Nature Notes for w/e Dec 19th
5 January 2012
Portsmouth & Portsdown
Two shags were seen on buoys at Langstone Harbour entrance on 12th. On the same day a guillemot flew west past Spitbank Fort. The observers said they and kittiwakes are regular at Nab Tower. On 17th the shags were still there with single great northern divers, guillemots and razorbill.
The birds reported as seen at or from Farlington Marshes on 12th included 4 Slavonian grebes, a stonechat and a merlin.
Five mergansers were seen diving simultaneously in Eastney Lake on 16th.
There was another albino squirrel report from Kingston Cemetery on 17th.
A female black redstart was seen between the shore and fence near the harbour entrance at Fort Cumberland on 18th.
A single cattle egret seen at Warblington on 18th might be the Thorney Island bird.
Fungi on Portsdown include honey fungus on a beech tree on the Crookhorn golf course and fine specimens of Jews ear in Candy’s Pit.
Havant Hayling & Emsworth
There were again 2 spotted redshanks at Nore Barn on 13th.
Yellow dung flies were seen at Brook Meadow Emsworth on 15th.
Northney on Hayling Island continues to be the best local site to look for a whimbrel. There was 1 there on 17th.
At Sandy point on the same day there were 3-4 Slavonian grebes, a red-necked grebe, a great northern diver and 3 Sandwich terns. Off the oyster beds there were 11 black-necked and in flight over Northney a barnacle goose.
On 18th kingfishers were seen in the Langbrook Stream and by Budds Mound. A greenshank was by the outfall of the Langbrook Stream, 2 scaup on the Budds farm pools and 2 goldeneyes and 2 golden plovers off the Warblington shore.
Lesser celandines are now flowering by the Lymbourne Stream, Bound Lane Hayling Island and in a Langstone garden. Ivy is still flowering in Hollybank Woods (and on Portsdown).
Fungi in Havant this week include shaggy parasol in Westbourne open space, wood blewits in Brook Meadow, meadow waxcaps in a Havant garden and honey fungus by Wade Court Road.
Fareham and Gosport
Around 120 golden plovers were along Posbrook Lane Titchfield on 14th.
A peregrine was perched on the mast of ship off Priddy’s hard on 18th. On the shore a single knot was with the dunlin and grey plovers.
Waterlooville and South Downs
A ring-tailed hen harrier was at Beacon Hill in the Meon Valley on 12th.
A firecrest and 2 redwings were additions to the usual great spotted woodpecker and nuthatch in a Denmead garden on 18th.
