A warmer day...

Almost predictable that today, Thursday, would see an improvement after yesterday's weather and, despite being mostly 'off reserve', urban and suburban birding, no worse for species.

So a walk round Petersfield Pond (with breakfast!) produced first singing Willow Warbler of year and a Swallow in with half a dozen or more Sand Martins. Plenty of Chiffchaff and Blackcap song, single Reed Bunting and Grey Wagtail. Lots of aggressive Egyptian Geese and a loud Nuthatch but sadly (and not unsurprisingly) the Little Gulls had moved on. Every low bough dipping into the water seemed to hold a Coots nest.

Shopping in Chichester produced just the male Peg on the opposite turret with the female now down on four eggs, a Grey Wagtail on the roofs near H&M and two Buzzards over the A27.

A lunch stop on the bench at the Oysterbed's carpark gave five mergansers, twenty odd Great-crested Grebes, an indeterminate number of Med Gulls and a point blank ground level juvenile female Peg which came within inches of a Redshank just in front of me before powering off down the harbour. More distantly, two of four Sandwich Terns put on a great high level flying display.

Wednesday curse strikes yet again

Yet again a birdless, grey drizzly Wednesday with highlights being catching up with Pete, Dave S and John D plus John B and his B.o.c Peregrine action plus one of the ChiPer volunteers. Just two noisy Curlews, one Blackcap and a few Chiffchaffs. Needless to say no insects other than one Peacock and no photos. Waste of petrol money!!

Mixed Bag

Long and slightly misty wait for Gos action. A single bird perched up distantly before eventually two displaying birds. Two Woodlarks, at times singing, four overflying Redpolls, an invisible calling Crossbill, one Raven, ten or more Sand Martins and finally, just as Mike and I were getting ready to go, a 'tic-ing' Hawfinch sat up and showed well.

A big smoky gorse burn by FC along the road through the heart of the forest; wonder what happens to basking reptiles ??

Lunch in Tern hide produced three LRPs, six or more Med Gulls and a first winter Little Gull. Similar numbers of Goosanders to last visit, but no Raven action and no sign of the Scaup. Just Brimstone and Peacock butterflies.

Camera stayed in bag today.

Home

Today just two moths, a Hebrew Character (NfG) and this splendid Oak Beauty which, yet again, didn't make it into the trap.
Greeted on arrival in Portsmouth with two calling Med Gulls over the garden going east.
Finally, a female H-fFB in the garden at teatime plus a typically black and yellow parasitic wasp.

Yesterday at Blashford mostly chatting to John and Keith and enjoying the sunshine in the picnic area. Still the odd Brambling, Scaup and 22+ Goosanders.

The two deer carcases were attracting Ravens, possibly 5-10 different birds over the reserve as a whole, a single distant kite at Ivy South along with two Sprawks.
Long-tailed Tits still quietly active in and around nest.

Back on Ibsley Water one smart White Wagtail with the Pieds and two or three LRPs on the newly scraped shingle. Sadly, nothing in camera range other than this Lapwing.

Southsea Castle

A quick visit in typically cold grey windy Spring conditions, an hour or so after high tide, produced a dozen Purple Sandpipers - six feeding down in the surf and the rest roosting high up the wall in their usual little hollow making them surprisingly difficult to find.

Two of three Rock Pipits in and around the castle and moat and about 10-20 Meadow Pipits in-off; sadly no Wheatears.

This male Gadwall seems to be have been paired up with a female Mallard for some time. Singing Chiffchaff by tennis courts and ubiquitous ' tree rat'.
One of several male HfFB. All with new lens.