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MONDAY
DECEMBER 30 - 2019
Stansted
Forest
After enjoying
coffees and warm mince pies in the Pavilion Cafe, Jean
and I had a walk up the tarmac road past Stansted
House towards Lumley Gate. It was a lovely winter's
day with a chilly wind, but easy walking. Several tit
flocks were seen flitting around in the trees, with
Long-tailed Tits very prominent. We stopped here and
there to admire the colour and shapes of the dead
leaves on the trees and bracken. The highlight of the
walk for me was a Mistle Thrush singing strongly from
the topmost branch of a tall tree in the copse to the
left of the house in this photo.
What a magnificent
song. It is fairly easy to pick up, with short sharp
ringing bursts of song with silent intervals. Called a
storm cock for its long carrying voice. The song is
quite different from the repetitive phrases of the
Song Thrush and much harsher than the mellifluous song
of the Blackbird.
This is the third Mistle Thrush I have heard in the
past month in different locations. Are they making a
comeback? British Trust for Ornithology reports a
rapid decline in Mistle Thrush population since the
mid 1970s and recent BBS data indicate that the
decline is continuing. Mistle Thrush is a rare bird in
our local area.
SUNDAY
DECEMBER 29 - 2019
Prinsted
Romney Turner
went for a walk down to Prinsted with her camera on
Christmas morning as it was such a beautiful day. She
says . . . "So many people out enjoying the sunshine
so the wildlife was keeping out of the way. Three
Oystercatchers were in a field pulling worms out of
the sodden grass.
I have attached some
photos of what I saw when people had thinned out and
gone home for Xmas dinner. Oystercatchers, Redshank
and more Turnstones were flying past from one area to
another in search of the best spots on the mud to
probe."
SATURDAY
28 DECEMBER 2019
Mistle
Thrush
Walking
through Bridge Road car park this afternoon I was
delighted to hear the rich vibrant tones of the song
of a Mistle Thrush perched high in a tree in a St
James Road garden. When I got home I could actually
heard the bird from my back garden - about 300 metres
away.
The only other Mistle Thrush I have heard this year
was one singing from tall trees on the east side of
Brook Meadow on Dec 1st. Mistle Thrushes are now rare
birds in my experience locally.
Here's one I
caught on camera in Brook Meadow a few years ago
Merganser
on Emsworth Millpond
Chris Oakley
got this excellent shot of a female/juvenile
Red-breasted Merganser on the town millpond this
morning. We often get a pair, so keep a look out for
the spectacular male.
DECEMBER
23-27
Diary catch up on reports during the web site
closure
Conigar
Point
Dec 24th -
Peter Milinets-Raby reports . . .
I headed to the Real Conigar Point this morning
walking in via Warblington and Castle Farm. A very
windy day, putting little white horses on the high
tide as it pounded the Real Conigar Point sea
wall.
On the fields west of the farm were 12 Little Egrets
and 5 Cattle Egrets (Four adults with a first winter)
with the herd of cattle. Also a single Jay and 8
Redwing over west.
In the Big Field out to the west of the cemetery
(Winter wheat growing to about six centimetres) were
62 Curlew, 159 Brent Geese, 7 Pied Wagtails, 16 Stock
Doves, 34 Skylarks and in with the Skylark were 4
Water Pipits. Two Canada Geese and 2 Buzzard flew
over.
On the hay dump (just south of this field) were
another 4 Water Pipits, a Meadow Pipit, 6 Pied
Wagtails and a Skylark (see photo).
At the Real Conigar
Point the waves pounding in were impressive. A flock
of 111 Brent Geese were bobbing up and down on the
high tide waves. On a distant Red Marker post was a
large Peregrine finishing its meal (See distant
photo).
I managed to see a
Sandwich Tern and 3 Red Breasted Merganser before I
eventually located the Great Northern Diver
from yesterday. It was asleep to start drifting out
with the tide. Then it woke up and drifted east and
south out of the harbour passed the Two Harvs Yacht. I
took some 200 photos and managed to capture it bobbing
on a crest of a wave about ten times (see record
shot).
Langstone
Mill Pond
Peter
Milinets-Raby reports on his visit on Dec 23rd . .
.
I had just over an hour at Langstone Mill Pond this
morning from 8:45am. It was high tide and thus not
much on the sea. However, I eventually found a Great
Northern Diver (a tiny speck in the scope) off the
Real Conigar Point (By the Two Halves yacht), with a
female Goldeneye and 9 Red Breasted Merganser.
Closer to the pond shore were 19 Teal, 60 Wigeon, a
pair of Goldeneye, 3 Great Crested Grebes, 2 Shelduck
and a single Turnstone perched on a buoy.
On the pond were 25 Teal - a small group of 11 males
were in a circle displaying to one another with lots
of calling and head tossing and bottom raising. Very
entertaining!
Also on the pond were
a male and 2 female Tufted Duck, a single Grey Heron,
the swan family and a Reed Bunting calling.
In the flooded paddock were 6 Teal, 2 Little Egrets,
17 Moorhen and 2 Oystercatcher.
Winter
Daffodils
On Dec 23rd
Maureen Power was surprised to see this group of
Daffodils in flower at Bosham. Spring already on the
way?
Farlington
Marshes
On Dec 22nd
the Friends of Wildlife group visited Farlington
Marshes. Report by Ros Norton
A select group of six met two hours after high tide
for an anticlockwise circular around the marshes. Half
way through the walk we were joined by another
carrying a useful telescope.
Greenfinches were in
bushes near the entrance. On the lake were pintails,
wigeon, teal and shelducks. In the harbour were brent
geese, a merganser and a distant line of avocets, 39
counted later. on the Portsmouth side. There were
brief sightings of a marsh harrier from the lake area
but we saw 2 together later as we looked back to the
west from the east side.
As we walked around we
saw a group of dunlin, a turnstone, lapwings,
redshank, oystercatchers, skylarks, pipits and an
egret. A distant seal was seen from the Point in the
harbour and some rabbits were in the marshes.
At the Deeps we saw many shovellers, shelduck, teal
and brent geese. A Cettis warbler was heard and
probably seen as 2 birds flew in the reeds. A large
white goose was with a group of Canada geese in a
field and there was a group of about 40 curlew. We saw
coots in the stream by the hut. We decided not to
return via the marshes as it was very wet underfoot.
We experienced rain as forecast later on in the walk
but the sun still came out which produced some lovely
rainbows.
Flowers included bristly ox-tongue, yarrow, ragwort,
white deadnettle and smooth sowthistle.
Ralph's
new home
On Dec 23rd
Ralph Hollins sent me this view of his new home from
across Carlingwark Loch in Castle Douglas in
Scotland.
When he walked round
this loch this morning he saw 8 Goldeneyes!!
Garden
birds
On Dec 21st
Barrie Jay sent me shots of some of the birds that
have visited his garden in the past week. A
Sparrowhawk pair are regular visitors and even though
they are beautiful to see it is always sad to see the
demise of one of the smaller birds, but that is
nature! The colours of our native birds, up close,is
startling and possibly not fully appreciated by many.
The Tit family, the Goldfinches and even the subtle
greys and browns of the Hedge Sparrow( Dunnock) are
beautiful.
FRIDAY
DECEMBER 20 - 2019
Langstone
Mill Pond
Peter
Milinets-Raby reports . . .
I visited Langstone Mill Pond this morning for just
over an hour from 9am forcing to leave because of more
rain moving in.
The highlight of the morning was extremely distant
views of a female Marsh Harrier that wandered
off Thorney Island then did a circuit over the sea
marsh around Fowley Island off the real Conigar Point
before heading back to Thorney Island. Distant scope
views, would have been superb views from Nore Barn if
anyone was there?
Good numbers of waders and wildfowl seen on a falling
tide. Off shore were 516 Dunlin, 109 Shelduck, 462
Brent Geese, 8 Red breasted Mergansers, 16 Grey
Plover, 3 Turnstone, a pair of Goldeneye, 3 Great
Crested Grebes, 2 Bar-tailed Godwits, 20 Wigeon, 2
Greenshank and a single Sandwich Tern perched on a
buoy.
Off Conigar Point were a further 213 Brent Geese, 35
more Shelduck and 17 Lapwing.
On the pond were 4 Teal, a male with 2 female Tufted
Duck, a single Grey Heron and the family of Mute
Swans.
On a very swamped and flooded horse paddock were 85
Teal, 12 Moorhen and a Little Egret.
THURSDAY
DECEMBER 19 - 2019
Brook
Meadow workday
I went to the
meadow at 9.30 for the Xmas workday. Ten people
attended with Maurice Lillie in charge. Main jobs were
to tidy up the cuttings from the Cherry Plum tree on
the causeway and to make a bonfire of these and other
cuttings. Thanks to Colin for taking the photo with me
in it for a change!
The meadow was very
wet after heavy rain. The cherry tree decorations
looked great from the event yesterday.
We finished up with
the traditional mulled wine laced with brandy provided
by Dan and mince pies and stollen from Maurice. As it
was raining, we had to shelter inside the tool store.
For a full report of
the work session and more photos go to . . .
https://www.brookmeadow.org.uk/conservation-news/
Wildlife observations
Song Thrush,
Wren, Robin and Great Tit were singing.
I spotted a very late white-tailed Bumblebee (probably
Bombus terrestris) flying during our Xmas
celebrations.
The first flower spikes of Winter Heliotrope are now
out along the main river path.
WEDNESDAY
DECEMBER 18 - 2019
Brook
Meadow Xmas celebration
Today we were
pleased to have visits from two groups of
schoolchildren from Emsworth Primary School to Brook
Meadow. One group came in the morning and another in
the afternoon - 60 children in all attended the
celebration. The event was organised by Kathy and Dan
from the Brook Meadow Conservation Group - other
members of the group were also present to help. The
children came laden with 'natural' decorations that
they had created at school to hang on the cherry trees
on the west side of the meadow. The following photos
are all from the afternoon session.
The Mayor of Havant
also attended which was nice.
The children enjoyed
the chocolate cookies provided by Pam and Kathy
For a full report of
the event and more photos and video clips go to . . .
https://www.brookmeadow.org.uk/news-visits-and-events/
Warblington
Peter
Milinets-Raby reports . . .
I spent a couple of hours this morning from 9:10am
along the Warblington shore. The tide was out. The
wintering 5 Cattle Egrets (Four adults with one first
winter - see photos) were with 10 Little Egrets
following the herd of cattle from one field to
another.
Either the field west
of the cemetery or the one west of the black barn.
Also in the field with them were 9 Curlew. In the
field beyond were 120 Brent Geese. In the hedge were a
flock of 14 Long-tailed Tits,
The hay dump out to the east is looking very lush with
gooey wet greenish, beige mud and piles of rotting
rank hay. Feeding in it, on it and around it were 20+
Starlings, 12 Stock Doves, 2 Skylark, 2 smart Water
Pipits (see photo - against the light and dull
conditions), and 2 Pied Wagtails - very nice looking
British race birds (see photo).
At Conigar Point were
10 Wigeon, 38 Grey Plover, 110 Dunlin, 10 Shelduck, 21
Brent Geese, 37 Lapwing, 2 Turnstone and 2 Red
Breasted Mergansers.
Off Pook Lane were 95 Shelduck, 2 Black-tailed
Godwits, 2 male with a female Goldeneye, 2 Great
Crested Grebes, 216 Brent Geese, 6 Golden Plover
amongst 16 Lapwing, 10 Grey Plover and 40 Dunlin.
No Pintail yet?
TUESDAY
DECEMBER 17 - 2019
New
Swan pair?
I had a walk
through Brook Meadow down to Slipper Millpond this
morning. I was interested to see two Mute Swans on the
pond, with the resident cob pursuing what looked like
a female swan. At first, it looked like a standard
driving-off routine, but the cob was not unduly
serious about this action and appeared to be courting
the female.
As the cob lost its
mate a month ago, this could be the start of a new
breeding pair. Any other sightings of this pair would
be welcome. So watch this space. Here is the new pen
swan?
Winter
Heliotrope
Passing Peter
Pond on the way back home I spotted several flower
spikes of Winter Heliotrope on the embankment on the
south west corner of the pond. This is always a good
place for the first flower spikes of this winter
flowering plant in the local area.
Spotted
Redshank
I popped over
to Nore Barn on a rising tide at about 12.30 to check
on the Spotted Redshank. The weather was very gloomy
with heavy clouds and light rain. However, our
indomitable Spotshank was feeding amongst the seaweed
on the edge of the stream completely alone. No sign of
the Greenshank or any other bird in the stream.
SUNDAY
DECEMBER 15 - 2019
Cattle
Egrets
Christopher
Evans found five Cattle Egrets mixed in with Little
Egrets, Black Headed Gulls and some of the dairy herd
on Warblington Farm today. They were in the field
immediately north of the one at the western end of the
cemetery.
Meanwhile walking down
the western side of Thorney Christopher noted 4 or 5
male Red-breasted Mergansers at various times in the
channel
FRIDAY
DECEMBER 13 - 2019
Spotted
Redshank
I went over to
Nore Barn at about 10am, close to high water, to check
on the Spotted Redshank which I had not seen for a
little while. All was well. Our famous bird was
feeding in the stream with its regular feeding
companion, the colour-ringed Greenshank (G+GL),
nearby. I was delighted to meet Nita Gupta my dentist
who was also watching the Spotted Redshank with her
binoculars. I have often discussed birds with Nita
during my dental appointments, but I have not seen her
at Nore Barn before. It was a cold blustery morning,
so I did not stay long. I took a few photos and a
video clip.
Video clip of the
Spotted Redshank feeding . . . https://youtu.be/xVulgtsrk_g
WEDNESDAY
DECEMBER 11 - 2019
Langstone
Mill Pond
Peter
Milinets-Raby reports . . .
I was out this morning for 40 minutes before the rain
pushed through. I visited Langstone Mill Pond from
9:04am - tide already in and getting higher.
On the pond were 30 Teal, a pair of Tufted Duck, 2
Grey Herons and a Stock Dove.
Off shore were a male and 4 female Goldeneye, 4 Great
Crested Grebes, 6 Red breasted Mergansers, 43 Wigeon,
177 Brent Geese and 4 Canada Geese.
In the distance off Conigar Point were 13 Shelduck and
9 Red breasted Mergansers.
The flooded horse paddock held 14 Teal and 18
Moorhen.
On the rowing boat by the pub were 2 Resting Sandwich
Terns.
FRIDAY
DECEMBER 6 - 2019
Spotted
Redshank in the Guardian!
Thank you
Jennifer Rye of the Brook Meadow Conservation Group
and Jo Bray of the Bookends bookshop in Emsworth for
alerting me to a piece by Claire Stares in today's
Guardian featuring the famous Emsworth Spotted
Redshank.
See link . . . https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/dec/06/country-diary-this-elegant-wader-has-become-a-local-celebrity
It is an interesting and accurate article, which
nicely compares the Spotted Redshank with the Common
Redshank with which it sometimes feeds. Somewhat
surprisingly, it fails to mention the Spotshank's
favourite feeding companion - the colour ringed
Greenshank. Maybe it was not there when the author was
there? I was disappointed there was no mention of this
present web site which contains the all the Spotted
Redshank records since the bird first arrived at Nore
Barn in 2004. See . . . Spotted
Redshank at Nore Barn
Claire writes
interesting monthly articles for the Guardian's
Country Diary on various aspects of local wildlife
from Langstone, Hayling Island and Emsworth which are
well worth reading. She covers a rangle of topics
including the battle for nesting rights on Slipper
Millpond between the Great Black-backed Gulls and the
Canada Geese and the first ever nesting of Cattle
Egrets at Langstone Mill Pond this year.
Disappointingly, this latter piece failed to
acknowledge the work of Peter Milinets-Raby who
discovered the nesting Egrets and logged them so
meticulously.
For all Claire's articles go to . . . https://www.theguardian.com/profile/claire-stares
WEDNESDAY
DECEMBER 4 - 2019
Emsworth
Harbour
Peter Milinets-Raby reports . . .
I strolled along
the eastern end of the area, visiting Emsworth Harbour
and Nore Barn from 9:04am to 11am - tide out.
Beacon Square: 43 Black-tailed Godwit, 139 Brent
Geese, 29 Wigeon, 9 Ringed Plover - one with colour
rings -//- + G//NB. Four previous sightings of this
bird in 2017 and 2016. 5 Turnstone, 35 Dunlin, 2 Grey
Plover, 2 Shelduck.
Emsworth Harbour: 21 Mute Swan, 14 Black-tailed
Godwit, 2 Greenshank, 6 Little Egrets, 6 Turnstone
(see photo), 475 Dunlin (see photo), 2 Red Breasted
Merganser, 1 Kingfisher, perched on green marker post
in harbour. 13 Lapwing, 1 Grey Heron, 99 Brent Geese
holding red balloons. 4 Teal, 9 Grey Plover, 25
Shelduck.
Emsworth Mill Pond: 21
Coot, 2 Mute Swan, 1 Grey Wagtail.
Nore Barn: Spotted Redshank and the usual coloured
ringed Greenshank in the steam, 20 Black-tailed
Godwit, 2 Dunlin, 91 Wigeon, 1 Little Egret, 78 Brent
Geese, 4 Grey Plover, 1 Teal, 1 Weasel dashed across
the footpath by the parking area!
Warblington/Castle Farm from 11am for 30 minutes:
In field west of the Black Barn field were no cows
(They were in fields to the north east, out of sight,
probably with the other egrets), but 9 Little Egrets
still in this field with 27 Curlew. 1018 Brent
Geese feeding in this field. A very impressive
sight. Counted twice! A new record count for Castle
Farm fields and only the second time I have counted
over 1,000 birds! Also 1 Jay
TUESDAY
DECEMBER 3 - 2019
Langstone
Mill Pond
Peter Milinets-Raby reports . . .
I had a 90 minute visit to Langstone Mill Pond this
morning in bright sunshine from 9am - tide out!
Off shore were: 48 Teal, 36 Wigeon, 3 Common Gull, 1
Greenshank, 49 Lapwing,
240 Brent Geese with an extra 330+ off the Pook
Lane fields onto the shore - impressive. No doubt the
coloured ringed bird BCBF is amongst them. I counted
an isolated small flock off the mill at 138. It
contained 36 juveniles giving an impressive 26%.. I
get the impression that Brent Geese have had a good
breeding season after a few duff years!
1 Bar-tailed Godwit, 7 Red Breasted Merganser, 2 Great
Crested Grebes,
123 Shelduck (Huge applause, Bells ringing,
Fireworks popping off etc. etc.) This is a new high
for this stretch of coast. Excellent and probably will
get higher as January has traditionally been the peak
month - Stay tuned!
41 Black-tailed Godwit, 457 Dunlin - one, two, three .
. Oh I can stop now - massive count!
14 Grey Plover, 2 Grey Herons.
On the pond: 40+ Goldfinch, 58 Mallard, 2 Teal. Male
Tufted Duck - looks like a juvenile moulting into
adulthood. 2 Grey Herons loitering with breeding
intent!! 1 Sparrowhawk.
Brook
Meadow signcases updated
The four
signcases on Brook Meadow were updated this morning
with the 'winter displays' by Dan Mortimer aided by
me. Dan had previously collected the newly updated
display boards from my house and I accompanied him as
he installed the boards around the meadow. Dan also
thoroughly washed and cleaned the signcases. Here is a
shot of him at work on the case by the north bridge.
I also updated the
Water Vole signcase board with details of the positive
findings from the recent surveys by Sarah Hughes.
Information about the Water Vole surveys was also put
in each of the other displays asking visitors to send
any sightings to me.
SUNDAY
DECEMBER 1 - 2019
Brook
Meadow - Work session
There was a
good group of 13 volunteers for this morning's work
session on Brook Meadow led by Colin Brotherston -
holding the blue clipboard. Colin is the new Chairman
of the group.
The main tasks were .
. .
1. to cut back and tidy up the large Cherry Plum tree
on the causeway near the Lumley gate. This tree
(Prunus cerasifera Cultivar: 'Pissardii') is at least
20 years old and I recall it was cut down in the early
days of the conservation group, but has since sprouted
many sucker growths.
2. to clear tree
cuttings from the centre meadow in preparation for a
bonfire,
3. to continue the
clearance of undergrowth from around the Rowan
plantation
For the full workday
report and more photos go to . . . https://www.brookmeadow.org.uk/conservation-news/
Wildlife
observations
Kathy pointed
out the nest of a Harvest Mouse which the
volunteers had uncovered during the clearance work on
the centre meadow. We do occasionally see these tiny
neatly woven nests on Brook Meadow but this is the
first one in my records since 2015.
Nearby, Kathy also
discovered a growth of what appeared to be Sulphur
Tufts fungi growing on the marked isolated tree
stump in the centre meadow. These have slightly sticky
sulphur-yellow bell-shaped caps, darker in the centre
with delicate white stems and crowded gills. We
occasionally see them on Brook Meadow, though they are
fairly common more generally.
Maurice Lillie pointed out another small group of
fungi growing on a dead branch which are probably
young Jelly Ear fungi.
Sulphur Tufts . .
. . Jelly Ear Fungi
The clearance work on
the Rowan plantation revealed a fine undergrowth of
what I think might be Rough-stalked
Feather-moss (Brachythecium rutabulum) - though
there are many similar mosses.
The best sighting of
the morning came right at the end of the work session
when I heard the loud ringing tones of a Mistle
Thrush in full voice. I spotted the bird singing
from the top of a tall tree in the garden of one of
the Lumley Terrace cottages. It did not move across
the Brook Meadow while I was present, but that was the
first Mistle Thrush I have recorded anywhere on Brook
Meadow since 2010 when we had a pair feeding on the
north meadow. Here's a distant shot I got of one at
the time.
