It’s always good to have visitors to your patio on a Saturday night. Tonight our guest was a Lesser Stag Beetle
@hantsbirdchat.bsky.social
Let’s hear it for the Sow Thisle. Not often seen on social media😀
Beautiful Green-winged Orchids in flower in a military cemetery in Hampshire
About 20 moths came to the moth trap last night including this fellow a Lesser Swallow Prominent
On wet dog walk today I saw these Earth Stars by some Beech trees. Never seen them there before
Not a rare moth but a Clancy’s Rustic came to the light trap in the garden last night. I quite like the name whoever Clancy is or was😀
Pied Flycatcher heard calling from the Oak trees behind the house the other day. A Hampshire first for me!
First moths for the garden in July Lesser Broad Banded Yellow Underwing Common Footman Scallop Oak and Black Arches
Solstice Moth Trapping brought in Elephant Hawk Moths a Scarce Silver Lines and (not shown) a Ruby Flounced Tabby
Kingfisher, House Martin and Red Kite amongst the birds to be seen on a damp walk down the Titchfield Canal Path this afternoon
Today is the 51st day of the year when I saw my 151st bird of the year. It was a Great White Egret at Fishlake Meadows. A Cuckoo was calling, warblers singing, dragonflies whizzing about and an invasive and large Signal Crayfish in the canal. Also a great display of Chicken in the Woods fungus.
Carried out my first Nightjar survey on Wickham Common last night. No Nightjars but a good view of a ghostly Barn Owl hunting in the gloaming
We’ve been raided by Badgers. Woke up this morning to find this big hole next to the pond. Lots of bumblebees milling around so I think the Badgers were after the bee’s nest. My wife is not pleased that her plants have been dug up.😆
Completed by last BTO Breeding Bird Survey of the year up on the South Downs. Pleased to see Yellowhammer, Linnet and Skylark still hanging on in the farmland although numbers are not as they were
Had a good trip out to Bere Forest last night looking for Woodcock. I heard three fly pasts but didn’t see the birds this time. All good for the BTO Woodcock Survey
Great birds at Titchfield Haven today. The star of course was the Hudsonian Godwit that had been around for a few days along with a pair of Eider on the sea and a fly past by 5 Spoonbill. Avocets were nesting and warblers were singing
Did my final BTO Dartford Warbler survey on a sunny morning along the Solent shore near Warsash. No DWs but there were plenty of other Warblers, Stonechats, Skylarks some Common Terns and a distant Cuckoo so it was a great morning for birding.
Lovely day at the National Botanic Garden of Wales today. Lots of screaming Swifts and a Hobby nabbed one of them. First Spotted Flycatcher of the year for me.
Out on the Pembrokeshire cliffs today and a boat trip around Skomer. Great birds. Chough rafts of Puffins Guillemots and Razorbills along with Kittiwakes Shags and Grey Seals
Just finished read Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace. A fantastic book that I would encourage everyone to read but being retired does give me some time!
My first singing Cuckoo of the year this morning near Locks Heath. First in that area for me for over 25 years
Well done Canada! 🇨🇦 You elected a government headed by a grownup which is more than can be said for your near neighbour
Hooray! The Swifts are back. I saw my first one of the year as it flew high over the houses in Locks Heath
A nice bunch of Cowslips at Winnall Moors in Winchester. Garden Sedge and Reed Warblers singing. Herons geese and Mallards on the water. A Roe Deer bounced along the path away from me.
Enraged to learn of the mindless theft of equipment used for monitoring Hawfinches in the New Forest this morning. As I understand it the equipment has limited usage other than for this type of monitoring. If anyone knows anything about this please return the kit or persuade someone to do so.
Sunny walk down the Titchfield Canal Path today. Pochard Avocet and BT Godwit still about. Sedge Cetti’s and Reed Warblers singing strongly as well as Whitethroat Chiffchaff Blackcap and Chaffinch. A Roe Deer was sunning himself in a grassy patch.
An early start on a grey morning for my first BTO Breeding Bird Survey of the year on my patch in Hampshire on the South Downs. Yellowhammer Whitethroat Linnet and Skylark were the highlights
A wet dog walk along the Titchfield Canal Path this morning. Plenty of of ducks geese and Coot about. The weather didn’t stop the warblers singing (Reed Cetti’s Whitethroat Chiffchaff and Blackcap) with a migrating Tree Pipit calling as it passed by.
