SE Nature Notes w/e 3rd April
12 April 2010
PORTSMOUTH & PORTSDOWN
On Monday single merlin, wheatear and swallow were at Farlington Marshes in the late morning.
The conservation volunteers on Portsdown saw a muntjac in Candy's Pit opposite The George on Wednesday.
Chiffchaffs and a willow warbler were present on Farlington Marshes on Thursday. A peregrine, a merlin and a marsh harrier were also seen.
A red kite flew over Portsdown on Friday morning and a little later was seen over the oyster beds on Hayling Island.
Also on Friday a willow warbler and 2 chiffchaffs were seen on Milton Common while there were 24 red-breasted mergansers offshore.
HAVANT HAYLING & EMSWORTH
A great spotted woodpecker was in a garden backing onto the Billy trail and Lymebourne Stream on Monday. On the same day a peahen appeared in a Sinah garden - probably an escape from Sinah warren.
Two male green woodpeckers have been present regularly by the road into Thorney Island.
There are some white violets on the verge of Mill Lane in Langstone and pink ones in Nore Barn woods. Other local flowers include Good Friday grass in a Havant garden; thale cress in East Pallant Havant; ivy-leaved toadflax in Emsworth; greater stitchwort and ground ivy in Southleigh Road.
On Tuesday a group of 17 barnacle geese was seen on the West Wittering mud from Sandy Point. The next day 2 sandwich terns, a gannet, a peregrine and a firecrest were on the reserve or offshore. A great northern diver was offshore on Friday.
Two swallows and a summer visiting blackcap were seen in Emsworth.
An osprey flew north into Chichester Harbour at midday on Thursday. There was also a great northern diver and more than 40 Mediterranean gulls in the harbour.
On Friday herring gulls appeared to be preparing to nest on the Wyeth building in New Lane.
A wheatear and 10 swallows were at Gypsy Plain Rowlands Castle on Sunday. Three mandarin ducks were seen in nearby small ponds.
A pale-bellied Brent goose was off the Southmoors shore on Sunday morning.
FAREHAM AND GOSPORT
A marsh harrier was at Titchfield Haven on Thursday.
Butterflies in Gosport on Thursday included a red admiral, 4 small tortoiseshells, 4 commas and a peacock.
Titchfield Haven birds on Friday included a sanderling, 18 avocets, 27 Mediterranean gulls, 320 black-tailed godwits, 22 snipe, 30 sand martins and a swallow.
WATERLOOVILLE AND SOUTH DOWNS
On Saturday a corn bunting was seen on Old Winchester Hill.
Kingcup, wood anemone and moschatel were in flower on Pur-brook Heath. There are plenty of chamomile leaves in the grass by the tennis courts.
