Another stroll around my local patch.

Sunday 25th January 2026.

One of several singing Great Tits this morning in the Cemetery.

My dogs got their walk this morning around Highland Road Cemetery, though the threat of rain was on the horizon. After a few chores, I arrived at the Cemy around 10am where it was cloudy with the occasional bright spell, but there were dark clouds coming in and by midday, drizzle had begun to fall. Temperatures this morning hovered around the 8 degree mark but it didn't feel as cold as yesterday, with a light south-easterly blowing.

Highland Road Cemetery, Southsea:

The Mausoleum within the centre of the Cemy.

A quiet morning in the Cemetery today with just a few birds of note on my walk round with my dogs. There were a lot of dog-walkers around today, but one chap told me that a Green Woodpecker was very vocal here yesterday! I was very surprised as I thought the bird had long gone; so I was really pleased that it was still around. However, there was no sign of the bird today. 

Above, it took a while to find this singing Robin deep within this shrub, despite being just a few feet away from the bird and below, a male Blackbird by the footpath.

Above, there were good numbers of Blue Tits around today as were the Wood Pigeons (below).

The Jay showed briefly this morning, in trees in the south-west corner, but a dog-walker flushed the bird and so a photo opportunity had been lost. Robins and Great Tits were the only birds in song this morning, but it did feel a little ‘Spring-like’, especially when the sun made a very brief appearance. There were, again, a lot of Wood Pigeons around and occasionally, a large flock of them would fly overhead or land in the tallest of trees due to probably a Sparrowhawk passing over. Several Blackbirds were seen among the trees and bushes, but no Crests present today.

Above, another male Blackbird searching for food in the Cemy and below, the 'Lords and Ladies' plants growing in the southern half of the Cemetery by the perimeter wall.

The Cuckoo-pint plant was in leaf this morning in its usual place by the southern perimeter wall and I look forward to when the plant is in flower, which will probably be in the next couple of months. Not many other plants were in flower, except for the purple flowers of the Winter Heliotrope that was growing below the Holm Oak trees. It is still only January, but it has most certainly been a wet and mild one so far.