DAILY DIARY

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Today's cloudless blue sky encouraged me out before lunch for a walk to Budds Farm and back in a light chill northerly wind.

Crossing Park Road South near the Langstone roundabout I found the Danish Scurvygrass plants well developed though as yet no sign of flowers. Continuing down the Langbrook stream I was surprised to see a Buzzard fly up into the trees on the ridge between the stream and the Langstone Technology Park site (first time I have ever seen one here). A little further down stream what may have been a Stock Dove was singing from a bare branch - the sound was the "Oo - Oo - Oo" with slight pauses between each "Oo" rathet than the continuous rippling "OoAaOoAaOo" (not a very good transcription) which I also heard later this morning. I'm pretty sure that the first bird was a genuine Stock Dove and the second was a Feral Pigeon but I did not have good enough views of either to check their plumage.

Nearing the track into the Langstone Dairy Farm (as was) I diverted into the wild area beside the stream where one of the large old Willows has split and fallen but its banches have not covered the main part of the Giant Butterbur site and I was able to find at least three well deveoped plants, one of them with its leaves starting to part at the tip showing the unopen white flowers within.

Nothing much to see as I crossed the South Moors (one of three small flocks of Long-tailed Tits of the morning was my only note) but as I was about to climb Budd's Mound I heard a distinctive quiet note in the Blackthorn Hedge behind me and looked round to get a brief view of a male Bullfinch - my first of the year.

On the pools there were plenty of ducks - 70+ Teal, around 20 Shoveler and at least a dozen Gadwall with a good number of Mallard and Tufted Duck but no Pochard. While scanning the pools all the gulls on the filter tanks north of the pools suddenly rose into the air and many of the ducks swam out from the edges into deep water (where they could dive to evade aerial attack) as the Buzzard which I had seen earlier flew over heading west. Before reaching the open harbour the Buzzard turned north into the wind and momentarily hovered (only for three or four wing beats but a distinct hover, probably checking out something on the ground below)

Along the South Moors shore with the tide high I put up the expected Rock Pipit and at the mouth of the Langbrook I found a sign of spring - a flotilla of 20 Mergansers which I assume had started to join into a large group for company on their forthcoming flight east and north. Another sign was seen by the Lymbourne stream passing Wade Court - a female Grey Wagtail fully dressed in her colourful breeding plumage (no black bib which the male would have).

A little further upstream a single Leser Celandine flower stood boldly by the stream and passing Lower Grove Road I heard both Greenfinch and Song Thrush song

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Great Crested Grebe: The flock on the sea off Southbourne (Bournemouth) had increased to 332 birds (thought to be a new Dorset record) on Jan 27 and there has also been a noticeable increase in the Rye Bay flock which was estimated to have 600 birds on Jan 24 (last year the peak count there was an estimated 700 on Jan 4 with a further 2300 off the Kent coast east of Dungeness on Jan 27 when there were 3615 off the Dutch coast)

Slavonian Grebe: On Jan 25 Dorset had at least 10 with 5 at Abbotsbury, 3 more off Chesil and 2 at Studland. On Jan 24 Hampshire had 4 off Lymington and at least one in the Hayling Bay/Sandy Point area. In Sussex the only reports were of 2 off Pagham Harbour and one at Rye Harbour (Scotney) while Kent reported 3 at Dungeness RSPB on Jan 27

Black-necked Grebe: The Langstone Harbour flock was reported to have 22 birds on Jan 24 with a single seen from Hayling Island in the mouth of Chichester Harbour (two were seen from the Sussex side on Jan 26) and Hampshire still has another lone bird in Southampton Water. Dorset had a surprising 12 in Portland Harbour on Jan 24 with another 7 in the Studland Bay area on Jan 25. Kent had 3 at the Dungeness RSPB site on Jan 27 with another on the Sussex border at Scotney.

Fulmar: On Jan 24 several were cruising along the cliffs where they will nest near Seaford while one was checking out the houses at the back of the town (last year one was prospecting the houses in Shoreham during June but I don't think Sussex yet has proof of rooftop nesting). On Jan 25 hlaf a dozen birds where hanging around the Gore Cliff/St Catherine's Point area on the Isle of Wight.

Bittern: Duncton Mill Pond (west of Pulborough) definitely had 4 (and probably 5) present on Jan 27 when one was seen to land in reeds at Hook/Warsash. The Ivy Lake bird at Chichester was still there on Jan 24 and on Jan 25 one was seen at Bembridge Ponds on the IoW.

Little Egret: Although John Clark does not give a date he implies (in a message on Jan 26) that at least 46 birds are currently using the inland roost at Arlebury Lake at Alresford

Spoonbill: 9 were in Poole Harbour on Jan 24

Bewick's Swan: The number at Slimbridge has not increased (max 290 on Jan 24) but a few more have turned up in southern England - at the Blashford Lakes the 10 which have been present for some time had increased to 14 on Jan 27 while the number in the Arun valley continues to increase (21 on Jan 21, 24 on Jan 23, 26 on Jan 25 and 28 on Jan 27). On Jan 24 there were 78 in the Scotney Court area near Rye and on Jan 27 there were at least 60 on the Walland Marshes

Barnacle Goose: In view of recent reports indicating a small influx of these into southern England I was surprised to hear no news of them on the Isle of Wight but on Jan 25 Derek Hale reported an estimated 130 flying over the Hersey Nature Reserve on the island. Back in 2004 and 2005 there were reports of around 300 making excursions around the north east corner of the island from their base at the Flamingo Park site. In Jan 2006 the max number was 250 and on Feb 1 2007 only 150 were seen, decreasing to 120 in 2008. None were reported in 2009 and the current report of around 130 does seem to confirm an ongoing decline in the size of this flock. Although they are free flying they have never attempted to travel more than a mile or so from their home base (and source of food!)

Brent: A trickle of eastward movment continues with a report of 60 passing Dungeness on Jan 24. These birds may well have been among the 200+ reported on Jan 24 as flying east past Seaford in the past three days.

Pale-bellied Brent: On Jan 24 two Pale-bellied birds were seen both at the Hayling Oysterbeds and at Farlington Marshes but I suspect these were the same birds feeding in the Oysterbeds area and then flying to Farlington Marshes when the tide was unsuitable for getting marine weed. They have been seen at both sites on several days this week. Down in Dorset the flock in the Ferrybridge (Weymouth) area numbered 15 on Jan 24 (there were 20 there on Jan 3 and 17 on Jan 19)

Red-breasted Goose: Separate individuals were in both Essex and Devon on Jan 24 and 25, disproving my guess that the Devon bird had moved to Essex. On Jan 26 only the Essex bird was reported

Shoveler: On Jan 25 I don't recall seeing any on the Budds Farm Pools but several pairs were in the shoreline pools along the South Moors shore with the tide low (and at the mouth of the Langbrook stream three pairs of Gadwall were on the sea) - maybe an indication of the birds getting restive and thinking of moving off, alternatively a sign that food in the Budds Pools was becoming exhausted.

Scaup: Several birds at still at sites where they have been seen recently but on Jan 24 there was an unusual report of 10 on the sea of Rye Bay off Pett Level

Velvet Scoter: The Langstone Harbour bird was still to be seen off the Hayling Oysterbeds on Jan 27 when three more were off Titchfield Haven

Smew: On Jan 27 Matt Eade and Dick Gilmore visited several sites in the Rye Bay area and Matt's account on the SOS website includes the statement .. "During the day at Dungeness highlights included a total of 27 Smew" If this is correct I am surprised that no one else has commented on such a high number. Here in Hampshire one was seen at Titchfield Haven on Jan 23 and one in the Ibsley area near Ringwood on Jan 24.

Goosander: On Dec 31 John Clark counted 102 in the night roost at the Blashford Lakes and on Jan 17 he managed to count 98 there. On Jan 27 Bob Chapman started to count them and found more than 98 - Bob says .. "There would have been more but I was interupted in the count by an idiot wandering around on the western shore flushing all the dabbling duck."

Marsh Harrier: On Jan 26 a female flew east over the Thorney Great Deeps and was later seen still going east over the Fishbourne Channel near Chichester - could this be the bird that has been a regular sight in Langstone Harbour but which is now answering the call of spring?

Woodcock: One seems to have been present at Sandy Point on Hayling from Jan 22 to 27 at least

Green Sandpiper: On Dec 22 three of these birds flew west over my garden and the next day I encountered one flying noisily over the Langstone South Moors - possibly it has remained there since then as I saw and heard one again there on Jan 25

Common Sandpiper: I also saw one of these on Jan 25 - it was in the mouth of the Brockhampton stream on the east side of the Bedhampton Gravel Quay

Common Gull: Also on Jan 25 there seemed to be a lot more of these on the Langstone shore, maybe suggesting that they are starting to move east

Kittiwake: More than 200 were back around their nesting cliffs in the Seaford area on Jan 24

Sandwich Tern: Four were seen off Selsey Bill on Jan 25 and three were off East Head in Chichester Harbour on Jan 26

Auks: On Jan 23 Durlston reported more than 3,000 passing on their way east with more seen going the same way off Newhaven on Jan 24. On Jan 25 Portland reported 10,000+ on the sea there and there have been further daily reports of many along the south coast, maybe feeding or maybe heading east and north to breed

Kingfisher: One was at its regular perch by the second bridge over the Brockhampton stream on Jan 25

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker: February is said to be the best time to detect these birds when they become vocal but there have already been two reports of them in Sussex - one was seen near Crawley on Jan 19 and another was near Robin Pepper's Scobell's Farm (near Lewes) on Jan 24

Woodlark: A sign of spring in the Hursley (Winchester) area on Jan 24 was the first Woodlark song that I have seen reported

Fieldfare: Still plenty around - 229 were seen in the Bathingbourne area of the IoW on Jan 25 and more than 250 were near Tundry Pond (west of Fleet in north Hampshire) on Jan 26 (with a similar number of Redwing)

Song Thrush: I heard my first song from one in the Langstone area on Jan 23 after others had been heard at Pett Level on Jan 17, in Emsworth on Jan 18 and Hove on Jan 19

Mistle Thrush: I saw my first for the year in the Langstone area on Jan 25 after one was seen at Portland on Jan 24 - maybe some are returning to breed here? (Two more were seen at Barton on Sea on Jan 27)

Dartford Warbler: Four reports of them in different places on Jan 24 and a fifth on Jan 26 indicate that the cold snap has not been a total disaster for the species (in some inland areas it is thought that as many as 50% may have succumbed to the cold)

Firecrest: Three came to roost at Sandy Point on Hayling on both Jan 25 and 27

Long-tailed Tit: A pair were seen collecting nest material on Portsdown on Jan 25 and the species can be seen daily throughout the Havant area

Siskin: A flock of around 100 was in the Rownhams area north west of Southampton on Jan 26

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The first sighting of a Peacock butterfly for the year came in the Lewes area of Sussex on Jan 24 (almost certainly one un-naturally disturbed from hibernation)

The first Mottled Grey moth of the year was seen at Portland on Jan 23 and the first Mottled Umber was found in the Rye area on Jan 24

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A single Early Dog Violet flower was out in my Havant garden on Jan 26 and seems to be the first for the year.

At Nore Barn west of Emsworth the Blackthorn bushes which had flowers before Christmas still had three flowers on Jan 27

The first fresh leaves were sprouting on young Elder bushes at Budds Farm on Jan 25

Frog: Despite last week's news from the Rye area that both Frogs and Newts had survived the cold weather under the ice of frozen ponds I hear that some Frogs and Newts were found dead in ponds on Portsdown Hill during the week ending Jan 24 though at least one Frog was found alive

Fungi: Another find of Jew's Ear on dead Elder in Havant on Jan 25 - frost usually seems to bring out Velvet Shank but I have heard no reports of it recently

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This afternoon I walked through Havant to the mouth of the Hermitage Stream and back along the shore to Langstone, adding Common Sandpiper and Mistle Thrush to my personal yearlist which now stands at a paltry 81 species.

The Sandpiper was in the Brockhampton Stream which runs up the east side of the Bedhampton Gravel Quay, between it and Budds Farm, and further up that stream I disturbed a Kingfisher from its usual resting/fishing perch by the bridge below the old Corn Dock. Also seen here were the first new leaves sprouting on recently planted Elder bushes within the Budds Farm fenceline.

Climbing Budds Mound I found nothing unusal on the pools but was surprised to see that someone (Havant Borough) had cut through the bank you have in the past had to climb to reach the viewpoint over the pools - this reminded me that sometime last year (or was it the year before!) Jason Crook told me that the Borough were proposing to clear this viewpoint area and provide seats - no doubt as we near the end of the financial year some budget has a little money left which must be spent before the end of March.

Coming down from the mound I walked up Southmoor Lane to the entrance to the path across the Moors in order to check for any signs of flowering on the Cherry Plum trees (none so far!) and to confirm that the Goat Willow overhanging the entrance to the path still has flowering Pussy Paws (it has). Here I found someone had set up a bird feeding station - a small table heaped with birdseed alongside what might have been a small plastic dish of fat - no sign that any birds had taken any interest in this generous offer.

Heading west along the South Moors shore I found three or four pairs of Shoveler in the shoreline pools with at least three pairs of Gadwall among the Wigeon on the harbour water at the mouth of the Langbrook stream. Another odd sight at the mouth of the stream was a single female Chaffinch perched motionless on the top of one of the Blackthorn bushes close to the path where it turns to follow the stream inland - my impression was that this bird was near its last gasp - too exhausted to fly any further or to get away from my close presence.

Nearing the bridge into Mill Lane a Green Sandpiper flew noisily overhead having presumably got up from the small stream feeding the Tamarisk Pool within the Moors. Along Mill Lane I found a flower on the Butchers Broom at the entrance to West Mill and later a single head of Ivy blossom showing fresh anthers. Just after crossing the new section of cycleway the leaf rosette of one of the Bee Orchids was showing well beside the path - probably the same plant that John Goodspeed noted back on Nov 20.

On Langstone Pond the pair of Swans still had their three remaining cygnets with them, but maybe not for much longer as the male bird had its wings arched in the 'busking' position and was making efforts to drive off one of the cygnets (so far nothing violent but enough to show the youngster was not wanted)

Crossing the field north of Wade Court I paused to scan the pony fields and spotted a Song Thrush - maybe the one that was singing so strongly last Saturday - and near it was my first Mistle Thrush of the year quietly hopping across the ground.

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This afternoon I cycled round north Hayling via the Oysterbeds, Daw Lane and Northney in dull weather.

Before crossing the bridge I stopped by the Lymbourne stream and added two songsters to my personal list - first was a Song Thrush in full blast (it was still at it when I came back more than an hour later) and the second was what was hopefully a Stock Dove though I am never certain of how to distinguish Stock Dove from Feral Pigeon (and while I see Feral Pigeons daily I still do not have Stock Dove on my year list though they are usually present in the Langstone area in winter). Two other songsters heard today (in addition to those that are now heard daily) were Wren (singing more vehemently than usual this morning) and Greenfinch (not yet in full song but practising its trills)

Not a single Brent Goose seen anywhere until I had been at the Oysterbeds for some time (when two flew by) but as the tide began to drop small groups of around 20 birds started to appear on the water to nibble weed and prepare to spend the night in the safety of the harbour water - I must have seen over 100 before I got home.

The new item at the Oysterbeds was a flock of 26 Shelduck on the bund walls but there was little else of interest (plenty of Oystercatcher and Grey Plover sitting out the tide on the bar across the mouth of Stoke Lake and quite a few Merganser and Goldeneye in the harbour with maybe some distant Black-necked Grebe (not ticked!).

The only other birds noted were a collection of more than 20 Pheasants in the field north of Daw Lane which was looking very desolate today as the two long lines of tall Poplars (which have stood there as long as I can remember and were presumably planted as wind breaks for the orchards and other fruit crops once grown there by Stoke Fruit Farm) have all been felled. The desolation made me think that a building development was about to start but I have heard nothing of that threat and must assume that the Fruit Farm are trying to reclaim the field for some arable use.

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The rain had eased a bit when I set out but my walk was through a countryside that was clearly unable to cope with any more water. The Billy Trail north of East Street has been totally covered with flood water for a couple of days but today there was a similar flood under the A27 bridge and the field south of Wade Court had become a huge lake with the southern end of Wade Lane turned into a stream. The old railway sleepers defending the Wade Farm fields against the sea were gushing with water coming out through every crack and I am pretty sure the Lavant stream starting at Old Idsworth Church and coming down via Finchdean and the Rowlands Castle end of Stansted Forest will be in full flow.

With the rain the temperature has risen a little, bringing Creeping Buttercup and Lesser Celandine into flower again by the Billy Trail as well as reviving the Winter Heliotrope flowers which had wilted in the frost. At least one flower was seen on the Butchers Broom outside the southern gateway into Wade Court.

At Langstone Pond the hint of spring had brought the Swans back to defend their nest site (though they still had three cygnets with them).

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While having lunch a flash of brown made me get my binoculars out and scan the far end of the garden - there in our Hazel tree was a juvenile Sparrowhawk, a new tick for my year list. I did not see it attempt any kill but guess it was resting after a failed attempt. After some time it raised its tail and defecated (it must have had some food in its belly!) before speeding off to try its luck elsewhere.

Also today I cycled to Nore Barn in the hope of seeing the Spotted Redshank but the tide was at its lowest and the only bird in the Maisemore Stream (while it seemed to have extra long orange red legs) did not have the pale neck and face of a Spotted Redshank (nor did it call or fly) so I had to write it off as the Common Redshank which I saw here last time I passed the stream.

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Great Crested Grebe: Even in this cold weather these do not all move to the sea - on Jan 19 Lee Evans found more than 110 on Stewartby Lake between Bedford and Milton Keynes

Black-necked Grebe: A Sussex birder visiting the Hayling Oysterbeds on Jan 17 found 22 of these (and a Sandwich Tern) in Langstone Harbour (previous high count for Langstone Harbour was 20 on Jan 14). Lee Evans reports a flock of 24 on the north London reservoirs in the Lee Valley (Chingford area)

Bittern: As many as 8 were thought to be present in the Kent Stour valley on Jan 17 and this week there have been reports of three at Burton Mill Pond (west of Pulbroough), at least three in Poole Harbour, two each at Rye Harbour and Slimbridge with singles at Chichester, Radipole (Weymouth) and at Sandwich Bay

Great White Egret: Some people are convinced that there are three of these in the Blashford Lakes area near Ringwood as they have seen two birds (neither of which are ringed according to them) while others insist that there is still one ringed bird in the area (though the ring is difficult to detect). There are also two present at Pitsford reservoir near Northampton with singles at Folkestone, Sandwich Bay and Pymoor in Cambridgeshire

Bewick's Swan: A full count of all the birds at Slimbridge on Jan 18 only found 303 Bewick's (there had been 315 on Jan 15) and there are probably still more than 50 in Norfolk but no other site is currently reporting more than the 34 at Pulborough (Jan 18). The Ringwood area still has 10 and two other sites have a few 'casuals' - locally two were seen on the water of Fishbourn Channel at Chichester on Jan 17 when East Holme near Dorchester had 5.

Whitefront Goose: Slimbridge had 257 on Jan 18 and there were probably over 200 in Norfolk this week but just across the Channel at Margarethapolder in Holland there were 4530 with another 1815 at De Horde (Lopik) in the Netherlands

Cackling Canada Goose: The single half size 'minima' bird was at Titchfield Haven on Jan 17 but there is no further mention of the extremely leucistic 'white' bird this week

Barnacle Goose: It would seem that some of the many continental birds have come across the Channel in the cold weather but the odd group of six seen flying over south Hampshire, and the flock of 47 now at Rodden Hive on The Fleet near Weymouth, are hardly in the same league as the 15273 birds at IJmeerdijk, Almere in the Netherlands on Jan 19

Brent Goose: It would seem that the recent 'disappearance' of Brent from the Solent Harbour tidelines does not mean that they have moved far - just that they have congregated in larger than usual flocks on those fields where they can find something to eat. On Jan 17 there were 2000 near the Pagham North Walls (presumably on grass) with another 550 more surprisingly on arable fields at Warblington Farm (where I saw a similar flock back on Nov 27). In previous winters the Brent have only been found on the western grass fields of Warblington Farm (between the Farm and Pook Lane) but this winter, well before the cold snap, they were spurning those meadows and were all on the eastern arable fields which appeared to have been sown with a 'sacrificial' cereal crop specifically to feed them.

Red-crested Pochard: These (still presumed to be cold weather exiles from the flock of over 200 on the Cotswold Wildfowl Park waters) are still appearing at new sites. In the Chichester area two pairs were seen on the Westhampnett Lake on Jan 18 and that same day the same birds (or two more pairs) appeared on Pagham Lagoon. Elsewhere there have been 5 on Paxton Pits north of Bedford and 16 on the nearby Grafham Water with 27 at Elstow (southen fringe of Bedford itself)

Pochard: On Jan 17 Grafham Water in Bedforedshire had 526 and on Jan 18 Slimbridge had 451

Ring-necked Duck: A drake was still at Porth reservoir near Newquay in Cornwall on Jan 19 - it has been there since Jan 1 at least

Tufted Duck: There were 44 on the Emsworth ponds on Jan 18 (when Slimbridge had 552 and Grafham Water had 2242)

Scaup: Pagham Lagoon still had its 'sleeping beauty' on Jn 18 when there was a newcomer in East Sussex at the mouth of the Cuckmere and Abbotsbury had in increased count of 14. (Scaup, like Pochard, tend to sleep all day and then wake up to feed at night)

Long-tailed Duck: The Langstone Harbour pair were seen again on Jan 17. Elsewhere that day there was one in the south of Poole Harbour and one at Helston in Cornwall

Goldeneye: On Jan 17 Grafham Water had 102 (plus 2 Velvet Scoter) while locally seven were seen around Farlington Marshes and on Jan 18 the smart males of two pairs were displaying off the Broadmarsh slipway

Smew: On Jan 18 the single male was still at Chichester (now on Runcton Lake near the scrapyard) and on Jan 17 there were 4 at Rye Harbour, 3 at Paxton Pits in Beds, 2 on the nearby Grafham Water and one at the Blashford Lakes

Goosander: There were 98 at the Blashford Lakes on Jan 17 (the highest count so far this year but just below the 102 counted on Dec 31

Golden Pheasant: Four were seen on Furzey Island in Poole Harbour on Jan 17. Not sure if there is a regular population still hanging on there but the species seems to have vanished from the rest of southern England. The only record I picked up last year was of 'an apparent female' with Common Pheasants at Warnham (Horsham) on Oct 26 though in 2008 there was 'a smart male' at Arlington reservoir in East Sussex from Apr 11 to May 4, then up to seven on Brownsea Island in Poole Harbour at the beginning of December followed by a sighting of a female and a hearing of two more in Ampfield Woods near Romsey on Dec 24 and 29

Avocet: On Jan 17 the count at Farlington Marshes was up to 32 with 17 on Pagham Harbour, 6 in Christchurch Harbour and singles at Lymington and Titchfield (no mention of any in the Nutbourne/Thorney Channel since Jan 1 when 15 were seen from Chidham)

Little Stint: The single bird was still at the Fishbourne Channel near Chichester on Jan 17

Ruff: 10 were seen in the Avon Causeway area of the Avon Valley on Jan 17

Black-tailed Godwit: On Jan 17 there were around 750 at the Pagham North Walls area and 'several hundred' still at Titchfield Haven (where 496 had arrived on Jan 16). The only other current report is of some 40 in the Lymington area on Jan 19

Whimbrel: One still in the Fishbourne Channel at Chichester on Jan 17

Black-headed Gull: One seen at Broadmarsh in Langstone Harbour on Jan 18 had a more or less complete 'black head'

Iceland Gull: The only reports I have seen so far this year have been from Cornwall - single birds seen on Jan 1 and 18

Sandwich Tern: On Jan 16 a wintering bird was off Sandwich Bay and on Jan 17 one was seen from the Hayling Oysterbeds (no mention of birds in Chichester Harbour since there were three seen from Back Point, Hayling, on Jan 3)

Barn Owl: Sadly two of these were found dead in the Pulborough/Amberley area on Jan 17

Skylark: On Jan 16 a Hoslist message from Hilary Cornford told of a conversation between her husband and the farmer at what she names as Lower Brownwich farm just west of Titchfield Haven (not sure if this is Brownwich Farm, Little Brownwich or Lower Posbrook Farm). The farmer spoke of .. "the enormous influx of Skylarks over the cold and snowy weather this week. Apparently someone had counted between 8 and 10 thousand coming along the coast. They landed at dusk on his field of purple sprouting broccoli and roosted underneath the broccoli heads. He said they were very vocal the whole night long. In the morning they fed on the heads of the plants, in the end leaving the whole field just a patch of stalks. The worst bit was that also in the morning he estimated between 400 and 500 had died of cold or starvation and the place was then alive with buzzards and kestrels and another large brown raptor that he couldn't identify."

Blackbird: On Jan 16 Brian Fellows heard one singing in the late afternoon in a west Emsworth garden and on Jan 19 John Chapman, living in Langstone village, wrote on Hoslist .. "Over the last three days a dawn chorus has started in my garden. Given the exposed location I don't get many (singing) species, but Goldfinch, Blackbird and Dunnock have all suddenly burst into song, and the Robin is now sounding spring-like." Song Thrush has also been reported singing recently - at Pett (Rye Bay) on Jan 17 and in Emsworth on Jan 18. I have not heard either Blackbird or Song Thrush yet but Dunnock are now frequently heard around Havant.

Blackcap: Many garden bird watchers tell us of the various foods they use to attract birds to their feeders but I was amused on Jan 17 to hear of a new food item being enjoyed by a 'high class' Blackcap at Bexhill - white grapes. Maybe I read more into this than was intended (the grapes may well have been bought and put on a bird table) but I enjoyed the image of the Blackcap coming into a warm conservatory in which the grapes were still on the vine.

Goldcrest: These seem to have become very scarce this winter (certainly there have been more reports of Firecrest than Goldcrest) but on Jan 17 David Holland found 7 in Southampton and in the Pett area (Rye Bay) one was heard singing that day. The first Nutchatch song was also reported from the Pett area.

Chaffinch: Some had been heard singing in the snow on Jan 11 in the Seaford area and now (Jan 17) Durlston reports that they are starting to sing there

Snow Bunting: On Jan 19 there was still a flock of 20 in the Reculver area of north Kent with a single still present at Dungeness but more surprisingly one was seen at Poole Port on Jan 17

Corn Bunting: The huge flock of around 700 birds which had been reported at Stotfold in Bedfordshire on Jan 4 was still there on Jan 19. Stotfold is north of Lechworth and south of Biggleswade (on the A507 just west of its junction with the A1)

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Butterflies: Just one Brimstone was seen flying in the Alresford area near Winchester on Jan 17 to be the first butterfly of the year. Last year there had been five reports of Red Admirals on the wing by Jan 18 - this year none.

Moths: The first Pale Brindled Beauty was on the wing in Sussex by Jan 17 and the first report of The Chestnut came from Thanet in Kent on Jan 16. Both Satellite and Winter Moth were reported again this week

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The only new flower found this week was Alder - on Jan 19 its catkins were open on a tree at the entrance to the Prince George Street carpark in Havant close to the canalised Lavant Stream running under the town from here until it re-appears beside Havant Park. Another flower which I first recorded on Jan 19, was Intermediate Periwinkle in the old Havant Farm hedge now bounding the Havant Health Centre, but that had been flowering in December and is not the first of the year. A surprise find on Jan 18, still persisting after the cold weather, were the deep crimson flowers of Water Figwort in the Hermitage Stream at Bedhampton. Another flower which has been flowering unseen in Pook Lane since December but recorded by me on Jan 21, is Dog's Mercury which brings my January flower list to 31 species.

Common Seal: On Jan 17 one was in the south of Southampton Water and two were close to the North Walls of Pagham Harbour where I have not heard of them being seen in the past

Marsh Frog: Several torpid Marsh Frogs were seen in the Dungeness area on Jan 14 showing that they had not succumbed to the cold

Newts: These too had survived the cold (they are able to live happily in water at the bottom of ponds which are frozen over - at least for a short time). Both Common and Palmate Newts were found alive on Jan 16 in ponds in the Rye/Dungeness area which have been frozen.

Pipe Fish: The Durlston website reported on Jan 16 that visitors to the reserve had found a live Pipefish on the cliff path and had returned it to the sea - presumably it had been taken from the sea by a bird but then dropped on the path. This pipefish was not identified as to species but if you want to see the candidates that can be found in British waters have a look at http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Pipefish.htm - among lots of other interesting info on that webpage there is an account of gulls diving for and bringing up pipefish (as seems to have happened at Durlston). I also learnt that male Pipefish (like Sea-horses) act as surrogate mothers for their offspring

Fungi: A lot of fresh Jelly Ear (Jew's Ear) in Pook Lane at Warblington on Jan 21

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Today's sunshine persuaded me to take a break from my Weekly Summary so after lunch I cycled down the Billy Trail to Langstone (finding two fresh flower buds on the Lesser Celandine flowers by the Lymbourne stream) and along the South Moors shore to Budds Farm.

A single Turnstone was the only notable sight at the mouth of the Langbrook stream and the lone Rock Pipit was still on the tidewrack of the shore going west. At Budds Farm Pools I found the water level low (maybe in anticipation of excessive snow melt runoff through the sewage works) and this may have been the reason for the total absence of Little Grebes though other wildfowl were still present in fair numbers.

A surprise here was the sight of a Buzzard tearing flesh (?) from something on the grass north of the pools - when I first saw it a ring of five Magpies were around it at a safe distance, hoping for their share.

The only other things noted on my way home were the growing leaves of Danish Scurvygrass beside the main road into Havant and a single flower on the Yellow-flowered Strawberry patch in Juniper Square

(Link to previous day’s entry)

(Skip to Insects)

Great Crested Grebe: Flocks on the sea continue to increase - on Jan 11 there were 232 off the Brownwich Cliffs west of Titchfield Haven and 110 off Weston Shore near the mouth of Southampton Water (these two counts may be different views of the same flock). Also on Jan 11 there were 450 off Dungeness (which again may or may not include the 324 in Rye Bay off Pett on Jan 7. Other large flocks on the south coast are that off Bournemouth which numbered 250 on Jan 2 and one off Worthing which had 287 birds on Jan 4

Slavonian Grebe: On Jan 9 there were 7 off Lymington and Jason Crook reported 3 in Langstone Harbour. On Jan 2 more than 5 were reported off Pagham Harbour but this 'flock' has not been reported again so far.

Black-necked Grebe: The Langstone Harbour flock numbered 20 on Jan 4 and still had the same number (seen from the Oysterbeds) on Jan 10

Bittern: One made a brief stop at Farlington Marshes on Jan 8 but flew on west. Currently one or more can be seen at Dungeness RSPB, Rye Harbour (at least 4 present on Jan 12), Duncton Pond west of Pulborough, Arundel Wildfowl Trust (last report on Jan 5), Ivy Lake at Chichester (last report on Jan 5), Titchfield Haven (last report on Jan 4), Lepe Country Park (second hand report on Jan 10), Blashford Lakes at Ringwood, Avon Causeway area, Poole Harbour (two there on Jan 10), Christchurch Harbour (three passing on Jan 10), Weymouth area (one each at Radipole and Lodmoor). On Jan 1 there were reports from Woolmer Pond in east Hampshire and from the Lymington Marshes but neither of these has been reported again. Elsewhere in Britain Lee Evans tells us of five at Brogborough (south of Bedford), and three at Graham Water (north of Bedford)

Great White Egret: One flew over the Southampton area on Jan 10 and another was seen that day at Radipole (Weymouth)

Mandarin: The drake which appeared on Sinah gravel pit lake (south Hayling) on Jan 9 was still there on Jan 12

Wood Duck: One seen at Lepe Country Park near Calshot on Jan 10

Green Winged Teal: The bird which was first seen on the Budds Farm pools at Havant on Jan 9 was still to be seen in Langstone Harbour (off the Oysterbeds) on Jan 11

Red Crested Pochard: Lee Evans tells us that there were 230 of these at the Cotswold Water Park (at Burford in Oxon) in December but only 42 were still there on Jan 11. It seems fairly certain that dispersal of these birds trying to escape the ice on their water accounts for most of the numerous recent reports of them at other sites (such as the four which appeared in Langstone Harbour on Jan 7 and the six at the Blashford Lakes on Jan 10)

Scaup: Abbotsbury in Dorset seems to be a favourite winter destination for this species and 14 were there on Jan 11. Just one was seen in the south of Southampton Water on Jan 11 and 12

Ferruginous Duck hybrid: On Jan 4 Andy Johnson reported the presence of two (male and female) 'Fudge Ducks' (i.e. hybrids between Ferruginous and Pochard) on the south Hayling Sinah gravel pit lake but when Simon Wright was there on Jan 12 he saw a single 'Aythya hybrid' which he said was not the usual Fudge Duck.

Eider: Nine flew west past Selsey Bill on Jan 10, possibly an indication that numbers in the Solent are likely to increase in the near future?

Long-tailed Duck: The two which have been seen occasionally in the north of Langstone Harbour since Jan 4 were still there on Jan 10 when another single bird flew west past Selsey Bill.

Smew: On Jan 9 there were at least 61 in total at several Dutch sites (including 29 at Egmond aan zee) with another 12 in England at Grafham Water (north of Bedford). On Jan 10 some of these flew on south (Dungeness had 8 going south overhead and at least two had left Grafham) but on Jan 11 there was still a pair at Rye Harbour and five which had arrived at Abbotsbury on Jan 10 were still there on Jan 11

Red-breasted Merganser: More than 60 were on the sea off the Ferring area of Worthing on Jan 10

Black-eared Kite: On Jan 9 Lee Evans reported that a single bird apparently of this species was among 420+ Red Kites being fed at the Gigrin Farm feeding station near Rhyader in Powys, Wales, and in his blog on Jan 10 he has several photos of the bird ( see Jan 10 entry in http://rarebirdsinbritain.blogspot.com/ )

Goshawk: One was seen at the Goodwood Trundle north of Chichester on Jan 10

Buzzard: Although Buzzards have been breeding in the Havant and Hayling areas for some years now Jason Crook reports two at Farlington Marshes (hunting rabbits in the snow on Jan 9) as being new to the site (as active hunters, that is)

Osprey: On Jan 10 an experienced Sussex birder (Matthew Sennitt) was at Crossbush (on the east side of the Arun floodplain where the A27 meets the A284 going south through Lyminster to Littlehampton) when he saw an Osprey flying east, following the line of the A27. I have not heard of any previous reports of Osprey wintering in England and will be very interested in any confirmation of this report.

Avocet: The peak count in Langstone Harbour so far this month is 37 though only 12 were seen on Jan 10

Knot: A large flock arrived on the mud off the Emsworth western shore on Jan 8 with more than 450 present from Jan 9 to 11. A much smaller flock arrived on the Lymington shore with 35 seen on Jan 9 and 44 counted on Jan 11

Curlew Sandpiper: The first mention of this species for the year comes from The Fleet area northwest of Weymouth where one was seen on Jan 10

Purple Sandpiper: 13 seen at Southsea Castle on Jan 11 was the highest count there so far this year

Ruff: A flock of 14 seen at Lodmoor (Weymouth) on 16 Mar 2009 was said to be the biggest flock seen in Dorset since 1994 so a count of 48 at Butterstreet Cove in The Fleet on Jan 10 this year is probably a county record

Woodcock: On Jan 11 there were two unexpected sightings in the Havant area (probably of birds newly arrived from the continent). One was seen over the Hayling Golf Course (Sinah area of south Hayling) and the other flew over Emsworth

Guillemot: On Jan 10 a total of 750 flew east past Dungeness but others are already seemingly tied to their breeding places although egg laying will not start until late April or May (last year first eggs were laid at Durlston on Apr 25). This winter the first report of birds on the Durlston cliffs came on Nov 27 and more than 250 were crowded onto the ledges by Dec 22. This week 90% of the birds there had acquired their brown breeding plumage by Jan 12.

Stock Dove: The first winter flock I have heard of in southern England was reported last week (150 birds at Pannell Valley near Rye) and now there is a further report of 23 at Weston-super-mare on Jan 10

Cockatiel: One was flying around and calling noisily at Old Alresford near Winchester on Jan 11

Barn Owl: A pair are thought to have used a nest box in the Stoke Common area of Hayling Island (immediately east of the Oysterbeds) for several years in the recent past (and often hunted the Oysterbeds on winter evenings) though I have not heard of any sightings there since Feb 2004 until now when one was seen at the Oysterbeds on Jan 10

Long-eared Owl: Following the report of one in West Wood in the Netley area south of Southampton on Jan 4 there is now a report of another roosting in the Ford area south of Arundel on Jan 9

Hoopoe: The presence of these birds in southern England during the winter is by no means unknown and it seems that the bird reported in the Brighstone area of the Isle of Wight between Oct 15 and Nov 2 (and again on Dec 18) is still there and has been seen on several days preceeding Jan 12

Woodlark: Nine new reports from southern England between Jan 10 and 12 include six in the Bridgemary area of Gosport and ten by the Adur at Shoreham on Jan 10, three reports from the Fareham/ Eastleigh area on Jan 11 with two still at Eastleigh Lakeside on Jan 12

Skylark: More than 2000 were reported from the Pagham Harbour area on Jan 10

Fieldfare: The birds which were stripping berries from trees in Havant on Jan 8 and 9 seem to have moved on west bringing news of 84 in north Portsmouth on Jan 19 and more than 1000 in the Barton on sea area by Jan 12 (though a few individual birds which have found ongoing sources of food - e.g. the apples put out for them by Brian Fellows in Emsworth - have stayed on)

Redwing: As the snow began to melt in the second half of this week these birds have been able to find food on the newly exposed ground and large numbers are still to be seen in the Havant area

Chaffinch: These normally start singing in the last week of January but, despite the snow, several had started to sing in the Seaford area near Beachy Head on Jan 11

Yellowhammer: A flock of 90 in the Beeding Hill area near the River Adur on Jan 10 was the biggest count so far this year

Corn Bunting: Also at Beeding Hill on Jan 10 was a massive flock of 400 Corn Buntings (though not competing with the estimated 700 seen in Bedfordshire on Jan )

Escapes: An Australian Shoveler was at Brooklands Lake (Worthing) on Jan 9

(Skip to Plants)

Late news for the Newhaven area (on the Sussex Butterfly Conservation site) is that on Jan 3 several Red Admiral caterpillars were still alive and feeding on nettles, most of the Large White caterpillars suriviving there have recently pupated, and a single Clouded Yellow caterpillar is still feeding on Black Medick which is still flowering.

From Portsmouth on Jan 9 I heard of a Ladybird flying around outside the windows of a tower block flat some 170 feet up. The Ladybird was encouraged in through the window but did not settle down to resume hibernation and was, after three days, allowed out to determine its own fate - it is possible that it was able to find a suitable cool and dry crevice in which to spend the rest of the winter. If anyone else finds a Ladybird disturbed from hibernation and wishes to give it a chance I suggest getting it into a match box and then placing the match box in some dry and cool outdoors location, leaving the box open just enough for the Ladybird to emerge in spring.

(Skip to Other Wildlife)

Very little to report. The only unexpected find was of a couple of flowers still open on the Blackthorn bush at Nore Barn (west end of Emsworth shore) on Jan 14. Another observation which puzzles me each winter concerns Ivy flowers. Before Christmas Ivy plants can be seen showing exposed anthers on their stamens, and in due course large black seed capsules develop. When the temperature falls below a certain point fresh flowerheads continue to expand, putting out bright yellow stamens which eventually darken and become berries but the anthers do not appear - the more I think about what is going on the more puzzled I am by the flowering/fruiting procedure of this common plant (for one thing the fruits appear to develop on the stamens!)

Weasel: John Chapman, whose house backs onto the southern section of the Billy Trail west of the main road at Langstone, saw a Weasel close to his back door when the snow was thick on Jan 10. No doubt it was driven by hunger but that observation was a good example of the wildlife that is ever present close to our homes but which we rarely see in normal circumstances. John's sighting reminded me of another such example seen further up the Billy Trail (where it passes Wade Court) in very different circumstances. It was summer time 'long ago' (well, after the railway had ceased to operate in the mid 1960s) and the council employee charged with clearing the grass beside the track was equipped with a scythe. In the grass was a defiant Stoat, determined that his grass was not to be cleared, and after the 'grim reaper' had passed I found the dead Stoat, his teeth bared in ferocious defiance of fate, lying among the mown grass. Coming up to date last night's Snowwatch TV programme reminded us of a difference between Stoats and Weasels that is not commonly known - Weasels are small and agile enough to pursue Voles through thier tunnel under the snow, Stoats are too big for this and have to operate like Foxes, seeking prey by scent and then pouncing on creatures hidden below the snow.

Muntjac: A report of this species seen by the Weir Wood reservoir on Jan 2 reminds me that this is another of those species which are now probably quite widespread in southern counties but rarely detected by the general public (though well known to those who recognise their dog-like barking).

Hare: The sighting of half a dozen Hares on the Downs above Amberley in the Arun valley on Jan 10 was more expected than last weeks report of two still hanging on at Eames Farm on Thorney Island. The Snow-watch programme also showed that the snow cannot deter nature's cycle and that the Jacks are already in constant attendance on the Jills, and will mate just as soon as they females cease to 'box' them off. The TV programme also reminded us that this is the time when Foxes mate and I am surprised not to have seen reports of the nocturnal yapping and wailing that is associated with this activity.

(Link to previous day’s entry)

The thaw is now well underway and this morning the roads were sufficiently clear for the local council to have got through to us to grit the pavements and sent a snow plough to clear our previously untreated road! How did we manage without them when the snow and ice were hazards to getting about.

Wildlife has also responded to the change in the weather - a week ago many Fieldfares and a few Redwings could be seen everywhere in Havant town centre but now (having stripped the trees of any fruit) they have disappeared though I doubt they will find anywhere to settle permanently until the snow thaws sufficiently to expose the ground of fields and wood land floors. We are now seeing the restlessness of smaller birds here in the town - yesterday a Coal Tit was a newcomer to our garden nutfeeder and this morning a small flock of Long-tailed Tits passed through my garden trees.

After lunch I set out to walk to Langstone and then along the shore to Nore Barn with the possibility of seeing the Barn Owl as I returned by the inland route around Warblington Farm.

As usual the expected birds were not seen (no Owl, no Knot and still no Spotted Redshank at Nore Barn) but I was nevertheless very pleased to add four new bird species to my yearlist bringing the total to 75 with yesterday's Coal Tit.

First addition was Firecrest, seen in brambles above the ditch alongside the Billy Trail immediately south of Grove Road and showing no wish to hide from me or to depart from the area. Also seen here was the first of many Redwing, making its distinctive quiet 'gup' call from branches high above me, and south of the A27 both Grey Wagtail and Chiffchaff were seen by the water of the Lymbourne stream. Just before reaching Langstone Mill I heard the 'Chik' of Great Spotted Woodpecker (second new species) from trees near the pond (on which the Swans were all conspicuous by their absence).

Heading east along the shore there were many Shelduck, Teal and Wigeon on the mud with the tide at its lowest but no Brent (none seen until I came in sight of Nore Barn when I found around 40 grazing in the extreme southeast field of Warblington Farm). A stranger on the shore (accompanying me from Pook Lane to the end of the raised seawall path) was a single Song Thrush behaving like a Wheatear along the sloping seawall - every time I nearly caught up with it it flitted a hundred yards ahead.

Where the main Warblington stream flows into the harbour I was lucky enough to see the handsome neck of a male Pintail (third new species) just visible as the bird swam downstream with its body hidden by the banks of the channel. Beyond this stream, and before reaching the corner of the farm where you turn north to Nore Barn, I passed a tiny flock of 8 Black-tailed Godwit with an unexpected single Ringed Plover nearby, and at the corner my fourth new bird, a female Reed Bunting, flew onto the wire fence line.

Reaching Nore Barn Wood I was very surprised to find at least two flowers still showing on the Blackthorn which Brian Fellows had discovered before Christmas, and at the small section of salting between the low earth seawall east of the wood and the Maisemore stream there was another surprise - three or four Redwing searching for food in the tideline and adjacent Sea Purslane.

A scan of the stream area for the Spotted Redshank only found the single Ringed Plover still present with a Grey Plover, a Common Redshank, and two Lapwing. Around the woods I noticed a number of Collared Doves flying into the trees and suspect there is a substantial night roost here as there has been in the past.

Heading back along the north of the woods I paused at the kissing gate into the Warblington Farm fields to search the Butcher's Broom plants for flowers until I found one, and then heading up the 'Selangor Avenue' footpath I found more flowers on the pathside Gorse, much of which had been forced down by the weight of snow and was obstructing the path - another obstacle further north was the stream of melt water overflowing the pathside ditch and at one point creating a pool whose centre was definitely above the top of my boots (I just kept dry by taking a flying leap across it)

No Barn Owl today though I had the fields in view until 16:15 but the Roman Field and the one south of it (where a pond forms under the Willow trees of the hedge) were both alive with Redwings, some bathing in the pond and others searching the drier ground for food. Also in this area a Blue Tit was repeatedly singing its 'silly laugh' song to add to the songs of Great Tit, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove and Robin heard earlier in the walk - the number of Robins heard everywhere today suggests a new influx with each bird having to establish its own territory.

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