SE Nature Notes w/e Oct 22nd
24 October 2011
THIS WEEK
“Protecting Havant’s Wildlife” - “Biodiversity and Brent Geese in Havant”
A talk by Debbie King of HIWWT - Wed 26th Oct at 7.30 pm
Please note that this meeting will be at the Emsworth Centre in South Street, Emsworth
HAVANT, HAYLING & EMSWORTH
The celebrated spotted redshank has returned to the mudflats by the stream at Nore Barn at Emsworth, this being its 8th successive winter. It was first seen on Friday in the company of greenshank, common redshank, lapwing and grey plover.
Brent geese can be found throughout our harbours, with a flock of up to 1000 visible on the mudflats south of the Hayling Island oysterbeds on Friday. On the wing in Havant Thicket on Sunday were flocks of long-tailed tits and goldcrests, two buzzards and amale southern hawker dragonfly.
Two buzzards were seen later in the day near Warblington, being mobbed by a carrion crow. The latter were numerous on the mudflats at low tide. About 50 starlings were carrying out entertaining aerial manoeuvres near Nore Barn at Emsworth on Sunday.
A marsh harrier and skylark were noted north of Thorney Island on Sunday. Bearded tits, reed buntings and Cetti’s warbler were there earlier in the week. A pochard was on the pools at Budds Farm on Wednesday.
Both male and female crossbills were sighted at Stansted Park and Hayling Island this week. An escaped large falcon, complete with jesses, was a surprise sight at Mengham on Hayling Island on Tuesday.
Plants in flower this week include tamarisk bushes along the sea wall between Warblington and Emsworth. Closer inspection in this area revealed flowers of rayed form groundsel, dwarf spurge, cow parsley, field woundwort, and both sharpleaved and round-leaved fluellen. The cord grass Spartina continues to flower on the mudflats beside Langstone mill. Winter heliotrope has started blooming at Wade Court.
PORTSMOUTH & PORTSDOWN
Water rail have been seen at the Milton Reclamation area in Portsmouth, with at least 7 being present on Tuesday. A short-eared owl has been seen regularly while a single swallow and a few sandwich tern were there on Tuesday.
Other birds reported there early in the week included blackcap, chiffchaff and both bar-tailed and black-tailed godwit. A flock of 55 brent geese contained 17 juveniles.
Notable sightings at Farlington Marshes on Sunday included a snipe, a juvenile guillemot, some pintail and goosander.
WATERLOOVILLE & SOUTH DOWNS
An observer at Butser Hill on Monday saw two ring ouzels, three swallows, a house martin, goldcrests, one firecrest, some redwings, plus a large flock fieldfares moving west.
Clumps of golden spindles fungus were visible in the grass in the dry meadow at Hookheath on Tuesday. Chamomile continues to flower at Purbrook Heath.
GOSPORT & FAREHAM
A glossy ibis was present at Titchfield Haven early on Sunday, with stonechat, marsh harrier and greenshank also reported. Ten pochard, three barnacle geese and two great white egrets were in that area on Saturday.
Send information for these notes to John Goodspeed at the address below. The notes are usually produced on Mondays.
