News from SE Hampshire
29 March 2010
Nature Notes from SE Hampshire for week ending March 29th
Portsmouth & Portsdown
A Cosham garden has had visiting comma butterflies since 16th and toad spawn since 23rd when there were 20 toads in the pond. Among 8 buzzards over Fort Widley on 21st 2 were doing mating acrobatics together. On Wednesday in Candy’s Pit near The George on Portsdown there were commas, brimstones and a small tortoiseshell. At least 2 chiffchaffs and a blackcap were singing. A willow warbler was singing near the hut on Farlington Marshes on Wednesday. A merlin was preening on the fence near the blockhouse. A sand martin flew west over Portsmouth at midday on Wednesday. A swallow was over the IBM lake on Thursday. A surprise on Baffins Pond on Thursday was a drake scaup. On the Milton reclamation there were 3 Cetti’s calling and 4 chiffchaffs. Opposite leaved golden saxifrage (right) and moschatel were in flower at Hookheath on 28th.
Havant, Hayling & Emsworth
Woodlarks and lapwings were seen in the fields east of Stansted in the week ending 21st. On 21st buzzards were displaying spectacularly over the Rowlands Castle end of the Avenue. White comfrey is in flower in St. Faith’s churchyard and near the end of Langstone Avenue. Wavy bittercress has one flower among a mass of the hairy variety. Masses of Danish scurvy grass can be seen in Park Rd North in Havant. In Havant cemetery a goldcrest was singing in the yews. A grey wagtail was singing in the Homewell spring area of Havant on Wednesday. On 26th a yellowhammer was seen on the Billy Line on the Havant side of Langstone Road. There were still teal on the wet fields north of Langstone Pond on Saturday. There are now very few Brent geese around. Cherry plum is now becoming widespread. Spanish bluebell and garden forget-me-not are also in flower by the Billy Trail. Naturalised blue anemones are in flower in Havant Cemetery.
Waterlooville and South Downs
Brimstone, peacock and comma butterflies were in a Waterlooville garden on Wednesday. Road verges in the area have ivy-leaved toadflax, lesser celandine, sweet violet, common speedwell and hairy bittercress in flower. A Catherington garden this week had a kestrel on a bird feeder, a mistle thrush in the bird bath and 3 pairs of house sparrows in the house eaves.
Fareham and Gosport
A Gosport garden had a comma butterfly on Monday. There were 2 more at Browndown. A buff-tailed bumblebee was also seen in Gosport. Up to 13Cetti’s warblers were singing along the Titchfield Canal Path this week. A marsh harrier was seen over the reserve on Wednesday. A bittern was continuing to show well all week. Out on the sea there was a great northern diver. Migrants seen or heard included 4 swallows, 12 sand martins and a little ringed plover. On Sunday there were bullfinch and a treecreeper to be seen along the Canal path.
