, it certainly would have been a good species to see for my year list. I arrived at the site around 6pm and on a receding tide, I slowly made my way around to the Point Field where it was last seen flying too.
The Short-eared Owl on Farlington Marshes late this afternoon. Photo by Pete Gammage. Below, this male Kestrel posed nicely near the Lake area as I passed by.
I had met Pete Gammage within the Car Park who told me where the Owl had flown too and also Jason Crook by the Viewing Platform who said the same thing. But, despite a lengthy search for the bird, there was no sign of it, which was very disappointing, but being here with so many different birds on show certainly made up for that. In fact, there were a lot of species here that actually made the trip here worth the effort.
Above, one of many Redshank seen tonight. This one was on the small pool by the harbour wall and below, this male Wheatear had flown from the footpath to the neighbouring field.
Walking along the footpath while passing the Bushes area, I could hear Chiffchaff, Song Thrush and distant Reed Warblers singing. Med Gulls were ‘mewing’ everywhere and I wasn't quite prepared on how many of this species were on the reserve this evening. Simply hundreds!! The Lake area looks so different from years past, with stunted reedbeds due to the Sluice Gate fiasco from last year. Will the reedbeds here ever grow back to their former glory? At least the waders are returning onto the Lake as I passed a few Redshank feeding along the muddy fringes.
Above, a Shelduck near the Point Field and below, a Little Egret searching for a tasty fish.
As I briefly chatted to Jason and then made my way to the Point Field, a pair of Sandwich Terns noisily flew past and then I came across a superb male Wheatear that flew from the harbour wall and onto the edge of the field below. Meadow Pipits were displaying over the fields and the sound of the nesting Gulls on the islands out in Langstone Harbour was amazing. Like a cloud of white floating over the islands, the Gulls suddenly all got up as one as I checked for a passing raptor overhead. Could the Owl be out there or a passing Osprey?
Above and below, a noisy flock of Oystercatchers flew by from the Point.
Above, a pair of Dunlin near the Oyster Island and below, a pair of Little Terns flew past from the sea wall.
When I got up to the Point Field, there were Sedge Warblers, Cetti’s Warblers and Common Whitethroats all in song, though they were very difficult to see, hiding in the brambles, though I did see a few Whitethroats further near the Deeps area. A few Linnets were around and a pair of Gadwall that seemed a little out of place here; but no sign of the Short-eared Owl. I then made my way to the Deeps and found the near resident Spoonbill feeding in the shallow pools and showed superbly wafting its long bill through the water and then eventually the bird rested on the edge and began preening. There is something special about this species that one cannot fail to admire such a beautiful bird.
Above, the Spoonbill fishing on one of the pools upon the Deeps and below, acloud of both Med and Black-headed Gulls on the islands.
Above, the number of Med Gulls among the Black-headed Gulls on the reserve was amazing. Below, the Tern Rafts were full of nesting Gulls.
It was the Mediterranean Gulls that really caught my eye for not only were they noisy but they were in such large numbers out over the Deeps and beyond in the fields, it really beggared belief. I can remember when they were such rare birds and way back in the early 1980’s, rushing to the Lake from the old Warden’s Hut (Where the Info Centre is now at) and finding one sitting there in fine summer plumage. Now they are all over the place 45 years later!!! Other birds picked up here on the Deeps included Tufted Ducks, Oystercatcher and Grey Heron, while Reed Warblers were singing deep within the reeds and with all the noise going on from the Gulls on the newly created islands on the Deeps along with the Tern Rafts, it was an amazing spectacle to behold.
Above, the newly created islands proved favourable to the Gulls on the Deeps and below, a found my first Cowslips of the year growing by the harbour wall.
A few waders were also seen over the reserve and the harbour that included a pair of Dunlin off Oyster Island, a few Ringed Plover darting about over the water and a small mixed flock of Turnstone and Redshank that I had flushed while walking close to the perimeter wall. I even watched a Whimbrel try to settle on what it had thought was shallow water then realised that it was deeper than expected and eventually flew back to the Saltmarsh nearby.
Above, a large number of Avocet were on the Stream area and below, the feeding Spoonbill on the Deeps tonight.
I constantly checked the reedbed by the Stream area just in case the Owl was there, but again there was no sign of the bird and while walking to the Lake, I found at least 26 Avocets feeding in the shallow water along with good numbers of Gulls and Mallard. It was now getting towards dusk and as I passed the Bushes back to the Car Park once more, I could hear the last sounds of a singing Chiffchaff somewhere deep within the Bushes to round off a lovely evening. Shame about the Owl, but what an excellent backing support.
