Nature Notes from SE Hants - w/e June 7th
8 June 2010
Portsmouth & Portsdown
A raven flew over Fort Southwick on Wednesday. A painted lady was on Portsdown on Friday. Eclipsing other sightings over Bedhampton and Portsdown was a booted eagle at midday on Friday. What was probably the same bird had been seen earlier in Eastern England and has gone on to north Hampshire. Sedge warblers (left) with chicks were photographed on Milton Common this week. The swans on the Milton Common lakes have got all mixed up over their cygnets with the pair on one lake losing theirs to the pair on the next lake who now have 9 to care for!
Havant, Hayling & Emsworth
At the oyster beds on Hayling Island there are over 460 black-headed gulls nesting - many now with chicks, 66 pairs of common terns and just a single pair of little terns. The latter is among decoys on the newly created bare shingle area. A dozen pairs of oyster catchers are spread around the reserve as are a few ringed plovers. ‘Tern shelters’ have been placed on the islands. Four, probably non breeding, black-tailed godwits were off the oyster beds on Tuesday.
On Monday there were 4 sanderlings and 7 dunlin at Black Point Hayling Island with single fulmar and gannets off shore. A Dartford warbler was seen at Sinah on Wednesday where an escaped eastern rosella was singing. There were 18 bar-tailed godwits at Sandy point on Friday. A black tern was seen foraging with other terns and gulls on Saturday from Sandy/Black Point. A wheat ear, swifts, swallows and house martins were also present on the reserve. A great spotted woodpecker chick was photographed near The Sussex Brewery in Emsworth on Sunday.
Fareham and Gosport
A nightjar was seen displaying and feeding at West Walk on Thursday and a woodcock roding. A marsh tit and turtle doves were present on Saturday. Avocets are doing well at Titchfield Haven where 55 adults and 26 young were seen this week. A garganey and a cackling goose are still around.
Waterlooville and South Downs
A buzzard was seen carrying off a crow nestling at Queen Elizabeth CP on Wednesday. Goldcrests were seen feeding young and 3 adult Mediterranean gulls were among a swarm of Black-headed gulls chasing chafer beetles. Also on Wednesday butterflies seen on Chalton Down included brimstones, orange tips, small heath, common blues, green hairstreaks, brown argus, dingy and grizzled skippers. There were also burnet companion and 9 Pyruasta aurata moths. A red kite was again seen on Friday.
