Little Gull (Hydrocoloeus minutus L.) Southsea

little gull - Southsea

iPhone record shots of the single little gull seen off Southsea beach (East of South Parade Pier).

Other notable birds seen from Southsea incl. Southsea Castle: 2 x great northern diver (Gavia immer); 3 x shag (Phalacrocorax aristotelis); 11 x purple sandpiper (Calidris maritima) & 7 x sanderling (Calidris alba).

The previous day (December 15th) 4 x kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla) were noted mid Solent via the 09:00 Portsmouth / Fishbourne Car Ferry.

.. "When two become one .." a valuable lesson in gull misidentification

I have to thank Lizard Naturally for both the final content of this Blog update, and for pointing out an error in my gull identification today, which meant that I originally assumed I had one gull species, when I actually had two!

Returning to Southsea seafront this morning, I headed west past South Parade Pier and spotted a white-winged gull on the foreshore amongst other gulls, I assumed it was the same 1w Iceland Gull (Larus glaucoides) - previously reported 2nd - 10th Jan 2016 in the same area (and whom I had photographed on the 8th). I grabbed a few hasty distant record shots, before the gulls flushed and I lost sight of the bird as it flew west. I then walked to Southsea Castle, where almost immediately a 1w winter Iceland Gull flew over my head.

Returning home, I quickly posted two of the photos on WhatsApp. Later on I editted the close up picture of the Iceland gull, and posted it widely. I put the following three pictures on my Blog, and wittered on about the Iceland gull! Hurrah!

This evening I received feedback on WhatsApp, identifying the first bird as a Glaucous gull (Larus hyperboreus)!; it's large size, long neck and heavy bill, being more obvious, when the original photos are blown up and cropped. The message also confirmed my correct identification of the 1w Iceland gull, seen close in and overhead.

Only somewhat embarrassed about the original misidentification, made in haste and then skewed by the immediate finding of the second bird. I will learn by the mistake!

Glaucous gull

Iceland gull

Highlights from a day's gull watching in Southsea

1w Iceland Gull (Larus glaucoides)

1w and Ad little gull (Larus minutus)

Garden catch up - end of Summer 2015

As the weather has turned and the summer feels lost to this wind and heavy rain, I just wanted to take the opportunity to capture the garden highlights for the summer. All records new for garden [NFG].

A single male slow worm (Anguis fragilis) was present from May 12th to May 23rd. The month also produced moth records for light green apple moth (Epiphyas postvittana), and Esperia sulphurella.

June produced migrant moth sightings of Hummingbird hawk moth (Macroglossum stellatarum), and yellow shell (Camptogramma bilineata). Whilst 14 spot ladybird (Propylea 14-punctata), made a welcome change from the usual Harlequin (Harmonia axyridis) numbers seen.

In July, small skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris) was observed nectaring on red campion (Silene dioica) on the 17th, and a gatekeeper (Pyronia tithonus) arrived on the 31st.

The gatekeeper brought the garden total to 12 spp of butterfly, although an attempt to review the 2013 record of Essex skipper (in light of current learning, was inadvertently sabotaged when the original photo files were deleted by mistake!). A dodgy 12 but a solid 11 nevertheless!

August brought a confirmed record of common pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pipistrellus) when two were observed foraging along the hedge-line.

Patch birding .. Southsea seafront pt. 2

After my visit to Southsea Castle I went looking for Mediterranean gulls (Larus melanocephalus) along the sea front, finding seven individual birds: one on Southsea Common near the Cenotaph; two roosting on the beach opposite Canoe Lake; three on the beach adjacent to St George's Road, and a single bird opposite Esplanade Gardens.

Swift (Apus apus L.) hawking over Southsea sea-front

Apus apus L. (Iphone HDR setting)

Southsea Rock

Rock Pipit (Anthus petrosus)

in the garden: fairy ring toadstool

fairy-ring toadstool (Marasmius oreades)

garden 'shrooms

Consistently mesmerised by the sunflowers (Helianthus sp), I only noticed the appearance of new fungi buds in the garden this evening - and by the look of them they have been pushing through the last couple of days.

The fairy-ring toadstool (Marasmius oreades) is showing two months ahead of last year's garden record see:

http://part-timenaturalist.blogspot.com/2009/10/highlights-of-slow-wildlife-weekend.html

sunflower (Helianthus sp L.) pollination in progress

Bloomin' sunflowers (Helianthus sp L.)

(Vogel's sunflower head schemata courtesy Wikipedia)

This small crop of sunflower plants were self-seeding from the bird feeders. I am hoping they will entice the hitherto "flyover" goldfinches (Carduelis carduelis) and greenfinches (Carduelis chloris) into the garden, along with the usual suspects.

the garden grows some talons

I was late for work this morning distracted by a new garden tick which was self-evident from the explosion of woodpigeon (Columba palumbus) audible from within the house, the depression in the long grass, shattered oxeye daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare) and lost feathers that lay strewn about.

A ♀ sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) made good of several pounds of bird seed that has been fed to the local woopis over the last couple of months; the gory mess being consumed on a shed roof several gardens down. It was all very exciting.

The "long tom" was not readily available, so the compact on full zoom was responsible for the poor record shot. I am getting good at poor record shots maybe it's about time I stepped up my skills?

Fledged house sparrows and a brand new garden tick

Albeit poor record shots, a combination of both enthusiastic but rank amateur photography skills and a wet grey late afternoon. However, the cause of much excitement and poor photography on my part was the arrival of five recently fledged house sparrows (Passer domesticus) along with their parents in the back gardens.

Top picture shows 4 newly fledged + 1 ♀ ad, second picture 4 newly fledged house sparrow - the bright yellow gapes of the young visible.

A ♂ linnet (Carduelis cannabina) was a new garden tick, giving the briefest of views as it alighted on the fence before flying on and out of view.

woodpigeon (Columba palumbus) and collared dove (Streptopelia decaocto) present as usual

Admiral ahoy

The wrong side of the garden fence, but a single red admiral (Vanessa atalanta) was noted settled on brightly coloured washing, hanging out to dry next door. Not that I spend my time deliberately perusing my neighbours washing lines. I am not Arnold Layne.

Swift (Apus apus) count overhead now stands at eight.

love a dove

One of a pair of collared dove (Streptopelia decaocto) that have been feeding regularly on our neighbour's bird table over the last week or so. The birds flush at the slightest intrusion. This photo was taken from the upstairs bedroom window.

On our bird table at least one of the recently fledged blackbird (Turdus merula) now feeding independently and both ads.; and a magpie (Pica pica) or two. Overhead seven swift (Apus apus) is the highest count to date.

Holly blue (Celastrina argiolus), small white (Pieris rapae) and large white (Pieris brassicae) butterflies present throughout the day.

garden butterfly

♀ holly blue (Celastrina argiolus)

fledged and visiting a garden near me !

This morning I was thrilled to see the local resident pair of blackbird (Turdus merula) attending to their two newly fledged young across the suite of back gardens. The ad. ♂ busy collecting food and passing it to the young birds.

Overhead a pair of swift (Apus apus) who arrived whilst I was Speyside "screeled" and cut the cold blue morning sky with their sharp silouhettes.

bloody corvids !

Earlier today my next door neighbour spotted a magpie (Pica pica) squeezing out of a small ventilation hole in a roof space opposite, where we believe a pair of house sparrow (Passer domesticus) have been nesting. It does not bode well for a successful brood.

An afternoon's amphibian distraction

The small water feature in my next-door neighbour's garden is currently home to a solitary toad Bufo bufo

As it is quite a large specimen I suspect it is a ♀

garden falcon fly-over

Vis mig garden flyover in the shape of a hobby (Falco subbuteo), high and heading south-east at 13:12 Sometimes just looking up from a good book can be rewarding in itself.