An elusive Blackcap within the Cemy.

Monday 2nd May 2022.

A male Blackbird holding territory in the north-east corner of the Cemetery.

Not a bad walk this morning as I took Scruff for a walk around Highland Road Cemetery before my family and myself headed off eastbound to Arundel Wildfowl Trust. Though overcast, with heavy low clouds, it was reasonably mild as Scruff and I took a leisurely slow walk around my local patch. It wasn't a bad species count as I notched up 21 species in all, including a singing Blackcap, the male Sparrowhawk and a surprise Song Thrush. I was hoping for a Hirundine over or maybe a Swift, but the latter species have still to arrive over Portsmouth.

Above, one of many Goldfinches seen this morning. This individual was checking out the roof on a house at the southern end of the Cemetery. Below, a showy Robin over on the east side.

There weren't too many insects on show today, probably due to the overcast conditions, but there were a few Hoverflies zipping about and the occasional Buff-tailed Bumble Bee was seen a few times. There  were plenty of wild flowers around including Creeping Buttercup, Daisy, Red Dead-nettle, Common Speedwell, Ribwort Plantain and the flowering Borage plant were all on show today.

Above, this acrobatic male House Sparrow was getting to grips with a TV Aerial and below, a few Hoverflies were on the wing early this morning.

The singing male Blackcap was heard only, choosing to hide deep within a large bush on the northern edge of the Cemetery. Although I waited patiently for around 5 minutes, the bird refused to give itself up and so I carried on my walk. Before the Blackcap, a Song Thrush flew up into one of the Chestnut trees and eventually flew off east. The male Sparrowhawk was seen perched high up in one of the Holm Oaks in the centre of the Cemetery and I was just about to take a photo, but the bird flew down and out of view. It was heard calling before I saw it and most likely trying to attract the female. Again, a pleasant early morning walk and now that the Cemetery does not now close till 8pm, I shall be taking some early evening walks with Scruff over the coming weeks. The following birds were seen or heard this morning within the Cemetery:

• Herring Gull
• Black-headed Gull
• Lesser Black-backed Gull
• House Sparrow
• Starling
• Wood Pigeon
• Collared Dove
• Feral Pigeon
• Carrion Crow
• Magpie
• Greenfinch
• Goldfinch
• Blackcap
• Song Thrush
• Blackbird
• Sparrowhawk
• Wren
• Dunnock
• Robin
• Blue Tit

 

Above, a record shot of the Lesser Black-backed Gull that came down to investigate why bread was being thrown down by some old lady. Yesterday, it was an old man feeding the Crows and today, it was an old lady feeding the Gulls within the Cemy! 

Kittiwake the highlight this morning.

Sunday 1st May 2022.

The Pale-bellied Brent Goose that sped through this morning. 

I was up for a sea-watch this morning, especially as the weather forecast looked promising today with East South-easterly winds predicted, but when I arrived at 6.30am this morning at the shelter at Gilkicker Point, the sea was dead flat and there was hardly a breath of wind. It was also a little gloomy over the Solent and rain was forecast for around midday. Could this bring in a nice movement of seabirds?

Oystercatchers heading east.

I wasn't on my own this morning as a couple of unfamiliar birders joined me within the shelter and thankfully, as they say, more pairs of eyes looking, more get seen. A lot of the time, there was simply nothing going through the Solent, but occasionally, something of note would be seen. A small group of Sandwich Terns fished offshore to the west and a few groups of Herring and Great Black-backed Gulls kept us entertained throughout the time we were there. I gave it until 9.15am before I made my way back home as things got too quiet and there were jobs to do at home.

This adult Gannet was first seen sitting on the water but eventually flew off east.

An adult Gannet was my first bird of note this morning, seen sitting on the sea half way across the Solent and a further two more birds were seen flying east during the morning. Minutes later, a flock of 5 Bar-tailed Godwits, including two summer-plumage birds, flew east and a further 10 more birds flew through including one that flew north over our heads and then circled the fields behind us and headed off somewhere west.

I have heard of feeding the Pigeons, but feeding the Crows???

Just four Common Terns were seen and again, no Little Terns to add to my year list; but bird of the morning had to be the adult Kittiwake heading east high over the sea, my first of the year. A single Pale-bellied Brent Goose was seen heading east, somewhat a rather late bird, which was seen earlier off Barton-on-sea and later off Selsey Bill. Other birds noted included 2 Whimbrel, 3 Shelduck, a single drake Mallard, 3 Med Gulls heading north together, 4 Oystercatchers and a Grey Heron; The latter looked as though it was off to the Isle of Wight for its Hols! There was a steady trickle of Swallows coming in off the sea and while I was driving back along the coast road, many more were still flying in. 

This superb Hobby was hunting over Fishlake Meadows yesterday. Photo by Pete Appleton.

Four more 'year-ticks' today.

Saturday 30th April 2022.

Black-tailed Godwits on the Floods.

I was going to have a lay in this morning, seeing a certain Mr Fisher still has Covid, but I got up at 6.30am and eventually made my way to Posbrook Floods. Bright sunshine poured into the bedroom window this morning and convinced me to get out of bed and hopefully go and see the Wood Sandpipers, which were present yesterday on the pools there. Afterwards, I was hoping to also pay a visit to Old Winchester Hill to view the Ring Ouzels that had been there for the past few days.

A singing Common Whitethroat near the car park.

One of two Roe Deer in the fields to the east adjacent to the Canal Path.

After parking the car in the small car park at Posbrook Floods, I made my way slowly down the Canal Path. From here, I met Southampton birder, Dennis Lynch, who turned out to be one of the ‘Lazee’ gang and soon we made friends and walked together down the Canal Path, enjoying talking about our birding memoirs. Enjoying superb views of both Cetti’s Warbler and Common Whitethroat, we set up our respective telescopes and checked out the pools over in the fields. Sadly, no sign whatsoever of the Wood Sandpipers (at least one returned later in the afternoon), I still got lucky with my first sightings of the year of both a Common Sandpiper and a pair of Little Ringed Plovers, feeding on the shoreline of the pool.

Above, the same Roe Deer as the above and below, a female Blackcap in a Willow on the main path.

Other notable birds on the pool here included a pair of Avocets and also at least 30 Black-tailed Godwit on the most northernmost pool and there was also a Wagtail species that I think was a White Wagtail; for when the bird was seen a little later, when it flew off I was convinced it had a grey back and dark hood, though I could not be totally 100%. A few Swallows flew low over the fields, singing at the same time and although quite a few more were seen later in the morning, there were no other Hirundine species seen today.

Above, a gorgeous Sedge Warbler singing by the Canal Path, with another close by and also a Reed Warbler. Below, a Marsh Harrier came soaring overhead above us.

Walking further down to view the next pool, there was a good number of ducks present including Teal, Gadwall, Mallard and Shoveler. A female Mallard was seen walking her dozen or so ducklings down to the water and a pair of Egyptian Geese was also present. A pair of Grey Herons fished the shallow water as did a lone Little Egret. More Black-tailed Godwit were feeding along the edge of this pool and I also found a couple of Common Snipe hiding away in the reeds.

Above, there were a few Common Buzzards showing well overhead. Below, a view of the fields to the east  by the Canal Path

Further down the footpath, we were hoping for a sighting of yesterday's Lesser Whitethroat, as we both needed one for a ‘year-tick’. We came across quite a few Warblers, including a pair of Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs, more Common Whitethroats, both Sedge (2) and Reed Warblers and another Cetti’s; but it wasn't till I was walking back to the car, that I heard a distant Lesser Whitethroat, but heard only as it was singing somewhere in a hedgerow and out of view. There was a good variety of raptors around today, making the most of the sunny weather and light winds which included at least 4 Common Buzzards, a male Marsh Harrier, a male Kestrel and a gorgeous but brief Red Kite. A Hobby would have been nice, but not this time.

A female Syrphus Hovefly species enjoying nectaring on a Dandelion.

A singing male Common Whitethroat along the main footpath.

Enjoying the raptors, we were overlooking the fields to the east and a Cuckoo suddenly burst into song, but we failed to locate the bird. A male Reed Bunting was seen on reeds and a second bird flew into a bramble close to the main path. Other notable birds included a Great Spotted Woodpecker that flew up and landed on the top most branches and a Jay flew across the fields to land in the woods. Dennis was making his way to Hill Head and so I said cheerio to Dennis and made my way back to the car. Posbrook Floods still held the Avocets and a few Black-tailed Godwits, but all the other waders had left. Though no sightings of any Wood Sandpipers, I still managed to grab two more ‘year-ticks’.

Above, a Grey Heron poking its head out of the reeds and below, another photo of the Common Whitethroat.

After grabbing a bit of lunch in the local Co-op within the village of Titchfield, I took the country roads to get to Old Winchester Hill. There was nothing on Birdguides or the Whatsapp Lazee Birders whether the Ring Ouzel was still present, but I simply enjoyed taking a leisurely stroll along the footpath, taking in the superb views to the west over the countryside. Butterflies were plentiful here, mostly Brimstone's, but there were also singles of  Red Admiral, Small Heath, a few Orange Tips, good numbers of Small White and at least 3 Dingy Skipper, my first of the year.

Above, a Chiffchaff singing on Old Winchester Hill and below, Crosswort growing abundantly on the Hill.

Almost immediately, a singing Chiffchaff (above) was showing well, perched right out in the open. A male Yellowhammer was seen distantly singing and several flocks of Linnet flew over. A lone Common Buzzard drifted overhead, but no sign of any Kites yet. I was enjoying the plants as well, with Cowslips and Common Speedwell being most abundant as well as Crosswort, which was simply everywhere.

Above, Cowslips were also abundant on the Hill. Below, one of the superb viewpoints on the Hill looking west.

The footpath leading to the Fort area was relatively quiet although there were a few Pheasants out in the field to the south. Rainfall has been quite scarce this April and the land was very dry and cracked. Though the path was dotted with bright yellow Dandelions, there were very few Bees noted, which was worrying, but at least the butterflies were numerous. One has to share this area with not only dog-walkers, ramblers and a few birdwatchers, but also people on mountain bikes and even joggers. But at least most of them behave themselves and I could not see any litter during my walk round which was a big plus. I hope the late Dave Compton, who regularly patrolled this part of the world, was looking down with a big smile on his face.

A male Brimstone on Brambles.

The female Ring Ouzel showing well. Despite the heathaze, I managed to knock off a few nice photos.

On reaching the Fort area, I came across a singing Lesser Whitethroat down in the hill slope below, but I could not see the bird at first. I also could see a couple of birders in the distance, hopefully enjoying the Ring Ouzels, but I wasn't going to hold my breath. On reaching them, they gave me the excellent news that a female bird was on show down in the sheep field below and sure enough, there she was. It is always a pleasure to see a ‘Spring’ Ring Ouzel, but I was amazed it had stayed for so long. I quickly got the camera out to take some photos, but the heat haze put paid to a lot of my photos of the bird. It was also joined by a Yellowhammer and a Dunncock and the Lesser Whitethroat heard earlier had gotten a lot closer and so I took a stroll to see the bird of which I was thankfully successful. I was lucky to grab a few photos of the bird before it flew down the hill and out of view.

Above, the male Lesser Whitethroat eventually gave itself up in the brambles.  Below, my first Small Heath butterfly of the year.  

On the way back, I bumped into another ‘Lazee Birder’, a chap called Matt and his partner and gave them the ‘gen’ on where to view the Ouzel and then made my way back to the car. A Red Kite drifted over heading east, but too quick for me to grab a photo and a few more Dingy Skippers fluttered at speed over the ground plants. Someone was having a picnic with their family and dog near the main entrance, but what a beautiful place to have one overlooking this fantastic countryside. We are so lucky to have something like this on our doorsteps and if you cannot go abroad to visit some beautiful countries, then this area should be on your bucket list.  

Hampshire AND East Sussex today.

Thursday 28th April 2022.

The micro moth, Ypsolopha nemorella, which was perched just outside the South Chapel of Portchester Crematorium this morning, with another nearby. 

A busy day today with myself working in both Hampshire and East Sussex on a somewhat bright but cold day. I gave myself plenty of time to explore Portchester Crematorium this morning as I had to be up there by 10.15am and after exploring both the Flower Bay and the Memoriam Gardens, I came away with a nice selection of sightings.

Another micro moth, Tachystola acroxantha, also at the same spot as the above moth.  

The first port of call at Portchester Crematorium was to check the exit of the South Chapel and though there were no moths present on the walls (again!)I did find two Ypsolopha nemorella micro moths perched on the overhead wooden construction and also a single Tachystola acroxantha; however, not a single macro moth to be found here.

This male Brimstone butterfly was probably the same individual I saw here at the same spot a few days ago! 

I could hear the distinctive song of the Blackcap in the distance and so seeing I had 45 minutes to kill, I made my way to the gardens, not only to see any interesting wildlife, but also to pay my respects to both of my wife's parents whose ashes are buried here in the gardens. A Willow Warbler was a nice surprise, singing quietly in a tall tree on the lawn and it didn't flinch as I made my way slowly past it. A male Blackcap was showing reasonably well high in a tree, singing its heart out as it flicked across the branches of a tree by the footpath. Good numbers of Blackbirds were on the lawn, but I could not ‘string’ one into a Ring Ouzel! High overhead, a Skylark was in song, but I failed to locate the bird which was very high up.

The large pond within the Crematorium gardens at Portchester, which held both a Grey Heron and a pair of Mallards this morning.

A Grey Heron came down to fish in the large fish pond here, though soon flew off when people were approaching. A pair of Mallards were also on the edge of the Pond, but were probably used to humans passing them by and so stayed put when I walked past. Also noted were both Coal Tit and Goldcrest seen in the gardens. Before I left, a Common Buzzard drifted over and circled a few times before heading off east.

A Honey Bee exploring a Dandelion head behind Woodvale Crematorium this afternoon.

Primroses were growing abundantly behind Woodvale Crematorium.

This afternoon, I was working in the Hove area within East Sussex and eventually, I ended up at Woodvale Crematorium in the heart of Hove. While a service was going on, I took a moment to explore the area and nearby, there was both Blackcap and Chiffchaff seen singing high up in some trees. A Great Spotted Woodpecker was also seen and a Green Woodpecker was heard somewhere in the distance. There are a lot of trees and scrubby areas here at this Crematorium, which is situated on a hill and the grounds behind the Crem was alive with plants and insects. Bluebells, Primroses and Dandelions got a lot of attention from the local insects which included both Honey Bees and Bee Flies; just a shame I did not have my decent camera with me. A lot of the gravestones in the top half of the Crematorium/Cemetery were covered in shrubs and bushes, which, I thought, was a shame. Maybe the graves might be cleared one day for there must be a lot of history at this site.

Above, the grassy bank was alive with plants and insects. Below, a footpath going up the hill even further with old graves adjacent to the footpath.

The pair of Ring Ouzels were still showing well at Old Winchester Hill this morning and again later in the day plus a few Swallows through as well. Posbrook Floods hosted a pair of Wood Sandpipers and a Green Sandpiper, plus a couple of Lesser Whitethroats nearby. A Velvet Scoter was among a flock of Common Scoter off Hill Head.

An evening walk around the Cemy.

Wednesday 27th April 2022.

Though a tad cold, a glorious evening in the Cemetery.

I managed a quick walk with Scruff this evening over Highland Road Cemetery, but by the time I arrived, I only had 20 minutes there due to the fact the Council close the Cemetery at 7pm. We are nearly into May where it closes an hour later. In that twenty minutes, I managed to notch up 12 species within or over the Cemy, though nothing that exciting, I was surprised at how many Wood Pigeons there were in the early evening sunshine, but where were all the Collared Doves?. What with all the new shoots coming out on the trees and bushes, I suppose they were having a field day feeding on these.

A sleepy Wood Pigeon. 

Still no Swifts over Portsmouth yet that I have seen so far, but I am sure that they will be here by the end of the week. One flew in off the sea at Hill Head this morning and a few more were noted in the County. Yes, just the usual birds seen and even they were not easy to see either as they start to think about getting to roost. The temperatures have most certainly dropped as the fresh north-east wind kept the climate around 10 degrees throughout the day. 

Above, Ribwort Plantain growing abundantly, as was the Creeping Buttercup below, within the Cemy. 

Most noticeable were the Creeping Buttercups within the Cemy, especially around the southern end between the graves. But apart from them, not a great deal else of note though Ribwort Plantain was abundant on the graves and in flower too. The large Hoverfly, Myathropa florea (Batman Hoverfly) was now on the wing and one showed well enjoying sunbathing on the trunk of a Chestnut tree. On the same tree, just above the Hoverfly, a large Buff-tailed Bumble Bee also rested on the same trunk.

Above, The Hoverfly, Myathropa florea showing well on one of the trees and below, a Buff-tailed Bumble Bee on the same tree.  

A brief, though lovely walk in the sunshine, though I do hope it warms up for this week's Bank Holiday weekend. A pair of Ring Ouzels were found today and well photographed by the ‘Lazee’s’ on the south side of Old Winchester Hill today. I was tempted to go for the birds, but getting out of Portsmouth after work is simply a nightmare and not only that, I was knackered! I will have to change my attitude if I want to see Nightjar and Woodcock this year.

An atmospheric view of the 'Dupree' Mauseleum within the Cemetery.

I didn't take many bird photo's tonight as there wasn't many birds to photograph! But this juvenile Herring Gull flew low overhead.

Horse Chestnut 'flower spike's in the early evening sunshine.

On my travels today, a male Kestrel was close to the A259 road, which I pointed out to a work colleague while I was lambasting Wildfowlers to him! A Common Buzzard was seen soaring low over the A27 as we were heading to Emsworth and a surprise sighting of a Grey Wagtail flying over Chichester Crematorium was noteworthy, but no sign of yesterday’s Sparrowhawks by the nest. I didn't really have a chance to explore the grounds of The Oaks Crematorium today, but I did see a Grey Heron flying high over the grounds. Below, the pair of Ring Ouzels on Old Winchester Hill today. Photo by Andy Friend.