Great Northern Divers off Eastney Point & Black Redstart still in my back garden.

Sunday 28th December 2025.

This juvenile Great Northern Diver was one of two at Eastney Point.

The end of the year is fast approaching and I could not resist taking another trip around the Eastney area, notably around the Outfall area and the Solent. Again I took my dogs with me so they could have a good run around the beach, while I checked out the very calm sea. It was another grey start with heavy cloud overhead. I don't think it was as cold as yesterday with a light easterly wind, but still only around 7 degrees centigrade.

Eastney Outfall & the Solent:

One of the two Great Crested Grebes seen this morning off Eastney Point.

It has been a while, but I decided to take the boys onto the beach and after I parked opposite the ruined buildings near Fort Cumberland Common. Along the shoreline of the beach, there were several Common Gulls present and swimming among them was a Great Crested Grebe. After yesterday's Razorbill sighting off Sandy Point, I thought I would give the Solent a good scan from Eastney Point. There was no sign of an Auks during the 30 minutes or so I was there, but I did find two distant Great Northern Divers swimming between the Point and Gunner Point over on Hayling Island.

Above, an adult Cormorant swam close to the shoreline and below, an immature Shag was preening on the jetty.

Above, one of several Common Gulls on the beach and below, the concrete promenade looking east towards Hayling Island.

I decided to walk east up the concrete promenade to get a better view of the Divers and though I found one of them, the other had simply vanished. The remaining bird did get a bit closer and so I obtained a few half decent photos of the bird of which, judging by the barring on the upperparts, it was a juvenile bird. Another Great Crested Grebe was also swimming close to the Diver and on the jetty, a juvenile Shag was preening its feathers. Apart from more Common Gulls and a lone Black-headed Gull, the sea, though very calm, was relatively quiet. I could not find any Sanderlings either on the shoreline, so maybe they were congregating over on the Hayling side of the water?

Above, the concrete promenade looking west and below, one of several Stock Doves present. Sadly, no Owls in the holes.

Above, photos of the juvenile Great Northern Diver.

I couldn't resist checking the holes in the Fort Cumberland concrete wall for Little Owls, but all were empty. The only birds around were several Stock Doves perched on the perimeter fence and so I made my way back to the car.

My back garden:

The female Black Redstart was again in the back of my garden.

Earlier today, before I took the dogs for their walk to Eastney Outfall, I checked the garden out to see if the Black Redstart was around. There was no sign of the bird, but the male Blackcap was again showing well, though briefly. I thought I heard it sub-singing in the tall Bay Tree and I think I must have flushed it as it flew to the tree at the back of my garden. I only just wish I had my camera to hand. Hopefully, I just might capture a few photos later.

More photos of this gorgeous bird.

When I got back from Eastney, after a hot drink, I made my way to the garden and sure enough, the female Black Redstart was showing again in my neighbours garden; again, it was taking a liking for the Yucca tree in my neighbours garden and every so often, it was fly off and land in the tall tree at the back of my garden. I watched the bird for around ten minutes and grabbed a few photos of the bird. It was joined by at least three Blue Tits that enjoyed the apple halves I actually put out for the Blackcap and also a male Blackbird that was enjoying the Cotoneaster berries. With New Years Day fast approaching, hopefully, the Blackcap and Black Redstart will hang around enough to be ‘ticked off’!

In Hampshire today:

Yesterday’s Tundra Bean Goose was still in the same area of Pennington Marshes (near the car park) this morning along with 4 Russian White-fronted Geese and other Russian White-fronts were reported over Farlington Marshes, Titchfield Haven, Chilling and Vyne Lake, near Basingstoke. How many others are there waiting to be discovered in Hampshire. There was a report this morning of a drake Ring-necked Duck on a private lake at Yateley this morning, but viewing there is going to be near impossible.

Hayling Oysterbeds and the harbour held the same scarce birds as yesterday that included 4 Great Northern Divers, Red-necked Grebe, Slavonian and Black-necked Grebe and a Whimbrel plus 3 Goldeneye. There was just the one Purple Sandpiper seen this morning at Southsea Castle.