Nature Notes w/e Aug 1st
4 August 2011
Portsmouth & Portsdown
A summering Brent goose was by one of the Farlington Marshes scrapes on 24th.
Birds at Milton Common on 25th included 10 sedge warblers, 6 willow warblers, up to 3,000 starlings, 45 whitethroats, 45 sand martins and single garden and Dartford warblers. A whitethroat was a surprising sight in a Fratton garden on 25th. A marsh harrier flew over Farlington Marshes on 26th. The long list of birds at Farlington Marshes on 31st included a ruff, a bar-tailed godwit, common and lesser whitethroat, 5 common sandpipers, a hobby, a wheatear, 27 lapwings and 3 sparrowhawks
On 25th a single glow worm was seen at around 0915 in Gilmann Lane Farlington.
Butterflies on Horsea Island on 29th included common blues, gatekeepers and green-veined whites.
A Roesel’s bush cricket was found in the car-park outside Hobbycraft in Havant on 30th.
Havant, Hayling & Emsworth
On 25th there were at least 4 whimbrels on the South Moors shore. A kingfisher was seen by the Langstone Mill Pond on 25th. Three yellow wagtails were at Sandy point on 27th. A partial count of the little egrets at Langtsone on 29th found 42 birds. Two wheatears and an osprey were seen at Southmoors on 31st. Ten willow warblers a redstart and 6 blackcaps were reported from Northney on 31st. There were 2 whimbrels on the shore.
Havant area plants this week include soapwort on the side of Park Road North; water chickweed and shaggy soldier at Prinsted; spiny restharrow and fragrant agrimony at Northney; pepper saxifrage on the Hayling coastal path; narrow-leaved ragwort and early goldenrod at Farm Lane Nutbourne; and blue water speedwell in Emsworth.
Fareham and Gosport
Roseate terns have been showing up at Titchfield Haven all this week. A great white egret was reported from the reserve on 26th. Other birds on the reserve on 31st included a water rail and a snipe.
Waterlooville and South Downs
A quail was heard at Old Winchester Hill in the week ending 24th.
The Wildlife Trust walk on Hazleton Common on 26th found 88 broad-leaved helleborines flowers pikes in Sheepwash Road and orange hawkweed on the common. Jays and great spotted woodpeckers were prominent as well.
