A Great Northern Diver and Peregrine on a very quiet morning.

 Sunday 3rd May 2026.

Buoyed with the news of potential thunderstorms in Hampshire, I decided to take the plunge and go down to Southsea seafront for another ‘sea-watch’. However, the three hours planned was reduced to just two hours as it was simply too slow and with a 3mph westerly wind and looking very murky out in the Solent, it was a tough one this morning. I was there at 5.45am and although very quiet with a flat calm sea, it wasn't all that bad, though decent sightings were far and few between. On arrival, some disgusting individuals had left a load of rubbish laying on the new Promenade in front of my usual shelter and so I picked it all up and put it in a nearby bin before I started searching the Solent.

The Solent, Southsea seafront:

The Great Northern Diver was one of only two really notable birds seen this morning

There were two sightings that easily stood out from the rest in those two hours: a Great Northern Diver flying east low over the Solent and a male Peregrine flying low over the beach with what looked like a Pigeon in its talons. I think there were no migrating birds going through whatsoever, bar the Great Northern Diver all the time I was there. Behind me within the Rock Gardens, a Chiffchaff was in song along with a Robin and a Dunnock. A Serin was found within the Gardens a few weeks back!

Above, an adult Shag heading west as was this pair of Med Gulls below.

Above, a pair of Sandwich Terns were fishing just offshore and below, these three Feral Pigeons were searching for food by my feet!

The other sightings recorded this morning included the following:

Sandwich Tern: Most were flying west along the shoreline, with possibly around 20 birds counted in all, though none were seen heading east.

Whimbrel: Just the one bird was seen during those two hours and it was a westbound bird!

Med Gull: There were only 5 birds seen which consisted of two pairs and a singleton.

Shag: A flock of 5 birds were first seen distantly heading east and around 5 minutes later, a flock of 7 birds then flew west and headed off over the sea distantly. A single adult bird was seen about 30 minutes later heading close in west towards Southsea Castle.

Oystercatcher: A single bird flew high over the Solent heading east.

Pied Wagtail: A male bird flew in off the sea calling and headed off over the Shelter northbound.

Swallow: Only the one bird seen and that was flying west over the beach.

Above and below, the Great Northern Diver speeding over the Solent. There has been a bird off Southampton Water and possibly could be that bird passing through.

Above, a Sandwich Tern flying over a group of loafing Gulls. OK, it might have been a very quiet 'sea-watch', but just being there where anything could fly past is always possible. But you have to be made of stern stuff when it goes very quiet.

During the time I was there, a text came through from Hill Head that a Manx Shearwater was seen distantly among a feeding flock of Gulls and a Black Tern was seen distantly off Lee on Solent. But it was soon lost to view in the murky conditions out in the Solent. I checked the Solent thoroughly through the scope, but no sign of the bird.