My first Ospreys of the year.

 Saturday 5^th September 2026.

Another busy birding day with both Geoff Farwell and Andy Fisher and in such glorious weather too. The Met Office did say it was going to warm up for the weekend and miracle of miracles, they were right! It was a nice bright start to the morning and was most likely quite clear overnight and this made an impact of the Moths in my garden as it was one of the lowest totals this week.

However, there was still some quality in the Moth Box and a nice surprise to start the morning off with. Geoff’s Moth Box at Cowplain Marsh (Andy’s garden) actually produced more Moths than my garden and once finished there, we headed off to Hill Head and then finished the day at Farlington Marshes. A good day’s birding produced one bird ‘year-tick’ for me and Andy notched up three more for his Hampshire year list.

My Moth Box:

Yet another Dusky Thorn moth was in my garden this morning.

When I entered the garden at 6.15am this morning, I saw a Hummingbird Hawk-moth nectaring on one of the Lavender plants at the back of the garden, but it was too quick for me to grab a photo of this gorgeous moth and it disappeared while I was trying to set up the camera on my phone. Bugger!

One of two Large Yellow Underwings this morning.

There were just 38 moths of 20 species recorded this morning but apart from the low numbers there were some nice moths present that included yet another Dusky Thorn. Migrant Moths this morning included 3 Golden Twin-spots, 2 Clancy’s Rustic, Portland Ribbon Wave, 3 Rusty-dot Pearls (Udea ferrugalis) and an Olive-tree Pearl (Palpita vitrealis).

Above, Plumed Fan-foot and below, Golden Twin-spot.

While checking the Moth Box, I am always keeping an ear out for any birds flying over and I heard and then saw a Grey Wagtail flying high over my garden heading south.

 

MACRO MOTHS	MICRO MOTHS
Hummingbird Hawk-moth x1	Rusty-dot Pearl x3
Dusky Thorn x1	Tree-mallow Tortrix x2
Golden Twin-spot x3	Chevron Grass-moth x2
Large Yellow Underwing x2	Light Brown Apple Moth x1
L-album Wainscot x8	Apple Leaf Miner x3
Plumed Fan-foot x1	Olive-tree Pearl x1
Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing x1	Meal Moth x1
Clancy’s Rustic x2
Pale Mottled Willow x1
Square-spot Rustic x1
Lesser Yellow Underwing x1
Willow Beauty x2
Portland Ribbon Wave x1

 

Geoff’s Moth Box, Cowplain Marsh:

One of 20 Square-spot Rustics in and around the Moth Box here on Cowplain Marsh.

Yes, Geoff’s MV Moth Box moth numbers easily outnumbered my Moth Box this morning with an excellent total of 60 moths of 21 species recorded this morning. Though again there was nothing new for the year list, a superb total of 20 Square-spot Rustics was exceptional. I cannot recall ever seeing so many of this species in a single visit.

One of two Vestal moths today.

Two Vestals was also a good total and looking stunning too. Three Blair’s Mocha was also a good total for this species and both Small Blood-vein and Maiden’s Blush are always a welcome species to any Moth Box.

Lesser Yellow Underwing. This species is on the increase as Autumn progresses.

While Geoff and I were checking the Moth Box and surrounding egg trays, a Green Woodpecker nearby was very vocal, but we didn’t get a sighting, sadly. A Nuthatch was much more co-operative as it was heard in a nearby tree and then seen flying off heading south. A flock of Goldfinches came down to Andy’s feeders, and I am pleased to report that he is making a lot of effort to tidy up Cowplain Marsh and getting ready to build his new Pond.

 

MACRO MOTHS	MICRO MOTHS
Blair’s Mocha x3	Common Plume x6
Double-striped Pug x2	Tree-mallow Tortrix x1
Willow Beauty x2	Chevron Grass-moth x3
Square-spot Rustic x20	Rusty-dot Pearl x1
Small Blood-vein x1	Light Brown Apple Moth x1
Brimstone Moth x1	Common Grass-moth x1
Maiden’s Blush x1
Riband Wave x3
Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing x1
Large Yellow Underwing x2
Lesser Yellow Underwing x1
Vine’s Rustic x4
L-album Wainscot x3
Vestal x2
Small Dusty Wave x1

 

 

Hill Head & Titchfield Haven Nature Reserve:

Common Terns on and over the Rainbow Bar at Hill Head.

An early morning report of a pair of Arctic Terns off the Rainbow Bar off Hill Head had us guys heading southbound to hopefully see the birds to add to our Hampshire year list. However, I did guess it was going to be a long shot for the birds to linger, but we took that chance anyway.

Above and below, Redshank and a Black-headed Gull off the Sailing Club.

On arrival, we parked up along Cliff Road and then made our way to seafront opposite the nature reserve. Good to see local birder Amy Robjohns present and checking out the local birdlife, but there was no sign of the Arctic Terns this morning, but good numbers of both Common and Sandwich Terns offshore and on both the exposed mudflats and sandbar. A Black Tern was reported earlier today here, but despite a good search over the Solent, there was no sighting of the bird. A pair of sub-adult Eiders were some distance offshore, but they got closer as the morning wore on and drifted off east on the sea.

Above, there were a couple of sub-adult Eiders distantly offshore, but they did get a little closer and below, a small flock of Sanderling on the shoreline.

We were amazed to see so many Clouded Yellow butterflies flying past this morning, and this reflected the incredible number of this species here on the south coast and most likely due to the heatwaves of late. Looking north up the River Meon and the Reserve, we had sightings of a circling, but distant Common Buzzard high over the Reserve and among the Common Terns, there was a pair of Egyptian Geese on the small island within the river. Several flocks of Black-tailed Godwit flew in onto the Reserve and another single bird was seen feeding along the edge of the reedbed. A Little Grebe was seen fishing on the river close to the small island.

There were many Turnstone down in the small harbour near the Info Centre including this adult bird.

We made our way to the Sailing Club car park and from one of the many benches, we studied the birdlife out on the exposed mudflats. Several wader species were enjoying the mudflats, and shoreline included several Sanderling, Redshank and good numbers of Turnstone. There was also a big mixed flock of both Black-headed and Mediterranean Gulls on the shingle and on the waters edge, both Common and Sandwich Terns were resting and preening; and then a couple of adults walked up to them and flushed the birds. Sadly, a common practice here at Hill Head and so very frustrating for us birders!

Quite possibly the UK's laziest Birder?

By the time it got to 11.30am, we decided to make our way back to the car to have our lunch at Farlington Marshes. It was when we started to climb the stairs to the car, that all the big Gulls took off which set alarm bells ringing. I searched the sky for any raptors but couldn’t find any. When we reached the car, I noticed that all the Gulls and Waders were now all up and after talking about an Osprey being seen at Woolmer Pond this morning, low and behold, I saw an Osprey flying low over the Solent and heading eastbound towards Stokes Bay!!!

Above, a mixture of Med and Black-headed Gulls on the foreshore and below, one of the Med Gulls.

I quickly got the guys onto the bird, both Andy and my first Osprey of the year (Geoff saw one in the Spring), though the bird was now distant, there was no mistaking this amazing raptor. Little did we know, the sighting of this species didn’t end there!

Farlington Marshes & Langstone Harbour:

Above, there were three Yellow Wagtails searching for food by this Cow in this photo.

We made our way to the Viewing Platform to have our lunch (or should I say Andy to have our lunch!) and were joined by local birder Jason Crook for a good chat and giving us the info about what is present on the reserve today. It was most certainly getting warmer, but there was a cooling westerly breeze coming in off the harbour. The mudflats were exposed within the harbour where a nice flock of 35 Grey Plover were seen. There were many in summer plumage still and I can only assume the winter plumage birds were immatures? There was a lot of heat haze over the Lake area and so a lot of my photos were very poor to put on my blog (that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!)

Above, some of the Grey Plover in the harbour west of the Reserve and below, you can just make out one of the Little Stints in the centre of the photo.

It didn’t take too long for Andy to notch up another two more Hampshire ‘year-ticks’ when I picked out both the Whinchats on the fence wire and the Curlew Sandpipers on the lake. There was in fact, up to four Curlew Sandpipers seen today on the Reserve, with two on the Lake and another pair on the Stream area. Up to 3 Little Stints were present and other waders present included around 50+ Redshank, 20+ Dunlin, 2 Greenshank (they just flew in from the harbour) and a Little Ringed Plover. Up to 10 Ringed Plovers were scattered around the Lake and a lone Avocet was sleeping on the north side of the lake.

Above, again, the heat haze was making photography a tad difficult, but you can just see this Curlew Sandpiper in the centre of this photo, being flanked by a Lapwing and a Ringed Plover. 

Yellow Wagtails were all over the place (with quite a few Pied Wagtails too) and showed superbly around the Lake area and on the seawall and out on the barbed wire fence, up to 3 Whinchats and 2 Wheatears were seen. After enjoying my lunch, Geoff showed me a rare plant growing by the seawall, a Slender Hare’s-ear. It is a nationally scarce native species that is restricted to coastal sites here in the south coast.

Above, Geoff pointed out this rare Slender Hare's-ear plant by the Lake. Below, a Yellow Wagtail behind a Cow's legs. The Cows were just north of the Lake area and this in turn attracted at least 40+ Yellow Wagtails searching for food among the Cattle and allowing us some very close views.

Jason went off to check the bird on the Stream area and eventually we went off to join him. From here, we could see a large skein of Canada Geese that also held a Grey Lag Goose and good numbers of Herring Gull and so spent the next hour or so from here where we then saw our second Osprey for the day. A report had come up on the ‘Lazee Birders’ Whatsapp site that an Osprey had been seen perched on the dead trees out in the eastern side of Langstone Harbour and then Jason found it hunting over Langstone Harbour and heading south. We watched the bird then fly west over the harbour and then disappeared towards Hilsea Creek. It returned a little later back over the harbour to disappear yet again. Could it be the same bird we saw at Hill Head today, or a second individual. Jason was sure it was an immature bird judging by the shape and the way it flew.

Above, another of the Yellow Wagtails and below, finally I caught up with a settled Clouded Yellow butterfly.

Above, Common Blue butterflies were also numerous and below, one of the Yellow Wagtails by the grazing Cattle.

A Sparrowhawk then flew in and put up all the birds, and this exposed the Ruff that Jason had seen earlier as we watched it feeding in the short, stubby reeds by the edge of the Stream. A flock of Black-tailed Godwits were also present (Jason had a Bar-tailed Godwit among them earlier) and a pair of both Dunlin and Little Stint were also seen during the time we were there. Any found a Common Sandpiper feeding in the same area where the Ruff had been and a good count of 41 Pintail along with 2 Wigeon were swimming on the Stream. A female Kestrel finished off our bird sightings here on Farlington Marshes, but I must mention the Clouded Yellow butterflies here by the Bushes area. It was teeming with them along with the Common Blue butterflies as well. The only other butterflies seen were a Red Admiral and a Meadow Brown.  

Above, this female Kestrel, along with a female Sparrowhawk flew over the Stream area and below, the Merlin seen later on the Reserve. Merlin photo by Andy Friend.

Another great day with the guys and my first Osprey of the year in the bag! On the way out of the Reserve car park, we bumped into both fellow ‘Lazee’s’ Andy Friend and Kevin Brookes who later went on to see a Merlin over the Reserve!