SE Nature Notes w/e 17th April
19 April 2010
HAVANT, HAYLING & EMSWORTH
A pair of buzzards were displaying over central Havant on Monday. There have been occasional sightings of swallows in our area all week.
Cetti's warblers have been heard singing in the reed beds at Emsworth and Budds Farm.
A blue tit has been attacking its own reflection in car wing mirrors at Wade Lane, Havant. When a different vehicle was
parked there, it continued this activity on that.
At least 8 pairs of little egrets seem to be preparing to nest beside Langstone Mill Pond. Coot chicks were being fed by their parents.
The first buds were opening on pedunculate oak at Havant on 19th April. Ash and Norway maple trees have been flowering this week, while hawthorn and horse chestnut were almost in bloom.
By the middle of the week in central Havant, ivy- leaved toadflax, shining cranesbill, slender speedwell and sticky mouse-ear had started flowering. Early dog violets and primroses were making a good display in the Eastern Road
cemetery.
Observations at the Budds Farm sewage ponds on Wednesday included two green sandpipers, gadwall, Cetti's warbler and lesser whitethroat.
A sparrowhawk took and devoured a sparrow in a Bedhampton garden on Friday.
Birds in song at Hollybank Woods at Emsworth on Sunday included blackcaps, chiffchaffs and one willow warbler. Wood anemone, common dog violet, lesser celandine, dog's mercury, barren strawberry, primrose and the first of the bluebells were carpeting the ground in flower.
Newly-flowering plants in the Bridge Road wayside area at Emsworth this week have included cuckoo flower, garlic mustard and dovesfoot cranesbill, while a first orange tip butterfly was seen in Lumley Road on Thursday.
WATERLOOVILLE & SOUTH DOWNS
By Tuesday a pair of nuthatches had moved into a garden nest box at Waterlooville.
PORTSMOUTH & PORTSDOWN
Spring sedge was observed on Portsdown on Saturday, with white violets in flower at Fort Widley. A butterfly survey on Tuesday listed brimstone, small white, small tortoiseshell, peacock, comma and speckled wood.
Migrant birds observed in the Milton reclamation area during the week have included whitethroat and sedge, reed, willow and grasshopper warblers. Ducks present on Friday included 5 shoveller,4 shelduck and 66 tufted. Two
whimbrel were seen on the shore on Tuesday.
Counts of up to 252 black-tailed godwits were made at Farlington Marshes on Wednesday, with sharp-eyed observers noting a single bar-tailed godwit and five whimbrel. 17 brent geese were still there on Thursday. On Friday two peregrines, two little ringed plover and two lesser whitethroat were recorded, while a single swift was spotted on
Sunday.
A relatively tame little egret was perched on the moat wall at Old Portsmouth on Saturday afternoon.
GOSPORT & FAREHAM
Butterflies on the wing in Gosport this week have included those seen at Portsdown, plus large white, green-veined white, orange tip, holly blue and one red admiral.
Highlights of the birds recorded from the canal path at Titchfield were a single garganey (all week), a marsh harrier, up to 41 avocets on Wednesday and a few swallows, house and sand martins (Sunday).
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