SE Nature Notes - w/e 22nd Feb
22 February 2010
Song thrushes are prominent singers in many locations now.
Portsmouth & Portsdown
A group of around half a dozen coal tits were in a lilac tree at the garage in Commercial Road on Monday. Three unidentified divers flew east past Southsea Castle on Monday afternoon. Seven purple sandpipers were there on Wednesday and 14 on Saturday. Birds at Farlington Marshes on Thursday included a female merlin, 3 barnacle geese, a marsh harrier and a peregrine. On Sunday 21st there was a pale-bellied Brent, single merlin, peregrine, avocet and bar-tailed godwit, a few knot and 3 little egrets.
Havant, Hayling & Emsworth
Bullfinches were seen in Lady’s Walk Stansted (4), Middle Lodge (2) and on Woodbury lane (3) all on one day in the week ending 14th. Ravens have been seen regularly around Stansted recently. A fulmar was seen offshore at Sandy Point Hayling Island on Monday. Divers were seen flying east and west while a single great northern diver was on the sea. Two Sandwich terns were also in the area. The Budds Farm green-winged teal was there until at least 19th. There were 5 pintails and 82 knot in Emsworth Harbour on 19th. On the same day a pair of buzzards were making a territorial or courtship display over west Warblington fields. On 19th a mistle thrush was singing in North Emsworth. Another was heard calling on Portsdown on the same day. Two male bullfinches were seen by the Brockhampton Stream on Saturday. A wintering whimbrel was seen in the Emsworth Channel off Thorney Island on Saturday. On Sunday 22nd a female reed bunting was seen on a Hayling Island bird table. There are still very few wildflowers around but in the Havant area lesser celandine by the Lymbourn Stream had 7 flowers this week. Blackthorn on the Nore Barn Sea Wall had a single flower. Oxford ragwort and smooth hawkbeard have also been seen with single flowers.
Fareham and Gosport
An albino blackbird was seen in the southern part of Portchester on Saturday. There was a rock pipit on the shore. Four greenshanks were on Stoke Lake Gosport at midday on Saturday. Three velvet scoters are still being seen off Titchfield Haven.
Waterlooville and South Downs
Red kites have been seen around East Meon this week. One on Tuesday and three with buzzards on Wednesday. Three buzzards circled over a Waterlooville garden on Saturday.
