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| No Peregrines here!! |
Yesterday saw a brief visit to north Hayling where neither the Smew nor Red-necked Grebe appeared (to me nor anyone else). Six colour-ringed Black-tailed Godwits were in a group of 25+ frantically feeding in close to the carpark as was a single Greenshank, a single Marsh Harrier was over the islands, two Rock Pipits and nine or more very distant Black-necked Grebes.
Later at Southsea Castle just the usual Purple Sandpipers and Rock Pipits. A Peregrine was picked up over No Mans Land fort chasing Feral Doves out towards the IOW before disappearing in the blue. No divers today.
Today a quick visit to Chichester produced a Grey Wagtail over North St, two Redwings feeding on roadside verges and a Goldcrest in a cathedral Yew.
No Peregrines in situ and unsurprisingly no sign of yesterday's Black Red.
On the way back the two Cattle Egrets at Warblington were trailing cattle in the field adjacent to the churchyard, a low overflying Buzzard over Pook Lane and a male Kestrel hovering over the south end of the churchyard.
According to JAN's Worthing posting a substantial seabird movement today, mostly auks and mostly to the west, overflowed into the Solent with a few Gannets and Kittiwakes recorded.
So, the over-optimistic total of 140 was well-missed and even if the usual and expected winter regulars of Brambling, Woodlark and Bearded Tit had played ball would have still been five short.
