SE Nature Notes for w/e Oct 3rd
6 October 2011
Portsmouth & Portsdown
A death’s head hawkmoth was on the beach at Southsea on 24th and a hummingbird hawkmoth in a Southsea garden on 25th September.
Two tawny owls were calling in the Widley area in the evening on 26th and another was calling in mid afternoon at Hookheath on 30th. At Hookheath common jellyspot and alder scale cap fungi were on old logs.
On 28th 2 rock pipits and 110 Brent geese were seen in Portsmouth Harbour. A razorbill was seen there the next day. Two marsh harriers and 20 bearded tits were at Farlington Marshes on 28th. A red kite was over the M27 between Cosham and Fareham on 28th. On1st there were 6 little gulls at Farlington. The following day birds present included 3 snipe, a water rail, 5 wheatears and a kingfisher.
Havant hayling & Emsworth
Three peregrines were seen over Stansted East Park in the week ending 25th September. Fifty gannets flew past Sandy Point in half an hour on 26th. An arctic skua, 3 bar-tailed godwits, a little tern and 230 Brent geese were also seen. On 26th there were 4 wheatears on the Southmoors fence and about 30 Brent Geese at the mouth of the Langbrook Stream. Around 500 Brents were in Chichester harbour entrance on 28th. A spotted flycatcher caught a comma butterfly at Northney on 26th and another was at Mill Rythe the next day. Birds at Sinah Warren on 27th included a bullfinch, red-legged partridge, siskins and on the nearby shore a common sandpiper.
Red admiral butterflies have been heading south in numbers this week including some on the South Moors shore. Willow warblers and a Sandwich tern were also in the area with gadwall and kingfishers on the Budds Farm pools.
On Thorney Island the cattle egret is still present and up to 2 ospreys have been seen. Over 20 bearded tits have shown well with Cetti’s warblers vocal nearby at the Little Deeps. Two clouded yellow and a painted lady butterfly were noted on the island. Seven buzzards flew over a Havant garden on 29th. More than 500 Brent geese were in Langstone Harbour on 1st. A whimbrel, 3 bar-tailed godwits and 5 greenshanks were at Northney on 2nd.
Fareham and Gosport
A grayling butterfly was nectaring on heather at Browndown on 26th.
Waterlooville and South Downs
A white squirrel was at Sandy Dell Purbrook on 26th. A bat survey at Catherington Down on 29th found noctules, serotines, common and soprano pipistrelles and a myotis bat.
A Denmead garden has had 2 grass snakes in its pond at the end of this week.
