DAILY DIARY

HAVANT NATURE NOTES for 2012

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First of the new flowers was White Clover, found in Juniper Square where I also found the first Catsear. Not new for the year, but enjoying its first major outburst of flowers, was a mass of Yellow flowered Strawberry at the site by the Langbrook stream immediately south of the old IBM approach road and further down the stream I encountered Speckled Wood and Orange-tip butterflies. A little further down stream a bush of Japanese Rose (Rosa rugosa) was starting to flower and this had its status as newly flowering when I reached the South Moors seawall and found several bushes covered with flowers. Leaving the area alongside gardens and going through the first kissing gate I came on a huge plant of Hogweed in full flower - this had been found sporadically up to mid March but not since so deserves note as first of the season.

On the South Moors a flock of more than 50 young Starlings was noisily seeking food as I entered the 'orchid field' to look for leaves to mark the presence of orchid plants - I only saw less than a dozen plants but among them was one Southern Marsh orchid which had a fully expanded flower head though none of the flowers was yet open. Yellow Iris were flowering everywhere and there were still a few clumps of Marsh Marigold in flower while the black cones of Marsh Horsetail were to be seen in increasing numbers.

Reaching Southmoor Lane I heard a Cuckoo whose calls continued all the time I was within earshot and another noteworthy find here were the many plants (not yet flowering) of Slender Thistle. Turning up the slope towards the viewing point above the pools I found the first Dog Roses and took the poor photo below to confirm the find.

On the pools the Swans had five new cygnets on the water and I think two pairs of Shelduck are probably sitting on eggs - at the west end a single bird sitting patiently on the concrete wall suggested that he had a hidden mate and in the eastern pools a pair of birds were feeding and having a 'wash' suggesting that the female was having a brief time off nest duty. One species that pleased me by its absence was Canada Goose, and one that I heard but did not see was Cetti's Warbler.

Another pleasing sound was that of Meadow Pipit song as I reached the seawall - I think there were at least two pairs though I only saw one 'parachuting'. Also seen on the seawall was a single Small Heath butterfly and on the sea with the tide high were a pair of Swans with no cygnets making me wonder if I would see the Langstone Pond pair with their seven cygnets which hatched on May 2 and were seen leaving the pond for the safety of the harbour waters on May 5 (I assumed they were heading for the mouth of the Langbrook Stream as they have done in several recent years)

Walking up the Langbrook stream I saw many Swallows skimming its surface but no Swans and when I reached Langstone Pond (where the Egrets were still sitting with no sign of having hatched young) the only Swan that I saw was an agitated female on the harbour water - at first she was swimming fairly fast with wings half erect as if chasing off a rival but she then returned to a point near the pond sluice gate, stood up in shallow water, flapped her wings and was unexpectedly vocal (I read recently that a female at the Milton Lakes in Southsea used her voice to call back her young cygnets when they headed off following a non-breeding adult thought to be one of the breeding female's last year brood). I hope all this does not mean there has been a disaster to the Langstone family....

Just one more note on the way home - a single Red Admiral butterfly.

One observation from my garden yesterday was of 8 Swifts screaming overhead at twice roof-top height

A forecast of a sunny day tempted me to cycle to south Hayling and the section down the Billy Trail south of the Havant Bypass showed a major clearance of trackside bramble giving me a clear view of the Common Comfrey plants on the left just after emerging from the underpass and promising new plant discoveries in the large area now able to see the light of day.

Across the main road the 'Southmere' field was a delightful reminder of what hayfields should look like at this time of year - buttercups everywhere! Heading south I found the Greater Celandine plant still flowering on the left just before the harbour water came into view and when over the bridge I saw my first Common Tern over the northern most of the Oysterbed pools. At the nesting islands the Black-headed Gulls had no visible chicks but several of the adult birds made sure that a Kestrel which attempted to hover over the islands did not stay. While here I took a few photos of the Dames Violet plants which are now in flower but I don't seem to have an image of the single 'violet coloured' plant among the many white flowered.

South of the Oysterbeds a single Salsify plant was in flower as were several of the Sea Kale plants on the shingle. Further south, passing the Saltmarsh Lane marsh, I saw that the seawall was covered with a mass of yellow brassica flowers so I diverted there to check that the plants were the Bastard Cabbage that has been increasing its foothold there in recent years. My photos hopefully give an impression of the mass of yellow that caught my eye in the first place and also show the 'Chianti bottle' shaped seed pods that identify the plant. The seaward end of the track leading to the seawall also had a good show of Lesser Sea Spurrey and Subterranean Clover.

At the Kench I rode out to the Bladder Senna bush but found no hint of flowers though I did notice that two young bushes are growing at the foot of the very ancient looking stem of the original. While there I heard the 'tittering' of an unseen Whimbrel and noticed that Sea Radish is now in flower.

At the roundabout near the Ferry Inn several plants of Hares-tail Grass were new and a close look at the ground showed that as well as the remnants of the Early Forget-me-not there is now a mass of even tinier blue flowers on Wall Speedwell. Alongside the harbour entrance carpark Tree Lupin bushes had many flower buds but none yet open.

Leaving the carpark for the track leading to the sailing club I found Round-leaved Cranesbill in full flower and among the sand dunes (and everywhere in the orchid area) the minute flowers of Spring Vetch caught my eye - you have to look closely to see them! Easier to spot was the Yellow Rattle that is now in flower.

A couple of Skylarks sang briefly over the area south of the golf course and from further out on the bare shingle I twice heard the call of a Ringed Plover which will have a nest somewhere there.

In the area south of Staunton Avenue I noticed Common Ramping Fumitory clambering up and flowering among the gorse and saw one open flower on Sea Sandwort before setting off for home - the only notes from this homeward journey were, first, while passing the Oysterbeds I heard two Med Gulls calling overhead (maybe they haven't abandoned the area!) and , second, back in Wade Court Road I heard a Nuthatch in the same trees where I had heard and seen one on Mar 21 but not since!

The only new spring flower seen in a walk around Havant this morning was Creeping Cinquefoil found in the Havant Eastern Road cemetery where I also found what seemed to be aberrant Cuckooflower - a cluster of plants looking like Cuckooflower and in typical habitat but having 'double petalled' flowers. Another find here was a Cockspur Thorn tree in flower and retaining some of its large fruits from last year. Very nearly in flower was Bittersweet Nightshade and looking over the wall to the spoil heap of the adjacent allotment I saw a plant of Russian Comfrey in flower.

Wandering on via Crossways I passed garden escape Pot Marigolds in flower and heard a lot of excited chatter from Starlings over the nearby houses causing me to look up and see a Sparrowhawk battling with the fairly strong wind.

Turning south down the Petersfield Road I noted a clump of Small Flowered Cranesbill in the roadside grass where Danish Scurvygrass was still in flower

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From the main east-west track I turned south onto the track which comes out near the entrance to Hammonds Land Coppice and runs alongside what I still call the 'orchid ditch' in memory of past years when around 200 Common Spotted Orchids would flower here in late May and June but today there were no leaves to be seen though the first Lesser Spearwort flowers were out and there was a great show of Bugle and a big cluster of St George's Mushrooms.

Before getting here I had passed my first Rhododendron and Silverweed flowers and back on the main track I watched Large White and Orange Tip butterflies (later adding Speckled Wood) and had close views of several Linnets.

On the north east side of this track junction I was delighted to find two examples of a plant which I have in the past seen on the south side of the junction and found a mass of on Blendworth Common to the west of the Thicket but which I was not expecting to see today. I took two photos which appear below of these specimens of Bitter Vetchling (Lathyrus linifolius)

Nothing more of special interest until I reached the site of the plants which were my main reason for coming here today and which rewarded me with the best show I can recall. These are the wild version of Lily of the Valley and the photos below show they are thriving and flowering well (the cluster photographed is only one of several here). To find them follow the eastern peripheral track north from the vehicle entrance almost opposite Castle Road until you come to the first main track branching off to the left. Do not follow that but continue north for what I measured today as 140 of my paces until you are under the only Beech Tree branch to reach out over the track from a tree on the right and here you will find the first cluster of plants on your left. (Map ref SU 718108). Further clusters of the plants can be found further north on the left (west) side of the track

The tide was at its highest and the wind was strong, making substantial waves and bringing renewed rain - by the time I got home my trousers were soaked through! My first reward for this soaking came at the shore carpark where Rosy Garlic was starting to flower and near it was a cluster of hybrid Campion flowers - some pale pink among a majority of whitish.

Walking back along the northern edge of the grassland I remembered that, as I drove in, I had noticed some large mushrooms on the west bank of the slipway approach road and I now headed for where I had seen them. What I found were my first Parasol mushrooms of the season and near them were the remains of Shaggy Ink Caps, a troop of Marasmius oreades (Fairy Ring Mushrooms), and a couple of unidentified species to add to two which I had found growing on my lawn on Monday - the rain has at last brought the expected fungal outburst!

Up on the 'mountain' east of the slipway approach road I was expecting to see a crop of Salsify (last year I found an estimated 300 plants flowering here on May 12 and I had seen some flowering in Havant on Monday) but there was no sign of them nor of the Hairy Vetchling (though I was not expecting that - first flowers last year were seen on June 9). I hope that the grazing ponies chained out here this year will not eliminate the floral diversity...

Coming down the east side of the mountain to the path beside the Hermitage Stream I found a good show of Early Wintercress (Barbarea intermedia) with its pinnate leaves. Normally this is the first species I come across but this year I found the common Winter Cress (B. vulgaris) flowering on Apr 30 and the first of the Early species was not seen until May 6 when Brian Fellows found it in Emsworth.

The late afternoon weather suggested a local walk without rain and I decided to have a look at the wet SSSI field of Warblington Farm where I found a lot of Subterranean Clover in flower along with the first Sea Milkwort and Celery leaved Buttercup. At least one Reed Warbler was singing in the Reed Bed and two male Reed Buntings were singing at each other across the marsh.

By the footpath around the south of the church, near the entrance to the cemetery extension, were several Chamomile like plants with buds but no open flowers and I have been unable to decide what they are - when I collected a small sample I found they were pleasantly aromatic and I wonder if they might be Sicilian Chamomile from seed introduced into the 'natural burial' area of the cemetery but I will need a second visit when they are in flower.

At the east end of the farm, in the stream running along the edge of Nore Barn woodland, Yellow Iris was beginning to flower and after walking north up what I call the 'Selangor Avenue footpath' I crossed the A259 to find a new garden escape flowering at the foot of the wooden fence which confronts you after using the road crossing point - this was a plant I know well from the Sinah Common area of South Hayling and is called 'Snow in Summer' (Cerastium tomentosum).

Walking back into Havant I came on another first for the year flower near Meadowland road - Salsify (the purple flowered relative of Goatsbeard which I have not come across yet this year). A little further on, passing the entrance to the Conservative Club, I heard Goldcrest song to make up for missing the Cuckoo at Langstone Pond (as I passed the pond at the start of my walk I was asked if Cuckoos would lay eggs in the Egret nests as the Cuckoo had been heard at the pond just before I arrived - my answer was no, the Cuckoo would be more interested in Reed Warblers)

Delays in getting round to writing this entry means that I have news to add from Tuesday when I saw my first Holly Blue in the garden and found my first St George's Mushroom in Havant roadside grass

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I set off via Brook Meadow at Emsworth where, close to the southern entrance, I found the purple flowers of Common Comfrey which Brian Fellows had seen on May 2. Crossing the main road I then found my first Tree Mallow flower outside one of the houses in Slipper Mill Road (the plants which used to grow on the edge of the pond seem to have been eliminated in the cause of 'gardening' that side of the road though the plants near the entrance to the marina survive). While here I watched one of the nesting Great Blackbacks having a wash while its mate sat on the nest.

Before leaving the marina for the Thorney Deeps I rode north up the marina seawall, finding my first Hedgerow Cranesbill flowers among the great mass of what I assumed to be the Black Mustard which I have found growing here in past years though I did not check its features as I should have done as this is my first for the year. Also seen here (but not counted) are the pretty pink cultivars of Tamarisk which are widely planted by roadsides, etc, but which I have never been able to name. From the northern end of this seawall I had a good view of a Swan sitting tightly on the island between the two boat entrances to the marina.

Reaching the immense reed beds north of the Little Deeps I was stopped in my tracks by a calling Cuckoo which has been heard here by others since Apr 17 though it was my first. It was some time before I got going again as the air and the reeds/scrub were full of birds. Swallows predominated and it was not long before I noticed a Swift and then added my first Sand and House Martins. In the hedge a Whitethoat was singing and from a small tree not far into the reeds came the monotous song of a Reed Bunting with several much more interesting Sedge Warblers in song plus a couple of Cetti's (no Reed Warblers here but there was a Lesser Whitethroat near the NRA track)

Moving down to the end of the Little Deeps I found the Swan sitting tight on her very little island (no Canada Geese here). Over the fields to the south Skylarks were singing but I did not go on down the track to the Great Deeps but instead retraced my path back to the NRA track where I turned east.

Nothing more of significance until the seawall from Prinsted to Nutbourne where 8 Wheatears (my first!) hopped from rock to rock along the sea defences. Turning north to Farm Lane I added another flower in the hedgerow - a cluster of Cleavers/Goosegrass was covered with tiny white flowers.

From the A259 I turned north along Priors Leaze Lane to Hambrook where I passed my first flowering Solomons Seal in a garden and a patch of garden escape Creeping Comfrey elsewhere in the village. After the Hairspring Watercress Beds (nothing more interesting than one Moorhen and one Mallard) I joined the main road going north over the busy A27 and on the north side of the bridge over the A27 I was surprised to see both Solomons Seal and Lungwort at the roadside - both had been planted in the soil disturbed by the installation of new crash barriers. Still on the hill I began to find my first genuinely wild Ramsons (Wild Garlic) and at the top of the hill, where I turned west into the road leading to Woodmancote, I found what seemed to be genuine self sown Lungwort.

Next place of interest was Marlpit Lane where I dutifully added Nightingale song (only one) to my list before joing the busy Funtington road back towards Aldsworth where wild Yellow Archangel was flowering in the roadside.

At Aldsworth Pond I had the pleasure of adding Canada Goose to my daylist and was then surprised to hear Reed Warbler.

Heading for home via Westbourne, Long Copse Lane and Southleigh Road I passed my first Bird Cherry tree in flower and after crossing the Horndean Road I found a cluster of large Horse Mushrooms in the roadside grass of Southleigh Road immediately west of Horndean Road.

Back in Denvilles I remembered that last time I rode along Fourth Avenue I had seen something of interest in a small garden at the bend in the road close to the house numbered 31 - I spotted the garden and saw a rather uninteresting small tree in it but it was not until sometime later that I rembered what was of interest - on the last occasion I saw it there were no leaves on the tree but it did have the strange white flowers looking like handkerchiefs which picked it out as a Dove Tree (Davidia involucrata) and gives it status as the only specimen of the species that I know of in Havant now that the old tree at Shawford House (off Wade Court Road) has been chopped down.

I did not venture far in yesterday's chill and damp but on my way home from voting I checked the 'Greater Herb Robert' (possibly Geranium reuteri) on the wall of an alley south of East Street and was delighted to find it had several large and colourful flowers now open.

This morning I had a rewarding cycle ride to south Hayling and back, seeing my first Little Tern, a Swift, seven tiny cygnets on Langstone Pond, and eleven newly flowering plants.

Before reaching Langstone Bridge on the way south I had found an unexpected plant of Greater Celandine in flower plus my first Pendulous Sedge, and as soon as I reached the Hayling part of the old Billy Track proper I found I was looking at my first Little Tern fishing close to me in the north-east pool of the Oysterbeds area - this was the only one I saw as there were none near the nesting islands in the lagoon (nor were there any Med Gulls, just lots of Black-headed, several carrying lumps of seaweed to their nests)

Reaching the south Hayling Ferry Road I found another botanic first in the roadside grass when I stopped at the road junction - a mass of tiny flowered Wall Speedwell, and (after watching a small party of Whimbrel in the Kench) as I turned into the Ferry carpark I found Snow-in-summer (Cerastium tomentosum) had started to flower. The stretch alongside the harbour entrance gave me my first Sea Radish, Bur Chervil and Spring beauty with the tiny Spring Vetch flowering on the remains of a sand dune among the Tamarisks. On the shingle there is now a mass of Sea Kale plants but none were in flower (some had tightly closed flowerheads).

Along the south of the Golf Course there were hundreds of the Green Winged Orchids now flowering but no sign of flowers on the Lupins. Yellow Rattle was not yet in flower but one plant of Bird's Foot Trefoil was out and over the Golf Course a Meadow Pipit was making parachute song flights.

Coming out into the area east of the Golf Course Thrift was widespread and nearing the public toilets I found three more 'first flowers'. One was the Shepherd's Cress I had expected on my last visit, another was the Smith's Pepperwort which is widespread here and the third was Buckshorn Plantain that we will soon see in many places. Linnets were as expected singing from the Gorse here but no sign of a Dartford Warbler - to make up for that a single Swift shot overhead.

At Langstone Pond I had three surprises - the Swan pair had seven healthy looking cygnets out of the nest, the first Reed Warblers were back and singing, and four pairs of Tufted Duck were on the water

This morning I drove to the hilltop carpark just east of the London Road and the George Pub and walked west to the far end of the Paulsgrove Chalk Pit and back. Birds, butterflies, wild flowers and various small creatures all got on my list with the highlights being lots of Whitethroats and several Lesser Whitethroats, eight butterfly species and several newly flowering plants (Wintercress, Annual Wall-rocket, Rough Hawkbit, Sanicle, Wild Mignonette, and Common Poppy) plus a mass of St Marks Flies.

Near the car park Sainfoin had flower buds as did Salad Burnet and I soon heard the first of many Whitethroats in song. After crossing the London Road I came on the first of several colonies of Slender Speedwell and crossing to the north side of Portsdown Hill Road before getting to the main Viewpoint Carpark I took the path on the north side of the road which I have not used before and where this passes under trees I was surprised to find a small cluster of Moschatel leaves (no flowers) and around these trees were a mass of St Marks Flies.

Nearing the north side of Fort Widley I had unexpected Willow Warbler song to add to that of Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps. On the path behind the Fort I had to avoid treading on a Fox Moth caterpillar urgently seeking somewhere to pupate - these overwinter as caterpillars and do more feeding in the spring but they are supposed to pupate in March or April and to emerge as moths in May so this one is leaving it late. Emerging from the path round the Fort I found that cattle were in the field behind the carpark on the far side of Mill Lane but they had left my first Common Poppy among the stems of the Rape whose leaves they had been enjoying.

Continuing west to the hilltop roundabout I went through the small carpark there to enter the field between it and the Quinetic research establishment and in this field I not only had my first Field Pansies (which have been out for a good three weeks) but also found the first Wintercress (Barbarea vulgaris) in flower plus some Field Forget-me-not.

In the area above the Paulsgrove Chalk Pit I saw my first Birds-foot Trefoil and Annual Wall Rocket plus Sanicle with Black Bryony already showing flower buds. Here I also heard the first of at least three Lessser Whitethroats in song

In the bottom of the chalkpit the midday sun had brought out many butterflies and I listed Orange Tip, Large and Small White, Brimstone, Comma, Peacock, Red Admiral and Speckled Wood. While in the bottom of the pit I scanned the cliffs above me to see if I could spot Wild Cabbage growing on the chalk - the Durlston website had reported this in flower a few days ago and when writing my weekly summary yesterday I checked the Hants Flora to see if this plant of sea cliffs grows in mainland Hampshire as well as the Isle of Wight. The Flora entry said that Francis Rose had found it on the chalk of the Paulsgrove Pit in 1978 and I have no idea if it has been seen since but I saw a dozen large Brassica plants high on the bare chalk only 110 metres from the east end of the pit and I have sent a note of this to Martin Rand and Richard Jones (as warden of Portsdown Hill) so I may hear more (though I have no certainty that the plants I saw were Wild Cabbage though their broad leaves and yellow flowers made them a possible candidate)

After leaving the pit the strong south east wind deterred me from climbing the hill face so I kept to the lowest path (along the back of the housing) for a long as possible and in so doing came across my first White Campion in flower. When very nearly back to the car I saw my first Laburnum tree in flower

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Just one new flower seen today on the way to the shops - Beaked Hawksbeard. The specimen that I saw did not look like that species (which is normally a fairly bushy plant with strongly lobed broad leaves) so I brought a specimen home and still could not find any match for its small entire leaves widely separated by stretches of bare stalk (and with no hint of orange under the petals). Later in the day I went back for a second look and when I arrived at the spot the parked car which had obscured the bulk of the plant had departed allowing me to see that it was Beaked Hawksbeard but looking very different from its neighbours which had not yet started to flower - I think my specimen was suffering from petrol poisoning!

Where the road slopes down from the Arts Centre to the East Street carpark Hairy Tare had started to flower and coming back over the Langstone roundabout bridge I saw my first large display of Ox-eye Daisies at the southern foot of the A27 fly-over embankment (with my first sight of Nettles in flower on the south side of the sliproad)

In Juniper Square the Yellow-flowered Strawberries were at last in flower and nearby I was surprised to see Nipplewort in flower and my last item was male flowers on Holly in a Grove Road garden.

Earlier in the walk I had seen another garden escape first - Aquilegia in flower - and had also seen my first garden form of Yellow Archangel (which Brian Fellows had seen at the southern entrance to the Hollybank Woods on Apr 11)

The much needed rain persisted until late afternoon giving me a short time to enjoy the very fresh air with a walk to the Eastern Road Cemetery here in Havant where I saw my first Red Campion and Germander Speedwell flowers plus an unexpectedly effusive show of flowers on the Duke of Argyll's Teaplant.

On my way home via Prince George Street I found several large plants of Dove's Foot Cranesbill newly in flower. These plants were of the large form which I have in the past thought might be Round-leaved Cranesbill so I brought a sample home to check, learning that these must be Dove's Foot as the petals measured only 6mm where Round-leaved has petals at least 10mm long.

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The forecast for this morning was for sunshine and no rain but as soon as I got the car out the sky clouded over though it remained bright and dry until I got to my first destination - Pyle Lane, a right turn off the Rowlands Castle to Horndean road just north of the Havant Thicket/Holt woodland. My target here was Goldilocks buttercup which grows on the roadside at the bottom of the winding dip in the lane between the Horndean road and Pyle Farm.

After passing the dip in the road I took the stile on the south side and followed the footpath into the Holt Wood. This path takes you through the centre of the wood to come out, after crossing the Rowlands Castle Golf Course, in Links Lane but the wood on either side of it is private and new signs on either side now remind you that you should not deviate to enjoy the great display of Bluebells or the birds and butterflies which I have found here in past years (when I did have access permission from the pheasant rearers who own the sporting rights). Ignoring these signs I did turn off the path to visit the extreme north west corner of the wood which has in the past had a display of several hundred Early Purple Orchids.

At first I could not see any orchids but eventually I picked out the leaves of at least 50 plants though none were yet in flower. One bonus here was my first sight of Bugle in flower along with Willow Warbler song.

Walking back to the car it began to rain but that spurred a Mistle Thrush into full song. Driving back through Rowlands Castle the rain became heavier and turned to heavy hail and thunder but south of the village the roads were dry and so I continued to my second destination at Marlpit Lane near Funtington. Here Brian Fellows heard two Nightingales on Apr 17 but today I heard nothing better than Blackcap song. I did have one bonus in finding Three Veined Sandwort in flower and I brought a specimen home - photo below. The photo is another very poor effort but the lower leaf on the left does show the distinctive 'three veins' and the tiny flower shows how much shorter than the sepals the petals are. Another first flower was Whitebeam.

I did better with the flowers. The Tartarian Honeysuckle (photos below) was in full flower at the junction of Ferry Road with the service road leading to the Sinah Common 'gun emplacement' and the anglers access to the gravel pit lake,and on the nearby heath Sheeps Sorrel and Mossy Stonecrop had given a red tinge to the bare ground where Gorse has been cleared. South of the Golf Course Thrift (Sea Pink) had started to flower as had Sea Campion and under the Tamarisk among the sand dunes I found Spring Beauty already in bud. At least 200 spikes of Green Winged Orchid were in flower and while looking for Shepherd's Cress (none found) south of the mini Golf Course near the Inn on the Beach I found one orchid spike flowering in a new to me location roughly 1 km east of the main site. Everywhere Sweet Vernal Grass was in flower while the leaves of Sea Kale (no flowers) covered the shingle.

On Portsdown the remants of a crop White Mustard (whose leaves had puzzled me when I found them on Mar 26) now had seed pods to further confirm the id of the plant - the basal area of the pod containing the seeds is uniquely covered with short bristly hairs and beyond is a hairless, flattened, beak at least 1cm long. My first Crosswort flowers were soon found (John Goodspeed found them flowering on the hill last week though I have yet to see any in the 'lowlands'). Both Wild Mignonette and Salad Burnet had flower buds and there were tiny Cowslip flowers everywhere (including one with deep red rather than yellow petals - Stace says 'rarely reddish' for the colour of native plants)

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Before meeting Hazel Rouse for the first official count of the Egret nests at Langstone Pond I had a look at the Langstone village shore from the Royal Oak. Nothing of interest in the birds on view but along the foot of the wall around the pub garden I had my first sight of Lesser Sea Spurrey in flower.

At the pond we took some time to decide that there were almost certainly 23 active Egret nests after looking at the trees in which the Egrets are nesting from both sides of the island on which the trees grow. The two factors creating our difficulty in arriving at a total were firstly the thick covering of Ivy on at least one tree (were there birds nesting hidden within the Ivy?) and secondly the difficulty caused by the different perspective when looking at the island from two viewpoints on opposite sides of the island (how many of the nests that we could see from the second viewpoint had already been counted from the first viewpoint?)

On my way home I went via the A27 underpass on the Havant to Emsworth cycle route to look for the Speedwell which Brian Fellows had found and photographed there yesterday. Brian had thought it was Wall Speedwell but when I saw his photograph I was fairly sure it was Grey Field Speedwell and when I saw it this morning I was further convinced of this by the ground hugging habit of the plant and by its relatively thick stems. Wall Speedwell does have similar tiny all blue flowers but also has very thin erect stems (and if you touch the plant as Brian is doing in his photo my experience is that this inevitably cause the flowers to fall off!)

A photo of Grey Field Speedwell showing the same thick, hairy stems as the plant in Brian's photo can be seen at http://www.ukwildflowers.com/Web_pages/veronica_polita_grey_field_speedwell.htm (the flowers in this photo are not as deep blue as those at this site but others are - I selected this example to show the thick hairy stems). The thinner, erect, less hairy stems of Wall Speedwell can be seen at http://www.hlasek.com/veronica_arvensis_aa7164.html

While at this site I found my first Bulbous Buttercup in flower (Brian had found this out as early as Apr 3)

On Apr 5 Eric Clement and John Norton came over from Gosport to compare the urban flora of Havant with that of Gosport in connection with a book on the Gosport flora which John is preparing. John surprised me with the news that he had yesterday (Apr 4) been in the ASDA carpark near the A3M in Bedhampton and had found Subterranean Clover growing there already in flower

Before setting out on our tour John asked if I had come to a conclusion about the id of the plants found on Portsdown which I had guessed were a Sisymbrium (Rocket) species and I was able to say that I had - when the flowers were fully open they showed a unique feature in that the calyx became separate from the rest of the flower and this identified them as White Mustard (Sinapis alba) which is sometimes sown as a crop on poor soil (such as that on the top of Portsdown) to be ploughed back into the soil as a fertiliser and the features of the plant thus combined with a likely reason for it being found where it was.

Our first stop was in the Pallant carpark where the few plants of Rue-leaved Saxifrage (see my photos with the Mar 26 entry below) were in full flower (John tells me he cannot find this in Gosport) We then had a look at the 'Large Herb Robert' plant on the alley wall south of East Street and Eric told me he could not be sure of the precise species but that it was certainly a Geranium species originating in the Canary Isles but probably arriving via a British horticultural firm which would have modified it for the British garden market. While we can be sure that no one bought it to plant on this wall we can be almost as certain that the seeds were not wind or bird carried from the Canaries but from a local garden.

Moving on to the Homewell spring John and Eric were pleased with finds of Duckweed and Moss but I was disappointed to be told that the mass of Water Crowfoot growing in this extremely pure chalk filtered water was the normal Ranunculus penicillatus looking 'different' in the confined space and lacking the stream current that normally pulls it out. A brief look in the St Faith's churchyard revealed both Grey Field Speedwell (Veronica polita) and Thyme-leaved Speedwell (V. serpyllifolia) in flower and while still in the town centre we found Scarlet Pimpernel in flower.

Next we set out south beside the Langbrook Stream stopping where we crossed the road into Langstone Technology Park for a look round the edges of the carpark where a mass of close mown Storks Bill in the grass was determined to be Musk Storksbill (something that I have in the past suspected of being in the area but not had the confidence to name in its mown state beside the main road to Hayling). Another addition to my local knowledge came when John and Eric started muttering about Stellaria pallida (Lesser Chickweed) which I had not realised could be found in the Havant area.

Continuing south we found nothing of special interest until we came to the female Butterbur site where the plants were at their best and John took the photos below.

On the South Moors I came on my first Creeping Buttercup flowers for the year and in Mill Lane we looked at the locally unique patch of Rustyback Fern growing on the wall of the West Mill garden and then at the Hairy Garlic plant growing on the north side of the lane not far west of the road leading to Harbourside beside which (on the south side) was a colony of Early Dog and Sweet Violets which were new to me. Also here I thought I had found my first Prickly (Rough) Sowthistle flowers of the year until the experts pointed out that neither the prickliness of the leaves nor the crowding of the flowers into compact heads indicate Prickly rather than Smooth Sowthistle - the only feature to be used in separating the species is the shape of the auricles (ignoring any spikes growing from them) - you can only name the plant as Prickly if the auricle 'blades' are rounded and pressed to the stem so these plants with pointed auricles were Smooth Sowthistles.

Reaching the Billy Trail we did not head straight home but took a round about route via Southbrook Road where John enjoyed comparing the roadside verge grasses, mosses and lichens with those found in Gosport. Eventually crossing the A27 by the Langstone Roundabout footbridge we looked down on the first Honesty (Lunaria annua) flowers of the year by the roadside.

On Apr 6 a short local walk found the first Horse Chestnut flowers open and a selfsown Red Currant in flower.

Nothing more until today (Apr 12) when garden Lilac flowers started to open and I found Field Madder in flower for the first time as I headed towards the Brookfield hotel in Emsworth where I had a look at the mass of Neapolitan Garlic which Brian Fellows had found back on Mar 30 (see his diary entry for Mar 30 at http://www.emsworthwildlife.hampshire.org.uk/0-0-0-wildlife-diary.htm which has a much better photo of the flower head than mine though my spelling of Neapolitan agrees more with that in the flower books!)

Coming home via Brook Meadow and Horndean Road, then Southleigh Road, I found lots of Garlic Mustard in flower as I approached Southleigh Farm but did not find the expected Crosswort flowers among the Greater Stitchwort near Locks Farm. Back in Denvilles I had a bonus while coming along Fourth Avenue where I noticed a young 'Pocket Handkerchief' or Dove (Davidia involucrata) tree flowering in a garden to make up for the loss of the old tree in Shawfield Road (off Wade Court Road) which used to be my only site for this unusual species

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Heading down Southmoor Lane on my bike in the morning I found Norway Maples opening their bright yellow blossom (which had been first reported by the Havant Wildlife Group last Saturday) and arriving at the Budds Farm viewpoint I was greeted by the first of six male Orange Tip butterfllies that I was to see before I got home. On the water my first impression was that the winter ducks had been replaced by Black-headed Gulls which were everywhere and almost as noisy as the crowd at the Oysterbeds - in fact there were still plenty of Tufted Duck, Mallard and Gadwall with a nesting Swan, a pair of about to nest Canada Geese and 9 Shelduck around the site plus a vocal Cetti's Warbler hidden in the vegetation.

Moving down onto the harbour shore and heading for Broadmarsh I had difficulty in spotting any Brent (though I counted 30 before I left) but I did hear Turnstones and spottted a couple of dozen of them on the mud by the sewage outfall with a few Oystercatchers and Redshank. A flurry of activity at the seaward end of the outfall caught my attention as what I think was a female Goosander took off and flew out into the harbour - I cannot swear it was a Goosander but the only colours I could see as it flew away from me were the white wing patches, an orange head with the rest of the plumage being a uniform light grey (I'm pretty sure I would have seen some darker and more varied plumage had the bird been the expected Merganser).

Beside the Brockhampton stream Grey Poplars were dangling fresh catckins and Ash trees were covered in their fuzzy flower structures but there was nothing else new in the Broadmarsh area other than a couple of Bee Flies and a passing Comma.

Heading north over the A27 I continued over the railway to Bidbury Mead where there were as yet no flowers on the Greater Celandines but one plant of the Pellitory of the Wall had its first flowers, as did one of Hedge Mustard and a Silver Birch was covered with fully open catkins.

This evening's outing took me down the Billy Trail (past a couple of flowering Cow Parsley plants) to Langstone village for a look at the pond where the nests, taking some time to build as the Egrets bring in just one stick at a time, are now much easier to see. I was surprised to count, in the island trees above the sitting Swan, a total of 18 occupied Egret nests.

Heading east along the shore to Pook Lane a scan of the shore gave me an unexpected sight of perhaps 30 Knot sedately feeding among what I think were Bar-tailed Godwits with only one Shelduck and two Teal.

Coming home along the Pook Lane 'twitchel' path more Shining Cranesbill flowers were out and back at the East Street/Billy line carpark I found the very first fully open Hawthorn flowers

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This morning I found that flowers had started to open on the sample of an unidentified Rocket (Sisymbrium) plant which I found on Portsdown last Monday (Mar 26) but the flowers did not give me the hoped for clue to the plant's id - Stace says the petals of London Rocket measure less than 5 mm while those of False London Rocket measure more than 5 mm and my ruler gave me a measurement of exactly 5mm. I do have one further clue as the petals were pale, not bright yellow and Stace says this indicates London Rocket (S. irio) which the Hants Flora says is extinct in the county! I took a couple of photos which may help to get to the bottom of this puzzle.

In the afternoon I paid another visit to the Early Purple Orchid site at the eastern end of the Hollybank Woods at Emsworth to see if the orchids were starting to flower but found no indication of this. My first find here was a Wild Cherry (Gean) tree in full flower - this tree (on the south side of the hill-top thicket) may have been blown down in the 1987 Great Storm as I have only known it in this prostrate form with the trunk on the ground and the mass of flowers coming from what look like a row of separate trees which are the branches of the original.

Moving on to the wet area I passed my first clump of Wood Anemones which most people will have seen by now and came to a large area covered with Wood Sorrel of which I did photograph a small section before coming to a Wild Plum tree in full flower (while here I saw a Marsh Tit for only the second time this year!)

In the wetland there were masses of Primroses, Celandines, Common Dog Violets (including a patch of white ones), and some Wood Spurge in full flower but I was surprised to find that the Alpine Squill plants which had been in bud when I was here on March 6 had disappeared. As to the orchids I could see fewer leaf rosettes than expected and only one plant had a hint of things to come in a small flower spike sheath.

I started down the alley off East Street to check on the 'Greater Herb Robert' (looking very healthy but no flower buds yet) and to hear a Goldcrest singing in the Holm Oaks which overhang the alley. The next alley, connecting Grove Road to Juniper Square, gave me the first green foliage on a Larch tree (no sign of Larch roses yet) and beside the path through the 'new Langstone' housing south of the A27 I found two Parsons indecently exposing themselves in their pulpits as the Arum lilies split the sheathes which had up to now concealed the Spadices.

At Langstone pond the female Swan was definitely sitting on her nest and I could see a minimum of eight Egret nests with 27 Egrets in view (two of them for the first time in trees lining the Lymbourne stream rather than those on the island which is nowadays the centre of the heronry). A dead Alder tree on the northern fringe of the pond area which has a couple of Great Spotted Woodpecker holes had a Great Tit entering, then leaving, one of the holes and the Pony field north of it had a really mangy Fox sitting out in the sunshine.

Just before reaching Pook Lane I watched my first Small Torotoiseshell taking the sun and from the new bench west of the lane I watched 15 Brent fly to feed on the Langstone shore where two Shelduck were still on the mud and five Mergansers were on the water.

In the old Warblington cemetery I noticed a big patch of flowering Slender Speedwell and by the 'church path' where it crosses the Warblington Farm central stream I passed the first Great Horsetail fertile cone pushing up (several more seen later by the Selangor Ave path). After the stream the big arable field looked very uninteresting but walking across it away from the public path I found a good example of the rayed form of Groundsel which has persisted here for many years.

After the first kissing gate I had a look at the lower branches of the Oak tree overhanging the (totally dry) pond on my left and saw two small reddish Oak Apples developing. Each of these apples is a nursery home to a number of Biorhiza pallida gall wasps though it may also provide a home to other insects, some of which are parasites on the gall wasps while others are known as 'inquilines' which just take advantage of the Oak Apple as a home without interacting with its rightful inhabitants (note that if too many inquilines try to share the gall they may starve the rightful occupants to death by devouring too much of the food which the gall supplies). In any one apple all the developing B. pallida wasps are either males or females which I would assume will meet and mate later in the year when they emerge as winged insects though I cannot find a full account of the complex life cycle which involves a non-sexual as well as a sexual generation. My understanding is that the mated females then crawl down the trunk of the oak tree and somehow burrow down to the fine hair roots where they lay eggs that cause smaller galls on the roots - in due time non-sexual 'females' emerge to crawl up the oak tree and (without male interference!) lay eggs in the flower buds of the oak which develop into the Oak Apples from which the cycle started.

Entering Nore Barn I was puzzled when a large man blocked my path and stood looking at me as if he were the agent of a foreign (or perhaps extra-terrestrial) power who had been sent to arrest (or perhaps to 'liquidate') me. After a minute of silent confrontation I realised that I was looking at someone whom I had worked with at IBM before I retired in 1988 and whom I had not seen since and the silence was broken by a lengthy conversation as we walked round the woods and then up the Selangor Ave path with the result that there was a gap in my notes for this period though I do recall seeing Speckled Wood butterflies.

Back in the Warblington Fam area, walking along the main road, I noted that many young Hawthorn trees in the field hedges had well developed flower buds, and along the Church Lane to Pook Lane link road I watched Jackdaws disputing nest holes with two pairs of Stock Doves before hearing a Buzzard calling from high in the air to the south - it was too far away to see clearly what was going on but I had the impression that three soaring Buzzards were being 'buzzed' by what may have been a Peregrine stooping on them from above.

My last note is of the first Shining Cranesbill flowers of the year found at both the southern and northern end of the A27 footbridge.

This afternoon I walked round Farlington Marshes to see how the Lapwings were faring there after years of increasing Fox predation and I was glad to see that there were probably at least six, probably eight, territories to judge by birds on the ground (no more than three displaying birds seen). There were also plenty of singing Skylarks with Meadow Pipit song heard in two places. Disappointingly I did not come across any Wheatears or Yellow Wagtails.

Plenty of duck species including Pintail, Gadwall, Wigeon and Shoveler plus many Shelduck and Teal with one pair of Mergansers in the harbour over which I also heard my first Sandwich Tern. A good gull was a Graellsii Lesser Blackback. At least 300 Brent still present but hearteningly only two pairs of Canada Geese! One slightly unexpected bird was a single Green Sandpiper along the stream.

At the east entrance to the reserve an Elder bush was covered with flower buds and on the southern seawall another bush actually had flowers opening while back at the Broadmarsh carpark I found a big cluster of Slender Speedwell in flower (my first but Brian Fellows found it in Emworth a week ago on Mar 20). Beside the cyclepath on my way back I also found Common Vetch in flower (first seen on Portsdown yesterday)

The Sisymbrium species which I found on Portsdown yesterday has not yet opened it flowers but I am now inclined towards it being S. loeselli which Stace calls False London Rocket but which I see is known across the Atlantic as Small Tumbleweed (which I rather like). I still have no real evidence for choosing a species!

This morning I drove to Fort Southwick and took a walk on the south face of Portsdown between Portchester Common and the Paulsgrove Chalk Pit in glorious sunshine. Getting out of the car I was greeted by a singing Yellowhammer and several Skylarks, and on Portchester Common the short grass was liberally strewn with Hairy Violets, which were to be seen all over this section of the hill, but the interesting finds came in the last section of the walk - along the roadside from the top of the chalk pit past the two small roundabouts. Here I saw my first Speckled Wood butterflies of the year and added Common Vetch, Black Medick, and 'new season' Oxeye Daises (many in bud and one in full flower) to my year list. Back at the car, in an unofficial parking area, I found another cluster of plants which I did not recognise and so brought a sample home - I will have to wait at least a day before the flower buds open to be sure of the id but it seems to be a Rocket (Sisymbrium) species - possibly Tall Rocket which the Hants Flora shows to be found in the Portsmouth area

Back at home I was having lunch when my first male Brimstone flew across the lawn, and when I went outside I also found my first Orange Tip - later a Peacock also flew by.

Before mowing the lawn I took my camera to the Pallant carpark and took a couple of pictures of one of the Rue-leaved Saxifrage that is now starting to flower - apologies for my failings as a photographer - the flower may not show well but you can see why the leaves give it the specific name of 'tridactyla' (three fingered)

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Making a detour around the edge of The Pallant carpark this morning on my way to Waitrose I found the first miniscule white blobs of flower buds on the Rue-leaved Saxifrage plants growing on the damp pavement along the north side of the Gazebo. With them was my first plant of Thale cress in an equally early stage. Another plant which I am unlikely to see for myself without an expedition to the bank of the 'Pur Brook' between Purbrook Heath and Widley Walk is Opposite Leaved Golden Saxifrage but this morning I saw a photo of it flowering in the Rye Bay area and so assume it should be out in this area

This evening I went to Langstone Pond at 6pm and in the next 45 minutes counted 70 Egrets arriving to roost (including just three that were in situ when I arrived). Also seen when I arrived was the female Swan building up her nest which is now a massive pile but she did not settle on it. Just before leaving the site, after sunset, I heard the unexciting song of a Reed Bunting back at the pond for the first time this year. Another unexpected sight was a flock of well over 100 Brent flying west over Langstone Bridge, probably looking for somewhere with water to provide safety from predators in the dark (this was at the very bottom of the Spring Tide when that harbours are just about drained of water!)

As the sky darkened I watched Jupiter and Venus appear in the western sky and then, well below them, had the unexpected bonus of a very thin crescent New Moon

Cycling down the Billy Trail towards Hayling I made an early stop where the rail line intersects Mill Lane at Langstone - just a few yards east of the rail track I found the first Snake's Head Fritillary flower (planted by or in memory of George Hedley) was already out - well worth the stop!

On the harbour the tide was high and there were at least 20 Wigeon and 5 Mergansers near the Langbrook stream mouth though nothing else disturbed the glassy smooth water before it disappeared into the mist. Across the bridge I saw my first Brent of the day - barely a dozen in the Oysterbeds and I saw no more until coming across another party of a dozen off Saltmarsh Lane but there were more in the harbour - another 53 at the Kench and probably another 100 seen on my way back.

At the Oysterbeds I had the impression that two or three pairs of Med Gulls might be on nests but the vast majority of the gulls were still devoting their energies to standing around and shouting at their neighbours.

Nearing the Ferry Inn I noticed garden Wallflowers were out, reminding me that their wild cousins should soon be appearing on the walls of Portchester Castle. At the roundabout I found that Sea Mouse-ear had started to flower and immediately past the refreshment kiosk as you enter the public carpark I found Eastern Rocket in flower and managed to get a photo though not one which shows the distinctive leaf shape which suggests the business end of a medieval spear.

Beyond the carpark a white butterfly flew beside me (I think Small but in this grassland area it could well have been Green-veined though no one has reported that species yet - they are usually later than Small Whites but I see that one was out in Gosport on Mar 15 in 2009). Rounding the Gunner Point corner of the Golf Course I came on the colour of the very first Green Winged Orchids but after passing the Golf Course I had no luck with the hoped for Shepherd's Cress and had to make do with the song of a Linnet back on territory and perched on a Gorse bush.

Leaving Sinah Common to start home along Staunton Avenue the garden escape Spring Starflowers (Tristagma or Ipheion uniflorum) and what I think was a Comma butterfly gave me a good send off.

Nothing more of special interest until back at Langstone Pond where, with the tide still high, the trees were decorated with a couple of dozen Egrets. This time there was no doubt that several nests were well on the way to completion and at least three of them had two birds in the same nest. Most impressively one Egret seem to have lost its footing and was in the process of falling into an occupied nest below it and in danger of severe injury as one of the occupants of that nest repeatedly stabbed upwards with its beak.

This morning I had another look for the Greater Stitchwort flowers at Locks Farm in the Denvilles area of Havant, finding two in flower and as I was cycling there what can only have been a Small White butterfly kept pace with me for around 50 metres. While photographing the flowers a small hoverfly arrived and settled for long enough for me to take in that, in addition to the six yellow 'lunules' on its abdomen the top of its thorax was pure black and the tip of its abdomen was also black (no additional yellow marks). This seems to be Metasyrphus (or Euopedes) luniger though the best picture I can find of that species does have a couple of additional yellow bands at the tip of its abdomen - see http://micropics.org.uk/Syrphidae/Metasyrphus/luniger/metasyrphus%20luniger.htm - maybe I didn't notice them!

On my way home I went through the Havant Cemetery where, in addition to the Early Dog Violets. I noticed some planted Glory of the Snow (Chionodoxa forbesii) plants and photographed them to make up for not having my camera with me when I passed some much bigger specimens in Mill Lane at Langstone last Monday.

This afternoon I went to Havant Thicket where a Tawny Mining Bee was investigating a patch of loose dry soil near the carpark and the Gipsies Plain grassland was populated with Black-headed, Mediterranean and Common Gulls with none of the expected Ponies, Corvids or the hoped for Lapwings which have bred here annually since 2005 (I found 8 birds here on Mar 22 last year) - maybe their apparent absence was due to the absence of the ponies (whose droppings attract flies and other insects to feed the Lapwings). By the time I completed my circuit of the area I had discovered that the ponies (or some of them) were in the rough grassland west of the Long Avenue of trees and I had found two individual Lapwings on the ground though not together as a pair and not appparently nesting. Also seen over the Gipsies Plain was a high flying Sparrowhawk and two low flying Jays which came from the Avenue.

In the Avenue I heard a Nuthatch and a singing Mistle Thrush but the area round the lake at the north end of the avenue had no hint of the Wood Sorrel leaves that I was looking for. Some compensation was found along the path following the north edge of the Gipsies Plain past the Austrian Pine plantation - just two early flowers of Common Dog Violet, one of which I photographed to show the broad, pale spur to the flower, contrasting with the narrow, pointed dark violet spure of the Early Dog Violets seen in the Havant Cemetery this morning. Next to these Violets was a bush of Broom with the first flowers I have seen this year.

Walking back to the car park I heard the distinctive complaining notes of several Siskins and was lucky enough to see one settled for long enough to prove its identity. One other thing noticed in this walk was that at least three of the many dry Molehills that I passed had large round holes in the top of the 'hill' - was this a sign that the ground is now so dry that the Moles had abandoned their search for worms underground and had come out to try their luck on the surface?

Cycling down the Billy Trail at Langstone on my way to north Hayling I noticed one plant of Cow Parsley in bud and coming back up Wade Lane I passed a plant opening its white flowers. In between there was the expected noise of gulls at the Oysterbeds (sadly one of the Med Gulls on the nest island was trying to preen oil off its breast) while a pair of Buzzards were displaying over nearby woods and on North Common I photographed a magnificent display of both blue and white Sweet Violets after watching the activity of 35 pairs of Rooks at their nests south of the common.

Back on the Langstone village shore I was surprised to see a flock of perhaps 70 Brent after encountering no more than two dozen scattered around the Oysterbeds and Northney shores and at Langstone pond there were more Egrets than expected as the tide was still high and those guarding nest sites had been joined by others sitting out the tide.

My final observation today came as was cycling up Wade Court Road - just before reaching North Close I heard what I thought was a Nuthatch making a repeated single note call high in the old Grey Poplar tree and I eventually spotted the bird but saw no evidence of a nest hole or mate (I have occasionally come across Nutchatch in this area in past years but never found any sign of them being permanent residents - perhaps these are young birds that come here seeking a mate but failing to find one? Interestingly I see that Brook Meadow at Emsworth has its first resident Nuthatch - its photo appeared on Brian Fellows' website entry for Mar 20 and that bird clearly is nesting as the photo shows it with a beak full of mud that it will use to narrow the entrance to the old woodpeckers nest hole that it has taken over (unlike woodpeckers they do not excavate their nest but take over an existing hole, clear out any debris left in it and then plaster up the entrance hole to reduce it it the smaller size that suits their size)

Although the morning was dull I happened to be in Emsworth and so thought I would check out the Little and Great Deeps from the Wickor shore. The only note made at the Little Deeps was of Coltsfoot in flower but at the Great Deeps there were more birds including a smart Great Blackback Gull, 9 Greenshank and around 75 Shelduck

Before reaching Grove Road I had added Least Yellow Sorrel to my 'first flowering' list and in Juniper Square Green Alkanet had resumed flowering after a winter break (since Jan 26) of less than 8 weeks. Also newly flowering here was 'Garden Forget-me-not' while Field Pennywort was still in flower where it was first seen this year on Jan 12.

Garden planted Cowslips were new along the banks of the Langbrook and at the entrance to the farm an old Ash tree was covered with knobbly 'flowers'. On the South Moors five plants of Marsh Marigold were bearing plenty of fresh flowers.

Coming back along the shore around 200 Brent were feeding up but less than 20 Wigeon were seen. On the Moors at least two Meadow Pipits gave the impression of being resident, not just passing, but no song was heard. A pleasant surprise at the west end of Mill Lane was a large cluster of Glory of the Snow (Chionodoxa forbesii) in flower and at the east end of the lane the air was scented with Sweet Violets and I had my first view of two plants of Snakeshead Fritillary bearing flower buds.

At Langstone Pond five Egrets were in the nest tree wearing long breeding plumes and making strange noises though I could see no evidence of actual nests nor of the birds being paired. Below them the female Swan was not on her nest so I guess she has not started laying yet.

On the low tide mud off the pond I saw more than 30 each of Teal and Shelduck, both probably making a brief pause in a journey to where they intend to nest. Seen distantly in the air was a small flock of what I think were Bar-tailed Godwit (no Black-tailed seen today)

My final note was of a Horse Chestnut tree, seen closely from the Pook Lane bridge over the A27, which had just started to open its sticky buds and unfold its leaves - in one case holding a minature 'flower candle' among the leaves.

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Keen not to miss the warm sunshine of the last day of the current high pressure I set off on my bike as soon as the sun broke through the mist. My first objective was the Thorney Island deeps on the offchance that early Sedge Warblers or other migrants might have arrived but the only migrant birds I encountered were two singing Chiffchaffs in the Nore Barn wood.

Before I got there I enjoyed some spring flowers at the A27 underpass which connects Havant to Emsworth. Where the old A27 ends abruptly at right angles to the new road I added Sticky Mouse-ear to my flowering list, finding it growing in the thin soil overlaying the tarmac of the old road among a mass of Common Whitlowgrass, and while there I made a mental note of the increasing number of garden escape Grape Hyacinth plants which I am seeing everywhere at present - here the plants could be seen on the far side of the broken fence which separates the new from the old roads.

Continuing east to the Selangor Ave junction I crossed the main road to join the footpath to Nore Barn but before doing so I checked the variety of wild flowers growing on the north side of the main road - among them lots more Whitlowgrass and a good presence of Danish Scurvygrass. Nearing Nore Barn I stopped to look for (and find) my first Wild Strawberry flowers on the east side bank of the footpath just north of where a massive oak tree trunk juts out into the path.

Nore Barn woodland had two singing Chiffchaffs (almost certainly migrants by the persistence with which they were trying to make their presence know to prospective mates) but my main find here came on the saltings at the east end of the woodland in the shape of the first flowers on English Scurvygrass - see photo below.

Lots of Alexanders were flowering along Thornham Lane and plenty of Brent were bathing and sunning themselves in Nutbourne Bay area where a lone Buzzard was flying around searching for thermals over the land area. On the way home along the main road nothing special caught my eye but when I reached the junction with Thorney Road I turned north through the new housing in the Hermitage area and had my first look at the 'balancing pond' in which Frogs have been spawning - I think tiny free-swimming tadpoles were starting to emerge. (By chance I found an email awaiting my return home telling me of Frogspawn in at least one Langstone village garden)

Emerging beside Peter Pond I turned north to have a look at Brook Meadow where I did see a Comma butterfly but failed to spot both the famous Water Rail and the Tree Creepers thought to be nesting in the Palmers Road copse. Heading home along Victoria Road and Selangor Ave I could see 18 active nests in the Rookery behind the Jubilee House flats (though I only counted those I could see while cycling by).

Although I failed to see any migrant birds I see that the first Wheatears arrived in Hampshire today - a female on Hayling Island and males at the Langstone South Moors and at Southsea. At least ten others had been seen in other counties (Sussex, Dorset and Devon) with a very early first at Hastings on Feb 15, then no more until Mar 6

A walk to the Budds Farm pools this morning discovered an abrubt change in the bird life - no Teal, Shoveler or Gadwall which had been replaced by a pair of Swans (the female investigating a new nest site for this year right in front of the viewing bench) and a pair of Canada Geese. Some of the missing Gadwall were in the harbour at the mouth of the Langbrook stream along with a few Wigeon and perhaps 100 Brent. Over the South Moors I heard hints of Meadow Pipit song from half a dozen birds that I suspect were on passage north and not intending to breed here.

Before reaching the pools my walk down the Langbrook had given me three botanic firsts - the first Stream Water Crowfoot just south of the A27 and the first Field Forget-me-not near the kissing gate opposite The Mallards while the unkempt area south of the kissing gate had the first sheathed spadices on Lords and Ladies (plus a mass of female Butterbur flowers where I had seen the first one or two last week and a new mass of Glistening Inkcaps at the base of a Willow tree). Best new flower came after I had left the Moors and was in Mill Lane - the first Ground Ivy of the year

Passing Langstone Pond the Swan was back on her nest and in the pony field north of the pond the sight of two Mistle Thrushes confirmed that a pair are in residence there - north of Wade Court one Grey Wagtail was still in the Lymbourne stream where a pair seems to have been present since Feb 28 and as I approached the stream across the Pony fields from Wade Lane I noticed that Hornbeam catkins were starting to open on the tree under which you pass just before reaching the bridge over the stream (and this reminded me that catkins were fully out on the tall old Grey Poplar overhanging Wade Court Road opposite North Close when I passed it on Monday after my trip to Hayling).

A further outing this afternoon took me to Locks Farm (junction of Southleigh and East Leigh roads) where more Ground Ivy was flowering but the Greater Stitchwort and Crosswort (both of which flower early here on this south facing bank) were not yet out (though I could detect developng flower buds on the Stitchwort).

Finally, for those interested in the arrival of summer migrants, I see that four Yellow Wagtails were seen near Arundel on Mar 11 bringing the total of species newly arrived in southern England to 10 (see my latest Weekly Summary). I also see that Hampshire had its first Swallow yesterday at Ibsley near Ringwood.

This afternoon I cycled down the Hayling Coastal Path and round Gunner Point, adding two personal 'first flowers' for the year. One was Coltsfoot, growing at the entrance to the little used carpark for the Oysterbeds, and the other was Early Forget-me-not in the short grass of the small roundabout near the Ferry Inn. A third find, made this morning in the Eastern Road cemetery, was of Blue Anemones (no doubt originally planted on one of the graves but surviving for many years without human care and attention in a shady corner of the cemetery where I suspect the plants were thrown away as no longer wanted). Also seen in the cemetery was a much better show of Early Dog Violets than last week.

My latest weekly summary of reports is now available by clicking Weekly Summary here

The daily ranger's report on the Durlston website this morning announced that the first Hairy Violet was in flower there so in this afternoon's sunshine I went to see if any were out on Portsdown and found just one small specimen on the south facing slope below Fort Widley. Nearby I found a fair number of Sweet Violets but I am happy that the photo (below) which I took is of a Hairy Violet as (though it is difficult to see much in the photo) I used my hand lens to assure myself that the plant did have some long hairs on it (and no runners!)

Nothing much else to be seen on the water starved downland but when I had made my way east and down to reach the London Road opposite Chalk Ridge Road, and then walked uphill past the Caravan Park with its active Rookery, I had lots of flowering Alexanders on my list and several other common 'weeds'. At the point where the sliproad connects to the Portsdown Hill Road near The George I noticed lots of flowering Whitlowgrass along the road edges and in the central reservation of the slip road. Reaching the Hill Road I walked towards the viewpoint carpark and in so doing came on a small cluster of Cowslips in fresh flower.

After tea I cycled down to Langstone Pond and counted just 22 Egrets coming in to roost and by the time I decided that I would not wait for any further latecomers at least one Pipistrelle bat was flying around me while high overhead the Venus - Jupiter pair were showing brilliantly close together and Mars had also become visible in the east over Emsworth

Earlier in this session I had found the Pen Swan was already on her nest with the Cob on the pond nearby and out in the tiny channel of water that remained at dead low water after a spring tide some 400 Brent took refuge from nighttime predators after presumably feeding on inland fields. Near them on the mud were at least 35 Shelduck and perhaps 30 Teal

As promised in my previous entry todays outing was in search of the wild Green Hellebores which grow in Lordington Copse (to which there is no public access nowadays) and spill out onto the side of Woodlands Lane just before it plunges downhill on its way from the Stansted East Park to Walderton. Reaching the section of the lane where it passes Lordington Copse my first stop was to check out the Spurge Laurel bushes which have probably been flowering for a month or more though today was my first sight of them. Continuing west I only found five plants of the Green Hellebore and the first four had no flowers so far so I was pleased that the fifth one had at least three fresh flowers. After seeing them I crossed the lane to its south side where a huge mass of Lesser Periwinkle leaves confirmed their identity with a single flower.

Continuing south from Walderton I stopped at Racton where the road forks and one branch goes off east towards Funtington. Here the River Ems normally flows under the road but this year's drought had left the riverbed completely dry and there was no hint of the Butterbur plants which normally flower here. For those puzzled by the good flow of water in the River Ems downstream in Brook Meadow at Emsworth (where the Butterbur is now flowering) I must explain that it has long been the practice to abstract all the water from Ems at the Pumping Station near Walderton, leaving the stream dry in the section from Walderton through Racton and past Aldsworth down to the northern edge of Westbourne where (at the place appropriately named Deepsprings) water comes up from a deep borehole to replenish the river on its course through Westbourne and Emsworth into Chichester Harbour.

On this cycle ride via the Hollybank Woods, Southleigh Forest and Stansted Park I failed to hear the Woodlark which I might have heard in the morning, but as I was passing through Stubbermere (approaching the Stansted Sawmill from Southleigh Forest) I did see a silent flock of Redwing and in several fields I noticed the yellow flower spikes of Rape (left over from a previous crop) were already starting to flower.

Stone Curlew: One heard over Birdham (nr Chichester) on the night of Feb 29 and another seen on Seaton Marshes in Devon On Mar 3

Sandwich Tern: First three at Rye Harbour on Mar 1 with 52 at Dungeness on Mar 2. Plenty more since then.

Sand Martin: Two reported in Wales on Mar 2. First in Dorset on Mar 4. First in Hants (Blashford Lakes) on Mar 6 followed by 9 at Christchurch Harbour in Dorset on Mar 8

Swallow: Ignoring birds seen on Feb 1 and earlier, Mar 1 brought one to Hastings and Mar 8 saw one at Seaford in Sussex

Wheatear: First in Devon on Mar 6 then one at Portland on Mar 7, three at Christchurch Harbour on Mar 8 and one at Durlston on Mar 8

Garganey: A drake seen on the Dorset Stour near Blandford on Feb 20 was suspected of being an escape but a female at Arne (Poole Harbour) on Feb 27 was probably a migrant as was one in the Netherlands on Mar 3

Also arriving but impossible to identify as migrants have been many Chiffchaffs and possibly some Blackcaps

I first came across the delicate blue flowers of Alpine Squill (Scilla bifolia) on Mar 2 in 2007 when exploring the extreme south east corner of the Hollybank Woods (north of Emsworth) where a great selection of spring flowers (including a big colony of Early Purple Orchids) can be found. For photos of what the plant can look like in flower see http://www.ukwildflowers.com/Web_pages/scilla_bifiolia_alpine_squill.htm In recent years I have found up to half a dozen plants flowering at this site before this date but today I could only see two plants, both at an early stage of flowering. Although this is a fairly common garden plant it is uncommon in the wild and I have been puzzled as to how these plants came to grow here - they are about half a mile from the Emsworth Common Road and very few people visit this site so I think we can rule out casual dumping of unwanted garden plants and my best guess is that a lover of plants had found this site and thought it could be made even more attractive by planting them here (and I would not disagree).

Very few other plants were in flower - the best were several clumps of Primrose and there was promise of things to come in a few Early Purple orchid leaf rosettes but the sunshine was warm enough to have brought out a butterfly (I think a Peacock) which flew up from the ground where it had been basking and went up and up to continue basking on a branch of a tall tree. At least seven bird species were singing, including a magnificent Mistle Thrush, and noisy Nuthatches were active with Great Spotted and Green Woodpeckers both heard.

When the sun shines again after tomorrow's forecast rain I will be heading to Woodlands Lane, leading down to Walderton from the Stansted East Park, in search of the Green Hellebore which should now be in flower there. Hopefully I will also hear Woodlark song and see Hares, both of which featured in accounts of two walks in this general area last Saturday.

My latest weekly summary of reports is now available by clicking Weekly Summary here

The job of clearing 40 years rubbish from the loft in preparation for the free installation of loft and cavity wall insulation on Friday of this week has taken much of my time and energy recently but it is now very nearly complete - nevertheless I did get out on my bike last Monday (the only real interest then was a Kingfisher sighting on the Brockhampton Stream on the west boundary of Budds Farm) and managed a walk this afternoon which yielded a little more interest.

Today my list started with Field Pennycress still flowering in Juniper Square and flowers on a single stem of Spanish Bluebell on the banks of the Langbrook Stream just south of the Langstone Technology Park approach road. Further downstream the first female Butterbur plants were just starting to push up and out on the Moors the number of Marsh Marigold plants in flower had increased to four. Also in the Moors area both Mistle Thrush and Skylark song was heard.

Nothing special at Budds Farm pools but coming back along the shore I passed three groups each of over a dozen Gadwall on the sea and saw half a dozen Little Egrets sitting out the high tide on the land.

Leaving the Moors I spotted an open flower on English Elm right above the footbridge and passing Langstone Pond I found a dramatic change in the Egret activity compared to a visit there last Friday evening when no more than 8 birds arrived to roost. This evening I happened to pass the pond a little after sunset and reckoned that at least 25 birds were present - at least three times the number that have regarded the pond as home base during the winter months. As an aside a thought occurred to me this evening which I suspect is a significant part of the reason why the Egrets leave the coast in winter - I have always thought the main reason was the rather unpleasant (windy and cold) fishing conditions in the harbour but I now realise that day length is also a significant factor. Regardless of summer or winter the Egrets have to sit out the high tide periods as unsuitable for their style of fishing and of course the length of those periods does not change much with the seasons whereas day length does. This means that the number of hours during which an Egret can fish are significantly less in winter than in summer in tidal waters whereas by flying inland they can fish throughout the daylight hours with no 'high tide' time out.

One other surprise today came before I set out - looking out of the window from my computer I realised that a clump of Mistletoe had established itself right in front of me without my noticing it until now - the tree is an elderly Rowan and the reason for not noticing the Mistletoe is its similarity in colour to a greeny-yellowish lichen covering most of the branches!

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