Cooling down at last and a Sparrowhawk over Old Portsmouth.

 Monday 29th June 2026.

This superb photo of Swifts over Romsey was taken by Andy Tew.

Last week was simply too hot and the world and his wife were complaining about it, but we will have to get used to it in the future and somehow adapt to the conditions. Today, the temperature was back to normal, hovering around the 23 degree mark and a nice breeze along with it too. There was plenty of sunshine today and so back to shorts and polo shirt to start the working week off.

I have not had the Moth Box on over the past few days and made the most of a nice lay in (if you can call getting up at 6am a lay in?), but I am a glutton for punishment and will be up at the ‘crack of’ tomorrow to check on the Moth Box again. I have read that Tiger Moths are out and about and so I shall be keeping an eye out for them. Hummingbird Hawk-moths are being recorded everywhere and even a friend of mine had one in her garden yesterday on her Lavender plants.

Pembroke Road, Old Portsmouth:

A normal Summer's day in Pembroke Road.

A total of 14 bird species were recorded today from the two shifts of which one of them, a very distant Sparrowhawk, was my first here this month. I was in my car at the time, just before I started my second shift and watched the bird flying south towards the Solent. A small group of three Mallards flew low over my head, also on my second shift, of which they were probably the same birds I saw a few weeks ago. Still, a good sighting here nonetheless. They were very unlikely to head to Canoe Lake for the Lake is absolutely full of algae which the Council are waiting for some equipment to arrive to clean the Lake.

Above, the Hibiscus Bushes are now in flower where I stand in Pembroke Road and below, a European Corn-borer moth in my garden late this afternoon.

Just the two Swifts were seen here today, just briefly, flying over the Holm Oaks and all the usual species were present again including the ‘chirruping’ House Sparrows, a flock of Starlings, a couple of Blackbirds and several Blue Tits in the trees opposite. At this time of the year, there are always insects to keep me entertained and the Butterflies seen today here included a Red Admiral, Small White and Meadow Browns. A few Bees and Hoverflies were on the wing and included one Hoverfly that perched on my jacket briefly, but too quick to get an accurate ID.

One of the Funky Wardens top albums.