SE Nature Notes w/e Jan 21st
23 January 2012
Portsmouth & Portsdown
A shag was on the sea at Southsea Castle on 16th. Up to 12 purple sandpipers have been on the rocks this week. A sparrow hawk flew over the castle on 19th.
An Iceland gull continues to be watched in the Portsmouth harbour entrance. What was probably a different bird was on the east side of Chichester harbour entrance on 22nd.
There were 34 avocets in the Broom Channel of Langstone Harbour at low tide on 17th. Further south on 19th 70 bar-tailed godwits, 100 knot and a great northern diver were seen off Milton Common.
A kingfisher was seen in Portcreek on 20th and another at Camber Dock on 22nd.
Dark Mullein was a very surprising find in a council planted flowerbed near Southsea Common on 19th
Havant Hayling & Emsworth
A shore lark, first reported on bird web sites on 15th, was I believe there on 11th when one observer reported what she thought was a cirl bunting. It is still there and showing well.
A pair of bullfinches are feeding in a Rowlands castle garden. In Stansted Park a red kite was present on odd days over the last two weeks including 21st. Ravens are also being seen in the same area frequently. A pair of crossbills have been seen drinking from ruts in German’s Yard Stansted.
Up to 17 black-necked grebes have been feeding off the oyster beds this week. A red-necked grebe was off the harbour entrance pm on 17th.
At the other end of Hayling Island a Slavonian grebe was present on 17th and 20th, 6 eider on 17th and up to 6 razorbills during the week.
A female mandarin duck was still on Emsworth Mill Pond on 17th.
The Warblington cattle egret was still present on 22nd.
A female marsh harrier and a kingfisher were on the eastern Thorney Island path on 22nd.
Red campion had flowers in the Eastern Road cemetery on 22nd, primroses, probably wild ones, are flowering in Westbourne churchyard.
Fareham and Gosport
Numbers of Mediterranean gulls are beginning to build up as birds gather for the breeding season. Six were at Stoke Common, 3 on the HMS SULTAN field and 2 at Southsea on 21st.
A ring-billed and yellow-legged gulls were also seen in Gosport this week.
In spite of large movements east of Brent geese there are still significant flocks locally—over 900 in S Gosport on 21st and over 1500 in Chichester harbour.
Waterlooville and South Downs
A group of 12 red-legged partridge were seen near East Meon on 16th.
Five crossbills and 10+ siskins were around the West Walk car-park on 22nd.
