WEEKLY SUMMARY

Leach's Petrel: A report of one at Burnham on Crouch in Somerset on May 10 was also second, not first, for the year after one was at a lake in Bedfordshire on Feb 8.

Bittern: At least two sites still have them - one was at Rye Harbour on May 7 and two were booming in the Kent Stour valley on May 10.

Squacco Heron: Seemingly a genuine first for the year was at Lanreath in Cornwall on May 8.

Cattle Egret: One was reported flying over Sandwich Bay on May 5 and was presumably seen well but a later report from Henfield on May 7 reminded me of the time when Little Egret was newcomer to England and I was watching one through a telescope when a passer by asked what I was looking at - my reply of 'Little Egret' was greeted with scorn by this gentleman of a military disposition who said it was definitely a Great White Egret of which he had seen many when serving in India... The Henfield report read .. "I was approaching the A283/A2037 roundabout at 9.00 am today when a white bird was flying parallel to the road and to my left. Were it not for the rain and poor conditions I might have considered a Barn Owl. A few weeks ago when we were in the Algarve I mentioned to my wife how similar Barn Owl and Cattle Egret seem to be in flight. That is to say both birds white/whitish, broad wings for fairly short bodies and last but not least a wingbeat frequency that must be very similar (within 10-15% of each other). Anyway, at a point when I could reasonably look at the bird without bumping into the car in front of me it was clearly a Cattle Egret. It was only 30 or so yards away and ID was 100% certain." .. To me the statement of 100% confidence is always a reason for asking for more evidence.

Mute Swan: The Langstone Pond pair seem once again to have been the first to hatch their young on May 5 but sadly this year they only produced 3 cygnets rather than their usual brood of six or more. You can seen Peter Raby's photo of them at http://www.emsworthwildlife.hampshire.org.uk/0-0-0-x779-mute-swan-cygnets-lmp-05.05.13.jpg and you can read Peter's account of their first appearance by going to http://www.emsworthwildlife.hampshire.org.uk/0-0-0-wildlife-diary.htm and using CTRL + F to search for 'Cygnets on Langstone Mill Pond' where you will find that I was wrong in my assumption (expressed in my Diary entry for May 6) that the male had not been present at the hatching to defend the cygnets against predators. In fact his being out in the harbour when I first saw the family on May 6 may have been an attempt to get his family to leave the pond (as they have done in previous years) for the greater safety of the harbour waters - family can usually be found at the mouth of the Langbrook stream where they are less eay prey for Foxes than they would be if they remained on the pond.

Greylag Goose: These are uncommon in south east Hampshire but over in north Kent five pairs were seen with a total of 25 goslings at the Oare Marshes on May 8.

Canada Goose: On May 5 a pair on Baffins Pond in Portsmouth had six goslings on show. (The first family I know of was one of 4 goslings at the Bembridge Marshes on the IoW on May 1)

Brent Goose: The latest apparent Dark-bellied migrants were a group of 8 flying east past Stokes Bay near Gosport on May 8 (when 16 flew east past Beachy Head) but I am not certain of the intentions of the group of 5 that were at the mouth of Southampton Water on May 11

Egyptian Goose: A pair at Fleet Pond in north Hampshire had 2 goslings with them on May 5.

Gadwall: On May 4 Brian Fellows passed on news that a pair had been seen flying south from the 'Ibis field' of Warblington Farm which might sound puzzling until you look at my map of the farm and see that they almost certainly came from the cress bed pond which is north of the Ibis Field (which I know as 'Field L') - see http://ralph-hollins.net/warblington.htm.

Velvet Scoter: On May 7 a flock of 15 flew past Splash Point at Seaford and on May 8 9 went past Dungeness (where 28 had been seen on May 3) making it seem that more of these birds were leaving than had been seen on our south coast in the whole winter. Totals across the channel were even higher with 127 at one Netherlands site on May 5.

Honey Buzzard: Since the first of the season was seen in Dorset on Apr 30 I have seen news of one over Folkestone on May 3 and one over Durlston on May 6. Over the Channel there have been four reports with numbers given as 2,2,8,and 13 - the last being from Belgium on May 9

Montagu's Harrier: On May 8 the RBA service gave a UK total of 3 birds already here

Osprey: Still no news from the artificial nests on the Thornham Marshes (Thorney Island) but on May 10 the SOS website carried a link to the Rutland Water Osprey site (a female Osprey which had been at Arlington reservoir last summer has recently been trying to muscle in on the nest of an established pair at Rutland) If you want to get the low down on this scandal or want general news of Ospreys go to http://www.ospreys.org.uk/a-first-time-visitor/.

Peregrine: Mobile phone users in the vicinity of Southampton University have been unable to get a signal for some three weeks because the phone mast that covers the area, and which needs repair, is on the roof of a University Building on which a pair of Peregrines are thought to be nesting and so the engineers are prevented from getting to the mast for fear of being arrested for disturbing the nest of a protected bird species. This story has now reached the national TV News and is "troubling the nation's conscience". To divert attention from this problem an alternative good news story is being 'talked up' - it seems that another pair of Peregrines, this this time based in Winchester, have become the first pair to successfully hatch young in a nest box provided for them on the roof of the Hampshire Police HQ. I'm not yet certain which party we are supposed to applaud for this success - the Peregrines for 'doing what comes naturally', the Hampshire Ornithological Society for providing the box and the publicity, or the Police for giving their permission for the box to be put up on their property - on reflection the plaudits should go to all those members of the human race who have recognized the importance of allowing the natural world to co-exist with our human world and have been prepared to co-operate to that end.

Spotted Crake: On May 9 RBA reported the first for the year had been seen "in the west Midlands"

Comon Crane: Another wanderer seen in the Pevensey Levels on May 4.

Black-winged Stilt: And another surprise was one of these in Lincolnshire on May

Stone Curlew: One by the River Frome in Dorset on May 8 was a fairly late surprise.

Dotterel: RBA gave a total of 40 in the UK on May 7 and 25 on May

Little Stint: On May 5 there were singles at Lymington and Rye Harbour but on May 10 there were two at Rye Harbour.

Temminks Stint: One at Oare Marshes in north Kent on May 8.

Curlew Sandpiper: One at Christchurch Harbour on May 7 was in partial summer plumage

Purple Sandpiper: Still 5 at Southsea Castle on May 7.

Bar-tailed Godwit: Dungeness reported 445 passing on May 6 and 365 going by on May 7.

Spotted Redshank: Still a summer plumage bird at Farlington Marshes on May 7.

Wood Sandpiper: 2 at the Oare Marshes on May 7 and 1 in Devon on May 8 when there was a total of 34 in the Netherlands.

Terek Sandpiper: First of the year in the Netherlands on May 7.

Spotted Sandpiper: One appeared at Wadebridge in Cornwall on May 10.

Pomarine Skua: Selsey had one on May 5 and two on May 9 but 378 went by the west coast route on May 10 (peak count for the Channel route was 11 at Dungeness on May 7).

Arctic Skua: Highest count was 59 passing Dungeness on May 5.

Long-tailed Skua: None seen in the Channel so far this year but a count of 30 taking the west coast rout north on May 10 is worth a mention.

Great Skua (Bonxie): Highest counts this week were of 21 off Dungeness on May 4 and another 21 off Portland on May 9.

Bonaparte's Gull: One has been around the Exe estuary in Devon from May 3 to 11.

Roseate Tern: First of the year was seen on May 5, maybe just one bird but it was reported at six places from Devon to Dungeness (as two were seen passing Beachy Head it was not just one!). By May 11 more than 8 were being seen around the Exe estuary.

Common Tern: A big surge of these through the Channel on May 5 with counts of 2000 at Selsey, 2270 at Beachy Head and 12,500 'Commics' at Dungeness. On May 7 there were 20 over Ivy Lake at Chichester, two of them displaying.

Black Tern: 16 reports between May 5 and 8 starting with a count of 101 at Cap Gris Nez on May 5 but 10 at Dungeness that day was the highest count on this side of the Channel. By May 8 one had strayed from the coast to be seen at the Blashford Lakes.

White-winged Black Tern: May 7 brought a party of at least 11 of these through the Channel but all on the southern side.

Guillemot: Back on Apr 30 there were 1019 on the cliffs at Berry Head in Devon (with the comment that the expected number for that date was 1250) and by May 11 only 957 could be seen there. News of the colony at Durlston is also bad - only 286 birds were on the cliffs on May 1 and no eggs were laid until May 8 (two weeks behind normal schedule) and now Ravens are stealing the eggs as soon as they are left exposed. The one piece of good news to come out of this is that the Durlston Rangers daily dairy (which appeared to have vanished from cyber space and been replaced with a page featuring a modern art exhibition of lumps of wood plus a froth or Twitter) has re-appeared and can be read at http://www.durlston.co.uk/index.php?nid=119&id=156)

Black Guillemot: May 8 brought an unexpected sighting of one at Pentire in Cornwall.

Turtle Dove: Until this week I was beginning to think the Martin Down was the only place in Hampshire where these might still be found (two were heard there on Apr 21 and one was seen on May 1) but on May 6 one was found on Chalton Down (north of Rowlands Castle) and on May 8 one was in the Stokes Bay area near Gosport (probably just passing through)

Tawny Owl: At this time of year young Tawny Owls regularly indulge in the dangerous sport of 'Branching' which involves in trying to explore the world long before they can fly - as they scramble out along the branches of the tree holding their nest they often fall to the ground where they are at the mercy of Foxes, Dogs and other predators. On May 5 one fell from a tree near Lewes and was only just put back into Ivy on the tree trunk before dogs appeared on the scene. Hopefully the parent owls were nearby but they are unable to lift their young from the ground - they can however pose for photographs such as one taken at Beachy Head and on show at http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-40ZsKAOSpb8/UYj9k672qMI/AAAAAAAAx6A/T5kCKKlezAA/s400/Tawny+Owls.jpg.

Short-eared Owl: Some of these are still moving north and one, presumably resting after crossing the Channel, was at Farlington Marshes on May 5.

Nightjar: These are not often seen in gardens but on May 6 four were seen in a New Forest garden near Bransgore with the remark that they were .. "Regular visitors albeit slightly earlier than last year. Usually appear nightly for week or so."

Swift: Plenty of these appear to have arrived in England but they are only being seen at the coast on arrival or at places where there is a supply of insect food such as sewage farms or ponds. The biggest count this week was of around 500 over the Blashford Lakes near Ringwood on May 11 when Petersfield Heath Lake had around 100. So far I have only seen one report of them checking out houses in which to nest and that was of just five birds seen on May 7 at Beach Road in Selsey

Bee Eater: On May 8 RBA reported a party of 8 in Norfolk.

House Martin: As with the Swifts there seem to be plenty in England but they are only being seen where insect food is available. The last four reports I have seen were of around 400 over Slapton Ley on the south Devon coast on May 8 when another 100 were over the Eastleigh sewage farm in Hampshire, then 350 over Weir Wood reservoir in east Sussex on May 10 and some 300 over the Blashford Lakes on May 11. The only place where I have heard that three or four pairs were taking nest material into artificial nest boxes on May 7 is a house by the Hermitage Stream running through Leigh Park at Havant. I still do not have House Martin on my personal year list.

Dipper: On May 8 a pair at Truro in Cornwall already had one fledgling out ot the nest.

Spotted Flycatcher: A total of just 18 bird seems to have reached southern England to date. All reports bar one were of single birds, the exception being three at Christchurch Harbour on May 11.

Red-breasted Flycatcher: One in Shetland on May 8.

Collared Flycatcher: One in Northumberland on May 8 and one in Shetland on May 10.

Marsh Tit: A three hour search of the area around Faccombe village (north of Andover) on May 5 discover four Marsh Tits but not a single Willow Tit despite use of a tape recording of Willow Tit song. As this was the only site where Willow Tit could be found in Hampshire last year the prospects of finding any left in the county this year are small.

Golden Oriole: The twelth to be seen in England this spring was a female by the banks of the River Adur not far north of Shoreham on May 10.

Red Backed Shrike: Just two reports so far this spring - three birds in the Netherlands on May 7 and 1 in Belgium on May 8.

Woodchat Shrike: These have been in Cornwall and the Scillies since Apr 20 and this week singles have been seen at Newlyn, Coverack and The Lizard (all in Cornwall).

Jay: These continue to demonstrate an unusual spring return to Europe from southern Britain - this week the focus was on Calshot on Southampton Water where 76 were seen on May 5 and 34 on May 6.

Corn Bunting: An estimated 30 birds were seen near Cissbury Ring on the Sussex Downs on May 5.

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