SE Nature Notes w/e August 6th
8 August 2011
Portsmouth & Portsdown
On Portsdown on 2nd a yellowhammer was singing on a fence north of the road and peregrines were still present in the chalk-pit. There is a lot of ploughman’s spikenard now in flower. The many chalkhill blue butterflies are now looking a bit ragged.
A yellow wagtail was seen on Farlington Marshes on 2nd. Other birds seen on or from the reserve this week include common sandpipers, greenshanks, bearded tits, a little ringed plover, dunlin, redshanks, grey plovers and black-tailed godwits. Four juveniles ruffs were on the Lake at high tide on 6th.
Autumn lady’s tresses are in flower on Portsdown and in a Waterlooville garden.
On Horsea Island on 3rd the butterflies seen included common and holly blues. A small magpie moth was noted on the Fort Widley nature trail on the same day.
Birds recorded on Milton Common this week include willow, reed and sedge warblers, common and lesser whitethroats, a stonechat, a female mandarin duck and up to 20,swifts.
Three juvenile sparrowhawks are reported to have fledged in Victoria Park.
Havant hayling & Emsworth
On Monday 1st there were 2 black and a roseate tern among the others flying into Langstone Harbour to roost at 9 p.m.
Six whimbrels were at the oyster beds on 1st and 3 at The Kench on 6th.
Violet helleborines are in flower on both sides of the northern drive to Stansted House this week.
On 2nd a cattle egret flew north from The Kench Hayling Island but could not be relocated in or around the harbour. A yellow-legged gull was at the same site on 4th.
A stoat was watched making 3 trips across the sea wall at Nutbourne carrying young into crevices in the rocks.
Juvenile willow warblers and a wheatear were seen north of the Inn on the Beach at Hayling Island on 6th.
On the same day a hobby was seen at Northney. Other birds present included sand martins and single common sandpiper and whimbrel. On 7th Mediterranean gulls and bar-tailed godwits were at the same site.
A female mandarin duck was on the Staunton lake on 7th.
Flowers in the Havant area this week include yellow loosestrife in the fields north of Staunton CP and lesser skullcap in Havant Thicket.
Fareham and Gosport
An oak eggar moth was seen on a door post at Portchester on 1st.
An unidentified bat was filmed at midday over the lake at Southwick on 2nd.
An osprey was seen carrying a fish at Titchfield Haven on 7th.
Waterlooville and South Downs
A redstart was seen in Queen Elizabeth Country Park on 2nd.
A pair of ravens were over Creech Woods Denmead on 5th.
Two common crossbills were at Old Winchester Hill on 6th.
