SE Nature Notes w/e 27th Feb
1 March 2010
Portsmouth & Portsdown
Two peregrines were perched on one of the tall buildings at Portsmouth Harbour on Thursday.
There were 16 purple sandpipers at Southsea Castle on Sunday. Two rock pipits were in the Castle grounds.
Havant hayling & Emsworth
Nineteen golden plovers flew east past Sandy Point on Tuesday. There were also gannets and a shag offshore.
A greenshank was an unexpected find on the field north of Langstone Mill Pond on Monday.
Shelducks appear to be occupying breeding territory on the Budds Farm lagoons. Around 40 turnstones were on the South Moors shore. Havant BC have erected a barn owl nest box on the mound overlooking the lagoons.
On Tuesday a buzzard and 2 kestrels were seen at Brook Meadow Emsworth.
Skylark song has been heard this week over Thorney Island and also the fields east of Warblington.
Two Sandwich terns were seen off Mill Rythe Sailing Club on Wednesday.
On Thursday the Nore Barn spotted redshank was in the usual stream only slightly concerned by a dog being washed in the same stream! To the west of Conigar Point there were around 40 bar-tailed godwits among the many waders.
The first report to hand of Mediterranean gulls at the oyster beds this year is of 25 on Thursday.
A cherry plum tree in Southmoor Lane has flowers. By Thursday the giant butterbur by the Langbrook Stream were fully out.
Fareham and Gosport
Spurge laurel by Fareham Creek has flowers this week.
Interesting sightings of bitterns at Titchfield Haven include 1 seen from the Canal Path on Monday and 1 showing well and catching frogs and eels on Saturday. There was also a marsh harrier there on Monday and Saturday.
On Wednesday there was an avocet and 209 golden plovers on the reserve. A scaup was with the velvet scoters off shore at Hill Head.
Saturday's birds at the Haven included 4 avocets, 2 Mediterranean gulls, a cackling goose and 166 golden plovers.
A Lee-on-Solent garden reports having a regular brambling visiting along with blackcaps. Blackcap numbers seem to be up with many gardens across our area reporting 3s and 4s present.
Waterlooville and South Downs
Birds seen on The Rowans bird table this week included a goldcrest, coal tit and wren. Marsh tits apparently continue to be seen nearby.
The first report of frog spawn in our area was from Waterlooville on Friday.
