Thursday 31st July 2025.
One of the male Common Blue's in the Cemetery this morning.
The thunderstorms certainly arrived, but not till late in the afternoon when it absolutely tipped down with rain. Strangely, there was no lightning, though my dogs were not keen on all that thunder! Late this morning, I took the dogs over to Highland Road Cemetery and though it was a bit quiet regarding the birds there, the butterflies present did not disappoint.
Highland Road Cemetery, Southsea:
I would imagine that a lot of birds would struggle in finding anything to eat within this heavily cropped grass. Most of the graves were void of vegetation too.
There was very little bird life today within the Cemy, with possibly only around 6 or 7 species actually seen during the hour I was there. This included a distant Robin and a male Blackbird, but I did hear the Green Woodpecker calling a couple of times and a Willowchiff calling quietly deep within vegetation.
Above, birds were scarce within the Cemy this morning and so this Blackbird was the only one I could find today. Below, a Jay showed briefly within one of the trees.
It was the butterflies here that caught my eye with several Common Blue’s seen and showing well on the short grass and while watching one particular male Common Blue on the grass, a pair of small butterflies were chasing each other at speed and after some 20 seconds or so, it turned out to be a pair of male Small Coppers! Not a bad species to be seen here within the Cemy.
Above, another male Common Blue and below, a Large White enjoying the Buddleia.
Above, there were good numbers of Meadow Browns around this morning and below, a pair of Small Coppers were a surprise.
Other butterflies present included several Large White’s that were enjoying the flowering Buddleia, good numbers of both Meadow Brown and Gatekeeper and just the one Red Admiral. There were a lot of flowering Buddleia throughout the Cemetery and I was hoping for a lot more butterflies around. I did find a Jersey Tiger moth that settled very briefly on the Mausoleum, but it would not settle long enough for a photo, but the moth flew around at speed and then flew off.
There were a few plants I found including this (above) Ribwort Plantain and below, the Purple Toadflax.
Above, pockets of Smooth Hawksbeard were dotted around the Cemy. Below, can you spot the Robin in this photo?
Those that cut the grass here really did a job on the place and to be honest, it looked very sterile throughout the Cemetery. As long as the place is nice and tidy, I don't think they give a toss about the wildlife here. However, I have a sharp eye for detail and picked out several plants that avoided being cut down including Smooth Hawksbeard, Purple Toadflax, Lady Bedstraw and Ox-eye Daisies.
A Meadow Brown also enjoyed the Buddleia.
In Hampshire today, a Black Tern was on the foreshore at Hill Head from the Sailing Club and on Titchfield Haven, both Cattle Egret and Great White Egret were seen. A Quail was heard calling again at Gander Down and the chap who heard them this morning also saw an interesting Harrier species flying away from him and could not pin down an exact species.
