Singing Blackcap and Collared Dove in Pembroke Road today.

 Monday 11th May 2026

I took this photo of a juvenile Robin in an Eastney garden today. It certainly is cute and fluffy.

A bright and sunny start to the week with a breezy northerly blowing down Pembroke Road, keeping the temperatures below double figures (and my hands were damn cold!), but it did warm up in the afternoon, despite an hour's worth of rain just before my second shift, the sun did come out behind some high clouds. There was some good stuff seen today and some not so good. There was no Moth Box last night, but it will be on tonight and hopefully, something new for the year.

Pembroke Road, Old Portsmouth:

Looking south towards the Royal Garrison Church.

A very good total of 16 species were recorded today and that included a few surprises. A Collared Dove landed in one of the roadside Sycamore trees on my first shift and began calling before flying off south. Hopefully, we shall see a bit more of the bird this month. A fleeting glimpse of a singing Blackcap was unexpected and I wondered if it was a migrant bird having just arrived or been displaced from somewhere else? Still, a very good record here in Pembroke Road. A Goldfinch flew over and headed off west and the Pied Wagtail was back chasing insects on the Bowling Green.

There are a lot of calling juvenile Starlings around now (there were lots flying around Cowplain Marsh last Saturday) and sadly, one did not make it to live another day. I heard the alarm calls of the Starlings over in the corner of the Bowling Green and saw a Carrion Crow pin down one of the juvenile birds and kill and eat the poor bird. Nature at its cruelest. Sadly, it's all part of the game as the Crow probably has young to feed too.

A record shot of the Small Dusty Wave moth perched on the front of a house in Pembroke Road this morning and remained there for the rest of the day.

A Small Dusty Wave moth was perched on the wall of a house near where I stood, but I could not find any other moths around today. A few Med Gulls were seen around the seafront area and a female Sparrowhawk was seen flying into Highland Road Cemetery heading south, much to the annoyance of the local Starlings.

In Hampshire today:

The Little Owl at South Boarhunt yesterday evening. Photo by Paul Martin.

Yesterday, a Red-rumped Swallow was found among Hirundines over the reedbeds from the Canal Path, Titchfield Haven and was again seen just once this morning over the reserve. A Wood Sandpiper was back on the Deeps on Farlington Marshes early this morning. Birding pal Geoff Farwell went to Head Down Plantation yesterday and recorded a minimum of 19 singing Firecrests! Also present were Blackcaps, Common Whitethroat, 7 Chiffchaffs, 6 Marsh Tits and a Tree Pipit. A Little Gull was on Titchfield Haven today (see photo).

Matt & Emma Parkes went to Keyhaven Marshes last Saturday and got to see their first Little Terns of the year. Photos by Emma Parkes.

Adult Black-headed and Little Gull at Titchfield Haven today. Photo by Daz Gorman.