WEEKLY SUMMARY

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This week I have changed my procedure for gaining information about continental bird movements. Previously I have gone to the Trektellen website and laboriously looked through the complete reports from all the sites in France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Great Britain (and occasionally other countries such as Germany and Spain), selecting what I considered to be interesting items (not necessarily those highlighted as 'exceptional' by the reporter. This week I went to the Trektellen home page and just selected 'Remarkable' (leftmost entry on the second row of options at the head of the page). This takes you to a page showing all the entries for one day, selected at the head of this page, which have been highlighted as 'unusual' by the observers. These entries have been sorted by species so you see e.g. four reports of Great White Egret from different sites, followed by reports on the next species, on the selected day (each line gives the Site name, the country it is in, the species name, and the reported count). Using this list I get most of the information I want for my summary with minimal effort though I amy miss reports of species that I would think to be of interest but which are not exceptional at the reporting site. In the near future I hope to update my Links page to show all the sites from which I get news for my summaries.

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Divers: Among other reports one Red-throated flew west off Worthing on Nov 1 and six were on the sea off Rye Harbour by Nov 5. One Great Northern was off Sandy Point (Hayling) on Nov 3, and a Black-throated was seen at Dungeness on Oct 31. Great Northern are becoming relatively common with thirteen reports this week including one in Southampton Water on Nov 8 and six in Weymouth Bay on Nov 6. buth there have only been two sightings of Black-throated - one west past Dungeness on Oct 31 and two off Jersey (Channel Isles) on Nov 4

Slavonian Grebe: There have been several reports of sinlge birds during October but early November has brought two to Wemouth Bay on Nov 4 and two to the Lymington shore on Nov 7

Bittern: More are now appearing on the south coast. The first site to have more than one was Dungeness RSPB with three on Nov 4 and on Nov 8 the Kent Stour Valley had its first winter arrival (one was booming there in June)

Cormorant: A new Dorset county record was set on Nov 2 when 687 Cormorant were counted in Poole Harbour (481 going to roost on Brownsea Island)

Bittern: Three were seen at the Dungeness RSPB site on Nov 4 (all other reports of Bittern so far this autumnhave been of single birds)

Little Egret: Our coastal birds will soon be heading inland for the winter and a report of one at Fleet Pond in north Hampshire at dusk on Nov 1 may be a first indication of this. Confusingly the report says .. "left N to roost; unusual at site." .. leaving me uncertain if the 'unusual at site' referred to the presence of the bird or the direction in which it left - I presume the former and that this was the first Egret seen there for some time (I have no reports of Egrets at this pond over the past three years).

Great White Egret: My impression that Great White Egrets are relatively common just across the English Channel is supported by Trektellen reports for Nov 1 when 12 Great White were at Hageven Lommel in Belgium with five other sites reporting counts on that day of 6, 3, 3, 1, 1 birds

Glossy Ibis: Two remained at the Dungeness RSPB site up to at least Nov 7 and two others were near the North Walls of Pagham Harbour on Oct 30 and 31. Maybe one of these was seen at Ferring Rife (behind Worthing) on Oct 31

Spoonbill: The young bird was still at Pagham Harbour on Nov 4 and 14 were based at Brownsea Island in Poole Harbour from Oct 27 to Nov 2 at least while four were in the Scillies on Nov 1

Bewick's Swan: 14 (possibly 18) of these arrived at Slimbridge on Nov 1 when they had to struggle against a strong headwind to complete their 2,600 km journey from Siberia. They were a week later than expected. Just over 50 newcomers were seen on the near continent on Nov 2 and to have continued to arrive there (15 reported on Nov 7)

Whooper Swan: These have been arriving in small numbers since the beginning of October but current news is of one satellite tracked bird arriving at Caerlaverock in Scotland on Nov 5 (just in time for the morning feed!) after completing an 800 km non-stop flight from Iceland in 14 hours (record for this trip is 11 hours)

Whitefront Goose: On Nov 5 a skein of 9 (possibly a total of 24) flew east over Christchurch Harbour heading for Hampshire but so fa no further news of them/

Canada Goose: A very leucistic bird (seemingly pure white from a distance) was seen on Nov 4 flying east over the Warsash area with 80 other Canadas, probably heading for Titchfield Haven. This bird has been at the Haven over the last two winters and is now returning for at least its third year there. What I presume was a different white bird was seen in the 5ortsmouth area during several winters in the 1990s (?)

Shelduck: Winter numbers are now building up at south coast sites to judge by a count of 57 at Newtown Harbour (IoW) on Nov 2 (highest previous count this autumn on the south coast was 38 off south east Hayling during the Oct 17 WeBS count

Pintail: Around 90 were at Pulborough Brooks on Nov 2 was also a highest count for this autumn following 53 in Langstone Harbour on Oct 4. Since then 76 dropped off at Hook/Warsash on Nov 7 but flew on west.

Scaup: Three newly arrived at Abbotsbury Swannery in Dorset on Nov 6 (up to four there last winter)

Red-breasted Merganser: 56 were in Portsmouth Harbour, seen from Gosport, on Nov 4 - this is another highest count with 26 in the south of Langstone Harbour on Oct 14 being the previous peak

Goosander: ... and another peak for this autumn was a count of 16 on the Blashford Lakes at Ringwood om Nov 1 (previous high of 12 at that site on Oct 20

Ruddy Duck: ... and another peak with 12 at the Blashford Lakes on Nov 1 (8 there on Oct 6 and 10 on Oct 31)

Honey Buzzard: The latest ever seen in Dorset was over Corfe Castle on Nov 7

Hobby: Another late bird was seen in Dorset on Nov 4

Common Crane: No more news of the young bird seen in the Isle of Wight on Oct 26 and 27 (presumably an off course migrant) but over on the continent the main autumn passage seems to have got underway on Nov 1 when 18 flew over a Belgian site, followed on Nov 2 by a count of 82 over one Dutch site and counts of 57, 21, 16 and 1 at other sites

Avocet: Three were at Farlington Marshes on Nov 2 and 4, and eleven were there on Nov 6

Lapwing: 2100 flew over one Dutch site on Nov 4 (a total of 1850 seen on Oct 28 was the previous peak movement)

Purple Sandpiper: a count of 37 in Thanet (Kent) on Nov 8 is the highest anywhere so far this winter (previous peak was 14 in Cornwall on Oct 12

Curlew Sandpiper: A late bird at Christchurch Harbour on Nov 4 was the first anywhere since Oct 26

Black-tailed Godwit: More than usual are feeding in the Emsworth area this autumn - 130 at Nore Barn on Nov 5

Green Sandpiper: The longest period when this species was not reported somewhere in the south this year was from May 6 to 27 and groups of up to 34 were seen on several dates in August so a report of two birds at Budds Farm in Havant on Nov 2 and one flying over the Hermitage Stream in Leigh Park (Havant) on Nov 4 is of local interest only but probably marks the start of regular winter sightings in the Havant area (so far no news of wintering Common Sandpipers in the Havant area)

Little Gull: 413 were off the French Normandy coast on Nov 5 and on Nov 7 two sites there reported 813 and 1250 birds (with another 637 on Nov 8)

Great Blackback Gull: 96 were seen at Sandwich Bay on Oct 16 (presumably just pausing on passage) and 45 were similarly resting in a coastal field near Worthing on Oct 20 so a flock of 99 resting on the HMS Sultan playing fields at Gosport on Nov 1 may well have been a passage flock (last year there were 42 there on Nov 9). In 2007 Rye Harbour reported 700 on Oct 27 while Christchurch Harbour had 109 on Dec 18 seeming to indicate that some of these large 'one off' gatherings are of birds remaining in the south coast area through the winter and this is supported by two isolated counts in the early months of 2007 (100+ in the Sussex Cuckmere Valley on Jan 31 and 1200 there on Feb 10 with 343 at Rye Harbour on Feb 1). No similar counts in early 2008 but this year I saw a report of 300+ in the Cuckmere Valley on Jan 25

Sandwich Tern: Five were in the Langstone Harbour entrance area on Nov 3 - wintering birds

Common Tern: One in the Hook/Warsash area on Nov 3 was presumably a late passage bird

Auk species: A mixed bag of 835 Guillemots and Razorbills was off the Brittany coast on Nov 2

Razorbill: 504 reported off Cabo Ajo (between Bibao and Santander in north Spain) on Nov 3

Stock Dove: More now being seen in southern England. 79 over Christchurch Harbour on Nov 2, 60 over Durlston on Nov 4 when 160 (presumably new in from the continent) were seen from Hastings country park. On Nov 5 Christchurch Harbour had 146 over

Wood Pigeon: 14,990 flew west over Constitution Hill in Poole on Nov 2 when Christchurch Harbour had 7300 and Portland reported 4000 (though probably many more passed over as on Nov 3 Portland did not give a count but reported many flying over at the limit of naked eye vision (around 8,000 feet or 1.5 miles up). Highest of six counts on Nov 4 was 8,000 over Portland (and 7879 over Blairgowrie in Scotland). On Nov 5 Lee Evans saw 2,500 passing over his home in Buckinghamshore and summed up our knowledge of these autumn movements, saying that the birds we see each autumn come from Fenno-Scandinavia (few if any British birds are involved) and head for Iberia and Italy. For some unknown reason they return in spring by a different route which does not take them over Britain. Since theses mid-week reports passage has increased and the highest counts have been 27300 over Christchurch on Nov 5, 29600 over Dorset on Nov 6, 26800 over the mouth of Poole Harbour on Nov 6, 22800 over Christchurch on Nov 6 and 20,000 + over Hastings on Nov 6. Here in Hampshire 10380 went over Southampton on Nov 6 and there have been other large counts across Britain including Scotland.

Swift: Two were seen over Belgium on Nov 1 when another was near Calais

Little Swift: One was calimed in Cornwall on Oct 31

Hoopoe: The bird seen near Brighstone on the Isle of Wight on Oct 15 and 16 was reported to be still there on Nov 2

Shorelark: One was on the Hayling Beach at Sandy Point on Nov 5 but soon flew east into Sussex (the only other reports from England this autumn have been one on the Isle of Wight from Aug 29 to Sep 5 and one on the Lymington Marshes on Oct 13)

Skylark: Continental birds still arriving in moderate numbers - at Sandwich Bay 120 were seen on Nov 2 and 28 were seen to fly in off the sea on Nov 3

Swallow: 12 Novermber reports this year including 7 over Portland (and 2 at Dungeness) on Nov 2, then one over Hook/Warsash on Nov 3 (another report of one there on Nov 4 - maybe someone has the wrong date?). Nov 4 saw six over Christchurch Harbour and 27 at Sandwich Bay. On Nov 5 one went west at Pagham Harbour, one was seen at Portland and three at Rye Harbour. Latest so far are two at Sandwich Bay on Nov 6 and two at the South Foreland on Nov 7

House Martin: One at Dungeness on Nov 2 and one at Cap Gris-Nez on Nov 4

Richard's Pipit: One at Langston Herring in Dorset on Nov 4

Olive Backed Pipit: One in the Scillies on Nov 1

Red-throated Pipit: One in Cornwall on Oct 28 (when another was seen in Holland) and a 'possible' at Durlston on Nov 2

Water Pipit: There have been many reports of ones and twos since the first autumn reoport on Sep 26 but a count of 24 at a Dutch site on Nov 6 seems to mark the arrival of a new wave of birds/

Yellow Wagtail: A late female at Weir Wood Reservoir near Crowborough on Nov 3 (previous latest on Oct 28 at Portland)

Bluethroat: One in the Scillies on Nov 1 (one previously this year in Dorset on Aug 15)

Black Redstart: 14 reports between Nov 1 and 4 including one back on houses at the east end of the Hayling Eastoke Promenade (a regular site close to Sandy Point) on Nov 4 and 5

Wheatear: One in the Black/Sandy Point area of Hayling on Hayling on Nov 2 with later birds at Sandwich Bay on Nov 3 and Portland on Nov 4. Current latest was at Rye Harbour on Nov 5

Ring Ouzel: The only November reports have been of three in Belgium on No 6 and one at Hope Gap (Beachy Head) onNov 1

Black-throated Thrush (Turdus atrogularis): One in Dorset on Oct 27 and 28. This was the 23rd report for Britain but there is uncertainty about the status of the species. Taxonomists nowadays treat Black-throated Thrush as a subspeices of Dark-throated Thrush (classifying it as Turdus ruficollis astrogularis).

Fieldfare: 1704 in Yorkshire on Nov 4 with 1305 Redwing at the same Yorkshire site on Nov 4. By Nov 7 there were 2000 over Slimbridge and 1193 still on their way (over the Hamburg Yacht Basin in Germany with 1000 Redwing). 26 flying south over Old Winchester Hill in the Meon Valley on Nov 5 may indicate some settling on the south coast (previous reports here were probably of birds heading north from the continent

Blackcap: One feeding on fat and apples in a garden at Locksheath (just west of Fareham) on Nov 5 is claimed as the first wintering garden bird on the south coast

Greenish Warbler: One was in Cornwall from Oct 28 to Nov 1

Firecrest: Fourteen November reports indicat a good wintering population in southen England (maybe more of them than Goldcrest). On Nov 2 two were seen in Yews close to Stansted House and on Nov 5 (when there were 13 at Studland in Dorset) there were two at Sandy Point on Hayling and another three near the entrance sto Sinah Warren

Red-breasted Flycatcher: What may have been the bird that was at Selsey Bill on Oct 29 was seen for three hours at Seaford on Nov 7

Bearded Tit: A dozen were giving close views at Thorney Little Deeps on Nov 5 and half a dozen were seen at the Falrington Marshes Lake on Nov 6

Tree Sparrow: One seen at Ella Nore (near West Wittering on the shore of Chichester Harbour) on Nov 2

Brambling: The first three figure count in southern England for this winter was of 125 at Durlston on Nov 2 (passage birds, not yet settled as feeding flocks). On No7 another 562 were heading west through Germany (seen at Hamburg)

Greenfinch: Up to 150 were feeding on single vegetation seeds at Pagham Harbour spit on Nov 5 - almost like the recent years when such flocks of Greenfinch were commonplace along out shorelines in autumn.

Bullfinch: Reports from the Luton area of Bedfordshire are of 50 Bullfinch passing over on Nov 2 and 12 on Nov 3 - I have no idea where these came from or where they were going but it was certainly an unexpected observation. It could be that there are a large number of Bullfinch based in that area as 8 had been seen there on Oct 17 and 23 on Oct 28 but other reports (10 in the Test Valley near Romsey on Oct 13 and 6 over Hastings on Oct 28) indicate some autumn movment with birds probably arriving from the continent. Since writing that there has been a count of 59 in the Luton area and reports of small numbers from Hastings (almost certainly arriving), the Stour valley in Kent and Christchurch Harbour

Lapland Bunting: One was in the Pagham Harbour North Walls area from Oct 31 to Nov 4 at least. There were also sightings of singles at Christchurch Harbour and Durlston on Nov 2

Yellowhammer: As with Bullfinch there is encouraging news of these being seen in slightly larger numbers including a flock of around 30 at Upper Beeding in the Sussex Adur valley on Nov 7

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74 species seen flowering in November so far

Ranunculus trichophyllus (Thread Leaved Water Crowfoot): This was still flowering in the Walland Marshes east of Rye on Nov 1. I see the plant was recorded in Sinah Lake on Hayling in 1976 but it is unlikely to be seen there now and is rare in Hampshire

Ranunculus penicillatus (Stream Water-crowfoot): Just managing to flower in the overflow sluice from the Bedhampton Water Works at Havant on Nov 4 despite the lack of any water flow (just puddles of rain water)

Early Dog Violet (Viola reichenbachiana): Four flowers seen in the Havant Eastern Road cemetery on Nov 4 (and one in my Havant garden on Nov 7)

St John's Wort: A couple of small plants with flowers in the Havant rail station carpark on Nov 7 (probably Perforate)

Sweet Violet: 50 flowers out in St Faith's churchyard in Havant on Nov 5

Meadow Sweet: I have already reported an isolated plant by the Lavant stream in Havant on Oct 26 and on Oct 31 Brian Fellows found one flowering in Brook Meadow at Emsworth

Holly: The most unexpected find this week was of flowers on a Holly tree in the Hollybank Woods at Emsworth on Nov 2 (photo with my Diary entry for that day).

Thrift (Sea Pink): Durlston reported this in flower on Nov 1

Yellow Pimpernel: A few flowers on this were another unexpected find in the Hollybank Woods at Emsworth on Nov 2

Apple of Peru: One plant flowering in a flowerbed outside the United Reformed Church in central Havant on Nov 7 - I doubt it was intentionally planted

Grey Field Speedwell: One flower seen in Havant St Faith's churchyard on Nov 5

Dwarf Thistle: Flowering at Durlston on Nov 5

Greater Knapweed: Flowering at Durlston on Nov 1

Fox: At 7pm on Nov 5 a Fox was seen running along the promenade past Brighton Palace Pier at a time when many people were also walking here and Fireworks had probably started. The Fox did not seem perturbed by the people watching it.

Red Squirrel: One still out and about at Fort Victoria in the Isle of Wight on Nov 5

Snails: Two species get a mention on the Durlston website when they were seen taking advantage of the wet ground on Nov 1 to make their way from A to B for unknown reasons. One was the Lapidary Snail (Helicigona lapicida) and the other the Pointed Snail (Cochlicella acuta) in which I have a personal interest having watched two colonies become seemingly extinct. The Pointed Snail is a small 'spire shaped' animal 15mm high by 6mm wide which is unusual in being an air breathing landsnail which likes to live by the sea (often in sand-dunes but also in coastal calcareous grassland). It is not a rarity but is only found in isolated colonies (apparently it has got to Australia and become a pest species in both arable and pasture fields there). I first came across it at the Portsmouth IBM HQ site which is on land only reclaimed from the sea around 1970 when the M27 was built across the reclaimed part of Portsmouth Harbour - the snails were presumably there before the reclaimation but instead of being destroyed by it they thrived on the mass of chalk brought to build the motorway foundations across the mud (chalk being essential to shell building). In the 1980s these snails could be found there in thousands but by the mid 1990s when I ceased to have daily contact with the site they seemed to have vanished. I then found another colony on the inside of the high seawall bank which holds back the hightide of Chichester Harbour from flooding the west end of the Great Deeps on Thorney Island but in the last few years I have been unable to find live specimens there.

Fungi: A visit to the 'Sling' area of Stansted Forest by the Havant Wildllife Group on Oct 31 listed 35 species and my own visit to the Hollybank Woods on Nov 1 found at least ten more species not on their list while my own garden lawn us given me another half dozen. These finds seem to show that the continuing relatively warm weather coupled with plenty of rain (at last) is giving us a good season for finding fungi. Pick of the bunch (my personal choice!) from the Stansted Forest list are the Porcelain Fungus and Oyster Mushrooms growing on trees, the decorative clusters of Shaggy Pholiota at the base of tree trunks, Magpie Fungus, Clouded Agaric, Wood Mushroom and Wood Blewit standing boldly on the ground, and the Hedgehog Puffball (Lycoperdon echinatum) - this is the only site I know of for this one - joining many smaller species including the colourful Mycena pura (lilac) and Mycena crocata (which at first glance seems to be another of those little brown jobs but which exudes a bright orange/red juice when its yellowish stem is broken), Ramaria stricta (yellow), Verdigris Agaric which has a slimy blue-green cap (and which looks a bit like the Aniseed Toadstool Clitocybe odora but which lacks the strong and distinctive scent of that species) Snowy Waxcap (pure white) and the black and white Stags Horn or Candlesnuff Fungus. The species found by myself can be found, with some photos, in my diary entries for Nov 2 and Oct 31. Also this week Brian Fellows has found the first examples this year of Agrocybe cylindracea on old willows at Brook Meadow in Emsworth and John Goodspeed has seen Bay Bolete (B. badius) on the Crookhorn Golf Course on Portsdown. On Nov 7 two scruffy specimens of Fly Agaric could be seen at a regular spot in a flowerbed at the Havant Rail Station forecourt (seen as you come up the steps from Market Parade). Also on Nov 7 I collected a single pure white specimen from roadside grass where an old oak used to stand beside Wade Court Road (at its junction with South Close). I had seen it there several days ago when it was fresh and lone so I did not collect it until now when it must have completed its sporulation - at first I was uncertain if it was Tricholoma Columbetta or T. album (the White Knight) but decided in favour of the latter as it is the commoner species in Hampshire and does not have any of the blue spots which normally develop on Columbetta

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Black-necked Grebe: The Langstone Harbour winter flock had increased to 8 birds (seen from the Oysterbeds) on Oct 24 and on Oct 25 a new wave of arrivals brought one to Studland Bay in Dorset, one to Ivy Lake at Chichester and two to the north Kent coast at Reculver near the North Foreland. The Southampton Water bird was still there on Oct 31 (it arrived there on Sep 26)

Great White Egret: Three reports this week may indicate the arrival of some continental birds - singles were at the Testwood Lakes near Southampton and flying south over Pagham Harbour on Sep 26 with another seen at Dungeness on Oct 27 (this latter is probably the bird that has been there since Oct 15). Great Whites appear to be commoner than Little Egrets on the near Continent - this year the Strabrechtse Heide site in Holland reported successive counts of 11, 16, 19, 26, 29 and 29 between Feb 11 and Mar 9 with 25 there on Sep 17).

Glossy Ibis: At least one of the five which were at Dungeness from Sep 22 to Oct 4 (but subsequently dropped to two up to Oct 23) was still there on Oct 29. One in the Kent Stour valley on Oct 28 could have come from Dungeness (but may have been there unreported since one was seen there on Sep 6 and 15). Three birds which flew over Christchurch Harbour on Oct 27 were a surprise for that site as were two over Pagham Harbour on Oct 30 and one flying out of an Egret roost at Ferring Rife near Worthing on Oct 31

Spoonbill: The single juvenile that has been in Pagham Harbour (often by the North Walls) since Oct 11 was still there on Oct 30 (when 14 were counted at Brownsea Island in Poole Harbour)

Bewick's Swan: So far this autumn there have been seven reports from Holland starting with 3 birds on Oct 9 and increasing to 23 on Oct 28 when another 6 were at a different site. Then, on Nov 1, the Slimbridge site reported .. "Almost a week late the Bewick’s Swans have finally arrived at Slimbridge this morning. This equals the latest arrival date ever that was recorded on the very same date last year. We were all very surprised to see the Bewick’s Swans arrive today considering the weather. The weather conditions could not have been worse with an almost gale force south westerly wind with heavy rain at times. Normally Bewick’s arrive here in a north or east wind with clear skies! We were also surprised to see so many, 14 Bewick’s Swans were present on the Rushy this morning. Many of the birds were sleeping no doubt very tiered after flying into such a strong wind overnight, and the 2600 mile flight from Russia. The first Bewick’s Swans normally arrive in ones or twos but to see 14 Bewick’s sat on the Rushy this morning in a sw gale really was a surprise. There were several familiar birds present this morning like Dario with mate Mevagissey, and Dylan two with mate Deena. We also received a report today from WWT Welney that they may have spotted our famous Bewick’s Swan 'Crinkly' among there many Whooper and Bewick’s Swans.

Cackling Canada Goose: One flew over the Hook area among 426 normal Canadas all heading towards Titchfield Haven on Oct 26

Brent Goose: Some 800 Brent were in the Thanet area of Kent back on Oct 12 but on Oct 30 the Seasalter (near Whitstable) website said .. "The brent flock seems to have had an influx with numbers approaching c.1250 and many of them young birds, the first big numbers which may have indicated a good breeding season." So far that hope of a better than usual breeding season has not been supported elsewhere but there is still time .....

Pale-bellied Brent: One seen at Warsash which then flew west across Southampton Water on Oct 26 was probably the bird that turned up at Titchfield Haven on Oct 7 and has been reported there on six dates but not on Oct 26. A newcomer at Brownsea Island in Poole Harbour on Oct 30 could be one of the 6 that were in the Weymouth area on Oct 20 but which seem to have separated subsequently

Black Brant: One arrived back at Littlesea in Weymouth on Oct 13 and there were three more nearby in the Rodden Hive area on Oct 19. Another has been in the Thorney Island area since Oct 14 but the first back at Gosport was reported on Oct 25

Pintail: The first three were back on the Emsworth shore on Oct 26 and the first few that I know of in Nutbourne Bay were seen there on Oct 27. Six were at Newtown Harbour (IoW) on Oct 29. seven at Hook (Warsash) on Oct 30 and on Oct 31 15 flew west along the north Kent coast and 28 went west over Chrstchurch Harbour.

Red Crested Pochard: The female which turned up on Ivy Lake at Chichester on Oct 24 was still there on Oct 29

Pochard: 15 were (I think) newcomers to Fleet Pond in north Hampshire on Oct 28 (there had been 34 at the nearby Yateley gravel pits on Oct 21)

Eider: Three in the Chichester Channel between West Wittering and Thorney Island on Oct 29 where the first I have heard of there this winter

Velevet Scoter: A party of 8 going west close in off Sandy Point on Hayling Island was a very good record for Hampshire but on Oct 16 as many as 12 went past Cap Gris-Nez across the English Channel

Red-breasted Merganser: The first major arrival in Langstone Harbour seems to have been on Oct 14 when 26 were seen in the south of the harbour from Milton Common. Ten were off Farlington Marshes on Oct 17 and now 15+ have been seen from the Oysterbeds on Oct 24

Goosander: One seen at Portland on Oct 23 and one at Pulborough Brooks on Oct 25 were almost certainly new arrivals from the north and not birds that have bred in the south. On Oct 31 one was off the north Kent coast, six were at the Blashford Lakes ner Ringwood and nine flew west past Christchurch Harbour.

Ruddy Duck: A count of 10 at the Blashford Lakes on Oct 31 was the highest there this autumn, beting the 8 reported on Oct 6

Honey Buzzard: A late bird seen at Durlston on Oct 29 was the first reorted anywhere since Oct 23

Rough-legged Buzzard: There is often scepticism about reports of this species in our central southern area (Common Buzzards can hover and often show unusual colour patterns) but a report of one in the North Mundham area just south of Chichester on Oct 30 has the ring of authenticity - the report from Chris Newton reads .. "First heard calling (at 15.05) with the distinct single syllable call, notably higher pitched than common buzzard and 'flat' without the typical 'begging' call. Then located some 50 - 75 feet above the fields, dipping lower to avoid the attention of a couple of rooks. First distinct indication was the clear sight of the white inner tail. Single black bar at tip of upper tail. Possibly juvenile/female. Short wing beats and glide. Not too bothered by corvids. Watched over fields between Woldhurst and North Mundham before it headed off to the west"

Osprey: A late bird was over the Seven Sisters Country Park between Seaford and Beachy Head on Oct 23 almost ten days after passage apparently ceased on Oct 14 and another was seen near the Powdermill Reservoir north of Hastings on Oct 28

Hobby: There have been daily reports of late birds up to Oct 28

Peregrine: Two visitors to the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth this week were surprised (when looking at the view through the glass windows high above the ground) to see a juvenile Peregrine come within a few feet of them twice as if it had selected them as prey but could not reach them. On Oct 31 one was seen on a more regular winter perch in Portsmouth Harbour (on the mast of HMS Southampton viewed from Priddy's Hard at Gosport)

Coot: The WeBS count on Oct 25 recorded 423 in Christchurch Harbour

Crane: A single juvenile was seen on the Isle of Wight near the head waters of the eastern Yar (near Hale Common between Shanklin and Newport) on Oct 26 and 27

Avocet: The presence of one in Nutbourne Bay (east of Emsworth) on Oct 26 with two there on Oct 27 and five on Oct 29 may mark the start of a small winter flock in the water east of Thorney Island (there were 11 there in Jan 2008 and 17 in Dec 2008 with the first seen there last autumn on Nov 14)

Golden Plover: 700 seen on Thorney Island on Oct 29

Black-tailed Godwit: Numbers in Chichester Harbour seem to have increased this week with a peak count of 330 in the Bosham area on Oct 27 (previous peaks were 212 on Sep 19 and 300 on Oct 10) while the number in Emsworth Harbour (where there had been no more than 25 on Aug 12 this autumn) increased to 63 on Oct 20, 92 on Oct 26 and 112 on Oct 29

Spotted Redshank: The Emsworth Nore Barn bird was seen again on Oct 30 after another had been found in Nutbourne Bay on Oct 29. In Dorset six were at Brownsea Island in Poole Harbour on Oct 30

Med Gull: An estimated count of 230 at Littlesea in Weymouth on Oct 27 was the highest of the autumn so far (There had been 212 in the Selsey west fields area on Aug 13 and 150 at Brownwich near Titchfield Haven on Sep 5 but not other counts of more than 80 anywhere so far this autumn). Last year there was a count of 270+ at Pegwell Bay in the Thanet area of Kent on Oct 17 but I have not noticed any reports of large flocks there so far this autumn.

Little Gull: Still no large numbers in southern England this autumn but there was an unusual report of one seen flying by the windows of a high rise building in Portsmouth this week

Terns: Two Sandwich and one Common Tern were at Dungeness on Oct 27 and an Arctic Tern was at Christchurch Harbour on Oct 26. Other reports of probable wintering Sandwich Terns this week have come from Southsea Castle, Christchurch Harbour and the Pegwell Bay area in Kent (on Oct 31). The Common Tern at Dungeness was still there on Oct 29 but there have been no more Arctic Tern sightings

Stock Dove: Autumn movement of these started to be noticed in southern England this week with reports of Oct 26 of 7 over the Fleet/Aldershot area, 48 over Dungeness and 49 (same flock?) over Hastings. On Oct 28 Christchurch Harbour reported 47 over with another 20 on Oct 30

Woodpigeon: These too started moving in southern England on Oct 26 when seven sites reported passage birds moving west - biggest count was 2810 over Southampton Water, then 1600 over Christchurch Harbour closely followed by 1566 over Fleet/Aldershot. On Oct 27 Thanet in Kent reported 800 and on Oct 28 Christchurch Harbour had 370 and another 230 went over Fleet (while seven sites in the low countries reported counts up to 13533). On Oct 30 Southampton had 1690 over while Christchurch Harbour had 280+ with another 150 on Oct 31

Collared Dove: A count of 10 at Dungeness on Oct 26 suggests that a few of these are moving with the Woodpigeons

Turtle Dove: One still at Portland on Oct 26 - will it stay through the winter?

Short-eared Owl: One hunting at Amberley Wild Brooks (Pulborough) on Oct 26 and one over Pagham Harbour on Oct 27, then one over the Selsey West Fields on Oct 29

Skylark: Reports from Holland on Oct 19 included four 1000+ counts with a max of 5648 with up to 50 seen in Kent that day, when 173 came in over the Norfolk coast. Oct 20 brought 14 continental reports of 1000+ with peak counts of 7325 and 8165 but by Oct 28 numbers seen moving on the continent did not exceed 1494 and counts in southern England remained fairly low (peaks of 100+ in Kent on Oct 28 and 116 over Christhchurch Harbour on Oct 29)

Woodlark: Three more reports of song, all on Oct 29, at Calshot, Ashdown Forest and Lavington Common near Pulborough

Swallow: Still 10 over Portland on Oct 28 with two other Dorset reports of 8 and 2 that day. Latest reports are of 8 at Portland on Oct 31 with 1 at Christchurch Harbour that day

Red-rumped Swallow: One at Durlston on Oct 29 was the first since one in the Scillies on Sep 13

House Martin: 13 over Eastbourne on Oct 27 and 4 over Christchurch Harbour on Oct 28, then 2 at Beachy Head on Oct 29 and 4 again at Christchurch Harbour on Oct 30

Meadow Pipit: Latest reports from Christchurch Harbour are of 420 over on Oct 29, 290 on Oct 30 and 180 on Oct 31

Water Pipit: On Oct 30 one was at Sandwich Bay and a possible was reported at Newtwon Harbour on the IoW.

Yellow Wagtail: A straggler at Portland on Oct 28 was the first there since Oct 18 but another 'probable' was at the Brown Shrike site in Surrey on Oct 28

Black Redstart: A female was at Southsea Castle on Oct 28 when 7 were present at Portland (and many others can be assumed present along the south coast). On Oct 29 Portland had a peak count of 33 with at least six others in Dorset and on Oct 31 birds seem to have returned to local sites - one at the Explosion Museum in Gosport and one along the seafront near Sandy Point on Hayling

Common Redstart: A straggler seen at Longmoor in east Hampshire on Oct 25

Wheatear: No reports since Oct 27 when one was at Portland, one at Dungeness and two in north Kent, other than one at Portland on Oct 29 and 31

Ring Ouzel: Still being seen daily with a peak count of 8 at Christchurch Harbour on Oct 28 (with 6 at a Dutch site that day). Latest were 2 at Beachy Head on Oct 29

Blackbird: Christchurch Harbour had 65 on Oct 26, 20 on Oct 27, 65 again in Oct 28 and 5 on Oct 30, presumablty reflecting waves of arrivals from the south

Fieldfare: More than 3000 over Kent on Oct 27 and 3470 coming south over Yorkshire on Oct 28 when another 1457 went over the Luton area of Bedfordshire and 150 were seen at Portland (presumably coming north). In Hampshire 481 flew southwest over the Fleet area that day.

Song Thrush: Plenty of these still arriving to winter in southern England - 65 over Christchurch Harbour on Oct 26 and 50 at Portland on Oct 28 (when 192 went north over the Channel Isles)

Redwing: One report on Oct 27 estimated that 17,850 flew west over Kent and on Oct 28 586 passed over the Fleet area of north Hampshire while 1950 came north over the Channel Isles (100 seen to arrive at Portland). Also on Oct 28 Yorkshire reported 2756 coming south and 703 went over the Luton area. Oct 31 saw another 1470 come in over Kent'

Zitting Cisticola (aka Fan-tailed Warbler): The bird which was first seen at Sandwich Bay on Sep 6 is still being seen in the Pegwell Bay area on Oct 31

Lesser Whitethroat: An 'eastern form' bird was trapped at Portland on Oct 28 (see photo at http://www.portlandbirdobs.org.uk/bp_lesser_whitethroat_9_281009_500v.jpg ) and was still there on Oct 29

Common Whitethroat: Late singles at Beachy Head on Oct 25 and at Climping (Worthing area) on Oct 26

Pallas's Warbler: Ian Barnard's 'Birds of Sussex' website reported one in Highdown Gardens at Worthing on Oct 27 but I have seen no other mention of this bird. Another is rumoured to have been in the Thanet area of Kent

Radde's Warbler: One was trapped and ringed at Abbotsbury on Oct 31 (photo on the Dorset Bird Club website)

Dusky Warbler: The bird at Dungeness on Oct 23 was seen there again on Oct 25

Willow Warbler: A single late bird seen at Portland on Oct 28

Firecrest: A dozen reports this week include a count of 15 at Christchurch Harbour on Oct 25 when four were seen near Lymington, 7 at Beachy Head and 7+ at Portland. Locally four were seen around Sinah Lake on Hayling on Oct 30 and two were at Sandy Point on Oct 31

Spotted Flycatcher: A late bird at Portland on Oct 29

Red-breasted Flycatcher: Seawatchers at Selsey Bill on Oct 29 had close views of one several minutes as it perched on buildings adjacent to the shore

Brown Shrike: The bird which I first heard of at Staines Moor in Surrey (near Heathrow) on Oct 14 was still there on Oct 28

Great Grey Shrike: One arrived in Ashdown Forest on Oct 25 and was still being seen on Oct 27. No reports from the New Forest as yet but one has been in the Kent Stour Valley from Oct 18 to 24 (possibly the same bird was seen in the Thanet area as early as Sep 18/19) and there was a one off report of one in the Itchen Valley Country Park (Southampton) on Oct 18

Jackdaw: 266 over Christchurch Harbour on Oct 26 when 45 went over Dungeness and at least 23 over Hastings. On Oct 28 a Dutch site reported 707

Rook: One Dutch site reported 111 moving over on Oct 28 and two Belgian sites reported 55 and 76

Starling: Among twelve reports from the Low Countries on Oct 28 one had a total of 109,945 birds, another had 45,000 and all had over 1000 birds moving

Chaffinch: Plenty on the move with a peak report of 1344 over the Luton area on Oct 28 when 19,970 went over a Belgian site

Brambling: Durlston had 74 on Oct 27 and 31 were seen in the Luton area on Oct 28 (with 259 at a Dutch site that day). On Oct 29 there were 71 at Christchurch Harbour and 88 at Durlston

Goldfinch: Numbers seemed to be dropping off with a peak of 670 at Christchurch Harbour on Oct 26 and 500 at Portland on Oct 28 (there had been 2160 at Durlston on Oct 22 and 2360 at Climping near Worthing on Oct 14) but on Oct 29 there were 1700 at Christchurch Harbour and 630 at Climping near Worthing while Christchurch Harobur had close to 700 on both Oct 30 and 31. Siskin, Linnet and Lesser Redpoll are similarly still moving but in smaller numbers

Twite: The first report of the winter had been 7 in the Thanet area of Kent on Oct 12 and on Oct 30 there was a second report of 3 at Sandwich Bay

Lesser Redpoll: Prior to Oct 30 the peak count this winter had been of 170 arriving at Dungeness on Oct 22 but on Oct 30 a flock estimated to have 300 birds was feeding in woods at Beauport Park adjacent to Hastings

Crossbill: Thirteen reports this week include a peak of 83 over Christchurch Harbour on Oct 26 and 50+ in the Acres Down area of the New Forest on Oct 29

Bullfinch: Maybe a slight increase in movement with 6 reported over Hastings on Oct 25 and 23 over the Luton area on Oct 28

Lapland Bunting: On Oct 30 there was one at the Pagham Harbour north walls and another going east at Christchurch Harbour

Snow Bunting: Singles were seen at Durlston on Oct 25 and at Seasalter (north Kent coast) on Oct 27. On Oct 28 a Belgian site had 18 birds

Reed Bunting: This week's peak count from southern England is 63 at Christchurch Harbour on Oct 28 (when 143 were reported in Belgium)

(Skip to Plants)

(Skip to Other Wildlife)

Sweet Violet: There was a fresh outburst of flowers in St Faith's churchyard here in Havant on Oct 29

Yellow-flowered Strawberry: The first fresh flowers since July seen in Havant on Oct 29

Meadow Sweet: A single plant by the Lavant stream by the Barton's Road playing fields in Havant on Oct 26 was the first to flower since the end of July

Winter Heliotrope: The first flowers of this plants season were out in central Havant on Oct 29 (see my diary entry)

Roe Deer: The continuing spread of these animals was illustrated this week when one was apparently unable to escape from a field close to the Hayling Oysterbeds on the west side of the main road through north Hayling. It was seen for about ten minutes running backwards and forwards along a wire fenceline and the County Council rangers were summoned but by the time the ranger arrived the animal had vanished. For several years Roe Deer have been increasing in numbers on the open fields between Northney village and the main road but only recently have they begun to cross the road. Also this week I saw two of the dozen or so that live in the Southleigh Farm fields north of the A27 as it passes Emsworth.

Fungi: Inevitably at this time of year the number of species reported is growing. This week I found the first Fly Agaric in the Hollybank Woods on Oct 26 along with Shaggy Parasol of which Brian Fellows had found many in the Ems Valley fields south of Westbourne on Oct 25 (and more in the Nutbourne area on Oct 27). Also found by Brian on Oct 25 were Brown Birch Boletes in roadside grass in Emsworth where, in a different street, Glistening Inkcaps had come up a few days earlier. Oct 26 also saw what I think were Yellow Stainers (looking like large Horse Mushrooms) in Havant but they had been seen at Durlston on Oct 22. Most recent find was a large troop of Deceivers on my lawn (along with three other unidentified small fungi species) following the find of Collybia dryophila near my compost heap earlier in the week. On Oct 31 two additional species suddenly appeared on my lawn (photos with Diary for that day) - one was almost certainly Blackening Waxcap and the other suggested Meadow Waxcap but almost certainly was not! Several reports from the internet include the first report of Horse Mushrooms at Durlston on Oct 31 and a couple of good ones (with photos on the Rye Bay website) from Beaureport Park on the northwest fringe of Hastings - one was the Trooping Funnel (Clitocybe gibba), the other Porcelain Fungus (Oudemansiella mucida). Cliff Dean, who found these two, gives us a link to http://www.aie.org.uk/ (Arboricultural Information Exchange) which includes a reference section on tree fungi and the entry for Oudemansiella mucida includes the text of an email from John Clohesy of Brooksby Melton College saying ..

"I thought you might be interested in a fact about Oudemansiella mucida, the Porcelain fungus. About 20 years ago scientists discovered that this fungus ( along with many others as you know) produced a powerful anti-fungal agent which helps it to defend its timber from attack by rival species of fungus. This substance was later synthesised, and spawned (sorry, no pun intended) a multi-million pound branch of the agricultural fungicide business, the development of the strobilurin fungicides. These have been responsible for the most dramatic improvements in crop yields I have seen in my agricultural career ( an additional 1 tonne of wheat per hectare is common). Nearly every single wheat crop in the world is now treated with strobilurin fungicides, which are now already in their 4th or 5th generation. Not an arboricultural fact, I know, but it relates to the spalting we see in timber."

Finally Brian Fellows website diary entry for Oct 29 has a photo taken on Oct 17 in Danbury Court, off Westbourne Avenue in Emsworth, showing a couple of largish fungi in roadside grass which Brian thought might be a Russula species but the photo shows that they have decurrent gills (running down the stem) and I do not know any Russula species having this feature. I have referred this photo to the Hampshire Fungus Recording Group in the hope they will be able to name the species (not always easy from a photo where you cannot smell or taste the fungus and often cannot see that part which is signficant for separating it from others) but in the meantime my best guess is that it might be a rare species called Lentinus tigrinus (though that species grows on wood, not in soil, but the fungus could be attached to a buried tree stump). I suspect it will turn out to be 'something entirely different'.

At least two local Fungus Forays are taking place this week end but I have not heard any of their finds as I write this - the latest news I have is of the first appearance this year on Oct 31 of Agrocybe cylindracea on the old willlows at Brook Meadow in Emsworth

(Skip to previous week)

(Skip to Insects)

Red-necked Grebe: One was reported (by unknown visiting birders) to have been in Sweare Deep of Chichester Harbour (between Northney on Hayling Island and Langstone/Warblington on the mainland) on Oct 22

Black-necked Grebe: The number in Langstone Harbour went up to four on Oct 21, seen from the Broadmarsh slipway area, and one was still in Southampton Water on Oct 21

Leach's Petrel: Three were seen from Thanet in Kent on Oct 16 (when six were reported from near Calais on the French coast)

Bittern: Poole Harbour had its first of the winter on Oct 18 and Rye Harbour had its first on Oct 19. Since then one has turned up at Lodmoor (Weymouth) on Oct 23

Great White Egret: There have been at least nine reports of a Great White Egret at the Blashford Lakes (Ringwood) between July 21 and Oct 12 but none have been positively identified as the colour ringed regular which seems to spend half of each year at Blashford until Oct 20 when Bob Chapman (who has seen many of the birds reported earlier) confirmed that he had seen the regular bird and identified its colour ring). I have the impression that several birders reporting sightings there have assumed that they had seen the regular bird when they had no definite proof (and with many sites on the near continent having multiple Great Whites - but very few

- there is no reason why Blashford should not attract multiple birds). Strabrechtse Heide in Holland has reported the presence of 17 birds on Aug 18, 21 birds on Aug 27 and Sep 4, and 25 on Sep 17 then down to 18 on Oct 3. At least eight other sites in the Low Countries and northern France have reported counts of 1 to 8 birds this autumn

Grey Heron: These are regularly reported as coastal migrants in small numbers in the autumn but a report from the Scillies on Oct 18 records the presence of 41 recently arrived Herons

Sacred Ibis: I have got used to seeing reports of Glossy Ibis in southern England but I was surprised to see a report of a single Sacred Ibis in Holland on Oct 9. Now Oct 20 has brought news of two at a Belgian site.

Spoonbill: A single bird was seen again in the North Walls area of Pagham Harbour on Oct 18 (it seems to have been there since Oct 11) and on Oct 19 the number in Poole Harbour was up to 17

Whooper Swan: Fifteen have been present in the Scillies from Oct 12 to 16 with 10 there on Oct 17 and 6 on Oct 21

Black Brant: The Chichester Harbour bird was seen again around Thorney Island on Oct 17 (after arriving on Oct 14) and on Oct 19 there were four of them at Weymouth

Mallard: A female with four newly hatched ducklings was seen at Mill Rythe (east shore of Hayling) on Oct 18

Red-crested Pochard: A female was in Ivy Lake at Chichester on Oct 24, a couple of days after a male was seen at Paxton Pits in Bedfordshire

Pochard: On Oct 19 there were 185 newly arrived at a Dutch site with 5 at the Blashford Lakes that day increasing to 'ood numbers' there on Oct 21 when 34 were at the Yateley gravel pits in north Hampshire (four at Budds Farm pools in Havant that day)

Tufted Duck: The first two of the autumn were on the Emsworth Town Millpond on Oct 17 (up to three there on Oct 21). A count of all the Paxton pits in Bedfordhire on Oct 19 gave a massived total of 1614 and on Oct 21 there wree 228 at the Yateley pits in north Hampshire

Scaup: Two were on the Paxton pits on Oct 21 and a female arrived in Devon on that day

Goldeneye: These have been appearing in southern England since Oct 13 when one appeared at Hook/Warsash. On Oct 15 three were in Portsmouth Harbour with one at the Blashford Lakes and on Oct 16 one was in Thanet with two at both Dungeness and Blashford. Pagham Harbour had its first on Oct 18 when two flew by Portland and three were in Christchurch Harbour plus two on the Arlington reservoir in the Cuckmere Valley. On Oct 19 Paxton Pits had twelve with more next day and Blaskhford Lakes had four on Oct 20

Red-breasted Merganser: On Oct 17 ten were seen in Langstone Harbour and five were in the mouth of Chichester Harbour - three seen off Langstone village that day had probably been counted elsewhere in the harbours

Goosander: Two appeared in Christchurch Harbour on Oct 8 but were thought to be from the local River Avon breeding population. Three then flew in from the sea to Christchurch Harbour on Oct 16 and may have been arrivals from the north. A single bird in Belgium on Oct 19 is likely to have been a passage bird but the appearance of 12 redheads on the Blashford Lakes on Oct 20 could still be of local birds

Ruddy Duck: A count of five on the Blashford Lakes on Oct 23 was still under the count of 8 there on Oct 6

Honey Buzzard: Following the late bird seen near Portsdown on Oct 16 another was seen flying low over Hastings (chased by Crows) on Oct 23

Red Kite: These have been breeding in Hampshire since 1995 and in 2008 at least 10 juveniles were hatched from 5 nests. In Jan 2006 there was a winter night roost in the county having up to 60 birds and I guess this roost is again in use to judge by a report on Oct 19 of 33 birds heading towards a night roost somewhere near the A34 in the north of Hampshire. I believe one of the Sunday papers on Oct 25 had an article blaming the massive increase in Kites for a loss of Kestrel breeding sites and for killing Red Squirrels in Wales

Sparrowhawk: The number of passage birds going through Belgium and Holland at the moment is reflected in six counts from different sites on Oct 20 - the numbers were 57, 30, 14, 9, 7 and 6. In England at least 10 went over the Thanet area of Kent on Oct 15

Kestrel: One of these was heard shrieking when it came under attack from four Rooks in the Pevensey Levels area on Oct 18

Hobby: One was still in Dorset on Oct 23 and another was seen in Holland on Oct 24

Red-tailed Hawk: On Oct 19 the SOS website carried a reference to a story in the Daily Mail which (while is about birds in north America) may surprise some birders. If you visit http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1216709/Pictured-The-plucky-little-kingbird-took-piggyback-predatory-hawk-lived-tell-tale.html you can see pictures of a tiny Kingbird sitting on the back of a Red-tailed Hawk (50 times its size) and pecking violently at the top of the hawk's head as the hawk flies off screaming. It seems that harrying of the hawks by small birds is a regular occurrence in Denver, Colorado, where the pictures were taken, but this is the first observation of a smaller bird actually riding on the larger one. The article tells us that the scientific name for the Kingbird genus is Tyrannus!

Coot: These have not all left for the coast - on Oct 21 there were still 199 on the Yateley pits in north Hampshire

Common Crane: 36 flew over a Danish site on Oct 10, then 3 were seen over Dungeness on Oct 13. Oct 15 saw 12 over a Greman site and the latest migrant was one over Holland on Oct 24

Stone Curlew: A southward bound migrant stopped off at Dungeness on Oct 18 and was still there on Oct 21 reminding me that in Feb 2006 one was seen over a period of at least a week in the north Hayling fields where it was presumed to have spent the winter.

Golden Plover: Although there had been a flock of 160 in the West Wittering area of Chichester Harbour on Oct 1 the only report of them that I have seen from Pagham Harbour so far this autumn was just one there on Oct 4 so a count of 140 on Oct 22 probably means that the winter birds have arrived

Knot: A group of 5 were in Emsworth Harbour on Oct 20 after 3 had been seen further south don the Emsworth Channel on Oct 17

Little Stint: One has been in the Hook (Warsash) area from Oct 17 to 19 at least

Woodcock: There have now been eleven reports of Woodcock seen moving to winter quarters since Oct 14. These have all been at east coast sites other than one on the Glynde Levels (Sussex Ouse near Lewes) on Oct 17 and one at Bechy Head on Oct 18

Black-tailed Godwit: The greatly fuctuating numbers of these birds at any one site from day to day shows that they do not settle in one place for the whole winter after arriving here on the south coast from Iceland but recent correspondence between observers studying the many colour ringed birds now shows that birds seen feeding in the Solent Harbours on one day may be found in north Kent or northern France a few days later before (after an indeterminate time) returning to the Solent. How many of the birds make these relatively long trips (not very long in relation to the 600 mile flight from Iceland to the north of Scotland or a minimum of 300 miles non-stop from Iceland to the Faroes), and what triggers their moves, is not known but the evidence we have bears out a thought which I have often had - namely that if I had wings and no home ties I would be inclined to move around with distance being no great object if I had memories of good feeding at distant sites that I had visited before. While checking the Cornwall Birding website this week I came on a superb photo of one of these birds taken at the Hayle estuary in September this year by Mark Halliday - see it at http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3504/3902781209_0a5f3b8714_b.jpg

Spotted Redshank: There was a gap in reports of this species from May 6 to June 14 after which there have been daily reports of birds back in southern England, mostly as singles but as early as June 24 there were 5 at Brownsea Island in Poole Harbour. A bird which had been colour ringed at Thorney Island in 2008 was seen in Sweden this year shortly before it returned to Thorney Island on June 25, indicating that these summer birds had been away and returned by that early date. More recently one was seen to fly in off the sea at Sandwich Bay on Oct 15 and on Oct 21 the well known 'tame' bird arrived back in the outfall of the stream at Maisemore Gardens/Nore Barn.

When I read of its return my first thought was that it must have flown back to England some time ago and spent time elsewhere before coming to Emsworth but the arrival at Sandwich of one bird on Oct 15, and the 'site faithfulness' of this bird to the Emsworth area over the past four winters, would suggest that it probably only left its summer breeding area within the past few days and came straight here, and that tells us that this species act as individuals when it comes to deciding when to migrate - some choose to come in June, some in October (in fact the arrival dates of this Emsworth bird have been within a few days of Nov 8 for the past three years).

Since I wrote the above in mid-week Brian Fellows has reminded me that Spotted Redshanks have an unusual division of labour between the sexes which allows the females to fly back south from the breeding areas before the males and I assumed this meant the had adopted the strategy used by the Phalaropes whereby the females produce multiple families in each short arctic breeding season by mating with one male, laying eggs in his nest and then immediately leaving him to brood and raise the family while mating with one or more further males and leaving each of them with a potential family. The female Phalarope is thus free to fly back south a long time before the males which have to stay with the young.

I cannot find a definitive statement about the breeding habits of the Spotted Redshank but all sources agree that the females leave the breeding area before the males or young but clearly the females do not totally disregard breeding duties after egglaying - the best statement I have come across says .."Female Spotted Redshank form flocks and some leave breeding grounds up to a week before eggs hatch. Others desert partners with broods at an early stage". Another source says .. "Females begin moving south in early-June, the males following during July, and juveniles migrating from August to September^" I guess the species may be still evolving its breeding strategy.

Common Sandpiper: Three birds in Poole Harbour on Oct 21 are probably going to be wintering here

Grey Phalarope: One was at Portland on Oct 22 and 23

Little Gull: Singles seen at Hook/Warsash on Oct 19 and on the north east coast of the IoW on Oct 21 indicate how little we sometimes see of large scale passage - just across the Channel 1687 birds went past the Calais area on Oct 16 with 220 seen there on Oct 17

Ring-billed Gull: For the seventh consecutive winter one of these has appeared back at the 'Cockle Pond' in Gosport where it was seen on Oct 20, 21 and 22

Lesser Blackback Gull: The peak of their autumn passage may now be over - at the start of October up to 3000 were roosting at the Eversley gravel pits in north Hampshire but only around 1000 were there on Oct 21

Great Blackback Gull: These seem to have started a major passage to winter quarters on Oct 16 when 96 were recorded at Sandwich Bay followed by the unexpected sight on Oct 20 of 45 birds roosting in a field at Climping on the coast between Bognor and Worthing

Sandwich Tern: A count of 391 off the Normandy coast on Oct 17 shows that passage was not yet over but it may well be that 11 birds seen in the south of Langstone Harbour on Oct 19 (and 3 seen in the north - off Broadmarsh - on Oct 21) are all intending to winter here

Auks: 1456 came south past Spurn Head on Oct 16 and on Oct 17 there were 26 Razorbill off the Normany coast and one at Hook/Warsash while by Oct 24 there were four in Christchurch Harbour

Little Auk: The first of the winter was off Cap Gris-Nez on Oct 17 when there was a possible sighting of two more in Pagham Harbour

Stock Dove: Oct 17 brought counts of 14 passing over Hasting and 15 at Cissbury Ring near Worthing to show that these are starting to move but eight recent counts from the near Continent have a peak count of only 119 so far

Woodpigeon: Late news from Denmark is of 33,000 moving over on Oct 10 and more recently the peak count from Holland is of 37,000 on Oct 20 (when two other sites reported over 10,000). Here in England passage seems to have started on Oct 23 with 70 over Hastings and 212 over Christchurch Harbour

Turtle Dove: One juvenile still in a Kent garden on Oct 17 with other singles at Christchurch Harbour on Oct 18 and Portland up to Oct 23

Little Owl: Reports of these at three coastal sites this week (including one at Puckpool Point on the Isle of Wight) show that dispersing birds are still puzzled as to what they shuld do when their movement brings them to the sea

Short-eared Owl: Recent reports are of one in Kent (Thanet) on Oct 17 when another was at Portland and one over a Brighton Golf Course on Oct 18. Latest report is of one at Dungeness on Oct 23

Swift: Oct 24 brought two reports of a single bird over sites in Holland

Wryneck: Two still in the Scillies on Oct 18 and one on Oct 20

Wood Lark: Three new reports from southern England including one singing at Abbotstone by the River Itchen north of Winchester on Oct 20 plus seventeen reports from continental sites with a peak count of 163 over a Belgian site on Oct 20

Skylark: Large numbers on the move on the continent with a peak count of 8165 over a Dutch site on Oct 20. On Oct 22 more than 110 were seen over the Test valley and there were reports of more than 50 over three south coast sites on Oct 23 (plus other smaller counts elsewhere)

Swallow: Still being seen daily along the south coast with the latest report being of 30 over Ryde (IoW) on Oct 21 and 68 over Dungeness on Oct 22

House Martin: Latest reports are of around 20 in the Kent Stour valley on Oct 21 and 5 on the north Kent coast on Oct 22 (when one was seen at Durlston)

Olive-backed Pipit: First report for the year was from the Scillies on Oct 23 followed by one at Sandy Point on Hayling on Oct 24

Tree Pipit: A late report from Farlington Marshes on Oct 17 (last previous was of 2 at Portland on Oct 10)

Rock Pipit: Of local interest I saw my first two of the winter on the Langstone South Moors shore on Oct 22 and then saw three more at Nutbourne Bay on Oct 23 (two of these flew in from the east while I was there)

Water Pipit: Three were back at the Lower Test Marshes on Oct 17 and the Stour Valley in Kent had its first two of the autumn on Oct 20

Yellow Wagtail: Stragglers still being seen with one at Portland on Oct 18 (after singles at other sites on Oct 10, 11, 15 and 17)

Dunnock: On Oct 22 I heard two singing strongly against each other in the Langstone area at dusk (first song since July 26) - I guess they were newly arrived migrants establishing winter territories. Another 21 migrants passed over Hastings on Oct 23

Red-flanked Bluetail: An isolated report of one at Spurn Point in Yorkshire on Oct 19

Black Redstart: Reports of these from seven sites in southern England this week plus a count of more than 57 in the Scillies on Oct 20 (presumably marking a wave of arrivals all along the coast)

Common Redstart: The only new reports are from the Scillies (5 there on Oct 16, 4 on Oct 17 and 2 on Oct 18) followed by news of a single straggler at Portland on Oct 23

Whinchat: One at Farlington Marshes on Oct 17 and one at Portland on Oct 23

Stonechat: A male on bushes at the Langstone South Moors on Oct 22

Wheatear: Latest report was of one at Portland on Oct 23

Ring Ouzel: On Oct 23 singles were in the New Forest and on the Isle of Wight plus three at Portland. Latest was one at Folkestone on Oct 24

Blackbird: More still heading towards southern England - on Oct 19 the South Foreland in Kent reported 15, Sandwich Bay had 30 and Spurn Point had 120 heading south

Fieldfare: Now widespread in small numbers in southern England (Oct 18 saw 1 in Thanet, 1 at Portland, 1 in the Itchen Valley country park and 9 in Andover). On Oct 20 a flock of more than 40 was in the New Forest as 350 passed over a Dutch site

Redwing: Also widespread in southern England with a max of 152 over Andover on Oct 18 but 9 counts of over 1000 from continental sites this week (peak 3000 over a Dutch site on Oct 19)

Marsh Warbler: One in the Scillies on Oct 23

Melodious Warbler: One in the Scillies on Oct 21 and 22

Arctic Warbler: One at Folkestone on Oct 22

Yellow-browed Warbler: One was seen at Titchfield Haven on Oct 17 and one at Portland up to Oct 23 but all other reports this week come from Cornwall or the Scillies

Radde's Warbler: Two in the Scillies on Oct 16

Dusky Warbler: One at Dungeness on Oct 23

Chiffchaff: One still singing on Portsdown on Oct 18 (probably intending to winter here) Counts of migrants at the coast have dropped off - just 15 in the Worthing area and 25 at Beachy Head on Oct 19 (but over 100 in the Scillies on Oct 20)

Willow Warbler: One still in Germany on Oct 20 and one at Durlston on Oct 22

Firecrest: Reports from 15 sites in southern England are probably of birds coming here for the winter - locally Oct 20 brought 1 to Sandy Point and 2 to Gunner Point, both on south Hayling. Another 14 arrived at Dungeness on Oct 21, 8 at Portland on Oct 22 and 11 near the Needles on the IoW on Oct 23

Flycatchers: Three species in the Scillies this week - last Pied on Oct 16 but both Spotted and Red-breasted there on Oct 21. Elsewhere there was a late Spotted on the IoW on Oct 23

Long-tailed Tit: A count of 50 at the South Foreland in Kent on Oct 19 perhaps indicates the arrival of more continental birds?

Great Tit: A count of 150 at Christchurch Harbour on Oct 17 shows that they two move around to find comfortable winter quarters

Great Grey Shrike: New arrivals on Oct 18 at Stodmarsh (east of Canterbury) and the Itchen Valley country park. The Stour valley bird was still present on Oct 24

Chough: A reminder that these can be seen in Cornwall come in reports of five birds there on Oct 19

Jackdaw: In southern England 105 went west over Christchurch Harbour on Oct 17 and 180 went the same way over Portsmouth on Oct 18. On Oct 19 a total of 119 came in to Norfolk from the North Sea and on Oct 20 we had this week's peak count of 942 over a Belgian site. Latest report is of 120 over Christchurch Harbour on Oct 23

Rook: Reports of movement on the continent are increasing with seven counts on Oct 20 with a peak of 241 over a Belgian site

Carrion Crow: A count of 550 at Weston Shore on Southampton Water on Oct 24 was the highest of this year there and the highest count since 16 Sep 2007 when the flock was estimated to have 500 birds.

Hooded Crow: One reported in Holland on Oct 19

Starling: On Oct 19 Hunstanton in Norfolk saw 59,921 arriving and another 14,256 were seen there on Oct 20. On Oct 22 some 30,000 were roosting in the Kent Stour valley and large numbers are now in southern England

House Sparrow: Although we know that House Sparrows do move around I have never thought of them as moving long distances in the same way that Tree Sparrows do but this may be wrong. On Oct 10 a site in northern France had 130 passing over and on Oct 17 Christchurch Harbour logged 85 going east

Chaffinch: Late news from Denmark tells us that 52000 moved over that country on Oct 10. A more recent peak count was of 14,118 over a Dutch site on Oct 19

Brambling: No big counts in England so far (peak remains 27 over Bedfordshire on Oct 17) but the many continental counts of less than 100 at any one site suddenly shot up to 1185 over a Dutch site on Oct 19

Greenfinch: A few more seen recently with 95 coming in on the Norfolk coast on Oct 19 and 70 on the shore west of Selsey on Oct 22 when another 60 were on the beach at Church Norton (Pagham Harbour)

Goldfinch: Flocks of several hundred are still being recorded regularly at most south coast sites and peaks this week have been 2160 at Durlston on Oct 22 when there were 1440 at Dungeness and 1095 at Sandy Point on Hayling

Siskin: Peak count in England of 200 at Dungeness on Oct 21 after 800 over a Dutch site on Oct 19

Linnet: Plenty of these in southern England (665 at Durlston on Oct 19 after 1130 at Christchurch on Oct 14) but surprisingly few reported on the continent (at one Dutch site which reported 1169 on Oct 5 there were no other reports during the month of more than 25 birds and I can only find one other Dutch site which had a similar isolated count of over 1000 during the month)

Crossbill: These continue to be widely reported in England on a daily basis, mainly in flocks of 20 to 50 birds but 100 were in the Brede woods north of Hastings on Oct 20 and 215 over Durlston on Oct 21

Hawfinch: One went west over the Test valley on Oct 22 to show that these are now moving between their usual sites in southern England

Snow Bunting: There are probably a couple in Cornwall and two more in the Scillies but apart from these there are reports of one on the north Kent shore on Oct 17, another at Hastings that day, one at Christchurch Harbour on Oct 21 and one at Studland in Dorset on Oct 24

Yellowhammer: Still very few being reported in England but counts of 56 and 30 at two Dutch sites on Oct 19 may show others are on their way

Reed Bunting: On Oct 23 Dungeness had 106 and Christchurch Harbour had 146

(Skip to Plants)

One Migrant Hawker at Rye Harbour on Oct 18 and a dozen Common Darters still flying at Rye Harbour on Oct 22 are the only two reports other than one on Oct 21 from the Seaford area where a Common Darter was seen having great difficulty in getting airborne - the reason being that a Wasp had gripped its underside and was stinging it to death (this same behaviour was also seen in Sussex last year)

(Skip to Other Widlife)

186 species reported in flower during October so far

Early dog violet (Viola reichenbachiana): A couple of out of season flowers on plants in my Havant garden on Oct 23

Japanese Rose (Rosa rugosa): One red flower seen on the seawall of Nutbourne Bay on Oct 23

Wild Parsnip: Seen flowering at Durlston on Oct 19 - a new addition to the October flowering list

Deadly Nightshade: A bush found at Prinsted on Oct 23 with shrivelled flowers that must have been fresh in October

Cleavers (Goosegrass): One plant with tiny white flowers was a surprise on Oct 22

Narrow-leaved Ragwort (Senecio inaequidens): Flowering plants beside Farm Lane at Nutbourne on Oct 23 were identified as this species which I have never knowingly come across before (though I have unknowingly seen these plants at this site in recent past years so believe it to be established there). Beware that the illustration of the leaves of this plant in the Fitter, Fitter and Blamey book is wrong - my photos in my diary for Oct 23 agree with photos on the internet and with Stace's description

Yellow Iris: One plant with fresh flowers at the Langstone South Moors on Oct 22 was a surprise find

Newts: Seeing friends clearing weed from their garden pond here in Havant this week I asked if all the Newts had by now left the pond and I was told that they had, but most had only moved a short distance into a compost heap, making it difficult to take compost from the heap without disturbing (and almost certainly killing) them during the winter. Other dangers face the Newts during the journey from the pond to the hibernation site and this was brought out by Brian Banks in a contribution to the Rye Bay website describing his discovery of a young Palmate Newt (after leaving their birth pond for the first time a young Newt is nowadays called an 'Eft') in his garden at Northiam (north of Hastings). Brian discovered the Eft hiding under a stone quite close to where a Grass Snake was sunning itself, and if the Snake does not get the Eft it is still small enough to be taken by one of the Slow-Worms in the same garden. These dangers must be faced for several days as the young Eft needs to feed up before going into hibernation.

Fungi: John Goodspeed's Nature Notes for last week report a find of three good specimens of Wood Cauliflower (Sparassis crispa) at the Hookheath nature reserve (northern foot of Portsdown) on Oct 16 and an entry on the Rye Bay website dated 21 Oct contains a photo of a fungus which is thought to be Leccinum aurantiacum, found in Brede High Woods near the River Rother north of Hastings. On Oct 22 in the Langstone South Moors area I found Field Mushrooms, Shaggy Inkcaps and a troop of what I first knew as Lepiota leucothites but which is now called Leucoagaricus leucothites with the Eglish name of White Dapperling. Also on Oct 22 I found Fairy Ring Champignons in Langstone and the Durlston website reported sightings of the big Yellow Stainer toadstools (which are easily mistaken for Horse Mushrooms) and of Jews Ear fungi (now called Jelly Ear). My last find was on Oct 23 at Nutbourne (east of Emsworth) where I found a small cluster of Stropharia coronilla (Garland Roundhead) - not the rare Red-leg Roundhead as reported in my diary

(Skip to previous week)

(Skip to Insects)

Divers: No more than 2 Red-throated reported along our south coast (Portland) but there were 21 coming south past Spurn Point on Oct 16 with 14 at Cap Gris-nez that day. We had 2 Black-throated in Weymouth Bay on Oct 15 with 9 near Cap Gris-nez on Oct 16. The only Great Northern reports were from the West Country - singles in Cornwall, the Scillies and at Portland between Oct 12 and 14

Grebes: One Red-necked was in the Lymington area from Oct 13 to 16, maybe the same one which went east past Dungeness on Oct 10 (the first anywhere since Sep 20). One near Calais on Oct 13 was probably a different bird. Lymington has also had a single Slavonian from Oct 14 to 16 (the bird which summered in the Exe estuary in Devon was still there on Oct 11 and one went past Spurn Point on Oct 2). No reports of Black-necked from Sussex, Hants or Dorset this week but one was near Calais on Oct 16 and two were off the Devon coast on Oct 14

Leach's Petrel: One was off the north Kent coast on Oct 12 and 6 were near Calais on Oct 16

Gannet: A big westward movement peaked with 1432 passing Newhaven on Oct 11

Cattle Egret: Two were still in the Lymington area on Oct 16 with one at Dungeness up to Oct 15 at least

Little Egret: 152 entered the Little Deeps roost on Thorney Island on Oct 10 (174 there in Sep 29). At Rye Harbour, where there had been 85 in the roost on Sep 10, only 11 were seen to leave on the morning of Oct 16 - mayb a temporary disturbance there but maybe the birds are already dispersing inland as they do each winter to avoid cold conditions on the coast

Great White Egret: No reports from Bashford since Oct 12 but there have been one or two new ones in Cornwall this week and a new bird was at Dungeness on Oct 15. Other indications of movement are reports on Oct 14 of 8 birds over Jersey and another 8 over a Dutch site

Glossy Ibis: Two were still at Dungeness (where there had been 5 for some time) on Oct 12 and 13 but only one was there on Oct 14 and 15

Spoonbill: 14 were in Poole Harbour on Oct 13 and 15 and nine were still in Cornwall and the Scillies. The one which arrived in the north of Pagham Harbour on Oct 11 was still there on Oct 16

Bewick's Swan: The first three were reported in Holland on Oct 9 with fourteen there on Oct 14 and sixteen on Oct 15. None yet reported in England but there were 100 Whooper's at Caerlaverock in Scotland on Oct 15 when there were 15 birds in the Scillies (after arriving there on Oct 12). A single bird turned up at Abbotsbury in Dorset on Oct 8 an dtwo were there on Oct 13

Pinkfoot/Bean Geese: Half a dozen geese seen distantly at Pulborough Brooks on Oct 16 could have been either of these species

Whitefront Goose: None yet in England but there was a major arrival in Holland on Oct 14 when one site reported 1900 and another had 2852 (along with 2826 Greylag)

Brent Goose: The first count of more than 100 was of 222 in Langstone Harbour on Oct 3 with 400 in Chichester Harbour on Oct 4. France was the first to break through the thousand barrier with 3584 on the Normandy coast on Oct 8. An estimated 1000 were at the mouth of Chichester Harbour on Oct 12 (with 1440 at Sandwich Bay). Oct 14 brought 2000 in Chichester Harbour off Thorney Island (with another 1350 going west past Dungeness) and Dorset had 1050 in The Fleet on Oct 15 when around 1500 were off the north Kent coast. The first families with young were seen on Oct 14 both at Lymington and off Thorney Island. I saw one family with 2 juvs with 400+ adults off Langstone South Moors on Oct 15 and on Oct 16 Kevin Crisp had three families (3, 2, and 1 juvs) off the Milton shore of Langstone Harbour but it will be some time before we can draw meaningful conclusion as to this year's breeding success.

Pale-bellied Brent: A single stray associating with the Dark-bellied birds has been in the Stocker's Lake area of Chichester Harbour from Oct 14 to 16, with one off Titchfeld Haven on Oct 15 and two in The Fleet near Weymouth that day.

Black Brant: The first was reported at Weymouth on Oct 13 and another has been in Chichester Harbour from Oct 14 to 16

Ruddy Shelduck: The group of three that arrived at Radipole (Weymouth) on Sep 26 were still there on Oct 13. Oct 11 brought a newcomer to Duncton Mill Pond near Pulborough on Oct 11

Shelduck: A few probably arrived locally in Chichester Harbour on Oct 14 and around 10 appeared on the South Moors shore on Oct 15 when there were reports of 90 at Oare (north Kent), 72 on the Norfolk coast, 31 at Newtown Harbour (IoW) and 10 on the Langstone South Moors shore. Oct 16 brough reports of 21 and 26 from two Kent coastal sites and on Oct 17 I saw a party of at least 12 on the Langstone to Emsworth shore joined by 15 which flew in high from the east in a V-formation

Wigeon: The first report of more than 1000 was of 1750 in The Fleet near Weymouth on Oct 15 which is when I saw the first substantial flock of around 6o off the Langstone South moors shore (and Jamie Marsh found 650 near Pewit Island in Portsmouth Harbour)

American Wigeon: A female was reported in Cornwall on Oct 14. The only other report I have for this year is of a drake at Pulborough Brooks on Jan 19.

Garganey: The bird on Sinah Lake (Hayling Island) from Sep 11 to Oct 10 has not been seen since then but on Oct 15 one appeared at the Balshford Lakes (Ringwood) and on Oct 16 one was on the Farlington Marshes lake

Pochard: No large arrival yet but on Oct 15 I was pleased to find three on the Budds Farm Pools at Havant

Scaup: On Oct 16 there were at least two on the north Kent shore (the first for southern England this autumn) and one across the Channel at Cap Girs-nez

Long-tailed Duck: One heading south past Spurn point in Yorkshire on Oct 16 was the first I know of this autumn

Goldeneye: Winter birds started to arrive this week with reports of one near Warsash and another near Calais on Oct 13, then one on Sinah Lake (south Hayling) and two in Holland on Oct 14, three in Portsmouth Harbour plus one at the Blashford Lakes and one in Holland on Oct 15, then one in Thanet (Kent) and two at Blashford Lakes on Oct 16.

Red-breasted Merganser: Oct 14 brought 12 into Chichester Harbour and 26 to Langstone Harbour with quite a few other local reports including the first three off Langstone pond shore on Oct 17

Goosander: Three flying into Christchurch Harbour 'from the east' on Oct 16 were probably birds that have been in the Avon valley during the summer but might be the first arrivals

Honey Buzzard: The main passage of these ended on Sep 26 after which there was one 'probable' over Weymouth so a report of one over the Hookheath nature reserve at the northern foot of Portsdown on Oct 16 was a surprise

Sparrowhawk: These are still moving with 15 over a Dutch site on Oct 14 and 10 over north Kent on Oct 15

Buzzard: Lots of these are also on the move - nine reports between Oct 13 and 15 include counts of 173 over one Dutch site on Oct 14 and 183 over another on Oct 15

White-tailed Sea Eagle: Four reports from the Low Countries on Oct 14 and 15 may well be all of one bird

Osprey: Still a few heading south - singles over Cornwall and Newhaven on Oct 13 and over Lymington and Belgium on Oct 15

Spotted Crake: Two at Lymington on Oct 14 and 15 are the only ones in the current news

Coot: Many are now heading for the coast - on Oct 11 there were 92 at Emsworth and on Oct 12 Bembridge Pond (IoW) had around 120. Interestingly there were none to be seen on Budds Farm Pools on Oct 15 so that it would appear that even here by the coast the birds feel the urge to move before the frost arrives.

Common Crane: It looks as if these are just starting to make their autumn journey south - three seen flying south over Dungeness on Oct 13 and 12 over north Germany on Oct 15

Purple Sandpiper: 14 at Sennen near Lands End in Cornwall on Oct 12 was the first double figure count of the autumn. Since then there have been 2 at Brighton Marina on Oct 13 and 1 at Portland on Oct 15

Woodcock: The first two reports of Woodcock on the move this autumn have come from Falmborough Head in Yorkshire on Oct 14 and Sandwich Bay in Kent on Oct 16 (both singles)

Grey Phalarope: One at Cap Gris-nez on Oct 16 was the first report since Sep 24

Little Gull: Major passage now under way with a count of 1687 passing Cap Gris-nez on Oct 16 (and 169 on the north Kent coast that day)

Sabine's Gull: One off the north Foreland in Kent on Oct 12 and 6 passing the Calais area on Oct 16

Glaucous Gull: Singles had been reported from Cornwall and Lymington in July and August but one on the Belgian coast on Oct 17 is likely to be the first autumn arrival in the Channel area

Sandwich Tern: 8 seen off Milton inside the entrance to Langstone Harbour on Oct 14 may all have been intending to stay with us through the winter but some of the 12 seen there on Oct 16 (when 266 were seen on the Normandy coast of France) were probably late passage birds

Arctic Tern: Still quite a few passing with a peak of 26 off north Kent on Oct 16

Black Tern: One at Lymington on Oct 11 was a surprise after none had been seen anywhere since Sep 24

Auks: We should be seeing more of these soon - on Oct 16 Spurn Head reported 1456 heading south and on Oct 17 there were 279 at a Dutch coastal site (a lone Guillemot was in the mouth of Chichester Harbour on Oct 11, 12 and 13

Stock Dove: Just four reports of these on the move this week with a peak of 87 over a Dutch site on Oct 14

Wood Pigeon: The first report of any significant autumn movement in southern England was reported at Portland on Oct 14 (no count) and on Oct 17 there was a report of 197 passing over Sharpenhoe Clappers (an open area close to the west side of the A6 just north of Luton). On the continent there have been many reports since Oct 9 and on Oct 15 four sites in the Low Countries reported more than 10,000 passing over (peak of 35,550 that day but 50,000 at one site on Oct 14)

Turtle Dove: There have been very rare reports of wintering Turtle Doves in southern England in recent years and I wonder if we will have some staying this winter? Portland had two long stay birds still there on Oct 16 and Christchurch Harbour had one on Oct 15 (there could well be others at less well watched sites)

Long-eared Owl: One reported at Reculver in north Kent on Oct 14 may have been there for some time as two were seen in the same area on Aug 8

Short-eared Owl: Among four reports this week there is one of a bird flying in off the sea at the South Foreland in Kent on Oct 11 and another of one flying south from Dorset on Oct 15

Hoopoe: One in Devon on Oct 13 and another in the Isle of Wight in a garden between Brighstone and Shorewell on Oct 15 and 16

Wryneck: Late birds this week in Kent (south Foreland), Cornwall and the Scillies

Skylark: Plenty now on the move (and provoking resident birds into song to defend their territories as the migrants pass over). The peak count in England was 225 in Dorset on Oct 12 but on the continent Oct 14 brought the following high counts from different sites - 5648, 2182, 1672, 769 and 434

Shorelark: Two were seen on the Lymington marshes on Oct 13

Swallow: Plenty of current reports but the peak counts for England were down to 230 on Oct 15, 223 (in Jersey) on Oct 16 and 47 at Durlston on Oct 17

House Martin: Only seven reports for the week with a peak of 640 over Hastings on Oct 12 (and 68 over Durlston on Oct 17)

Rock Pipit: Three flew over Sandy Point (Hayling) on Oct 12 and Kevin Crisp had his 'first of the winter' on the Milton shore of Langstone Harbour on Oct 14

Yellow Wagtail: Three reports of late singles come from Brading (IoW) on Oct 11, Portland on Oct 15 and Durlston on Oct 17

Black Redstart: Eight reports this week include 4 at Folkestone on Oct 13, 14 in the Scillies on Oct 15, 5 at Portland on Oct 16 and a single seen briefly on south Hayling on Oct 13

Common Redstart: Latest in this week's news is one passing south through a Winchester garden on Oct 15

Whinchat: One in north Kent on Oct 15 is the latest I know of

Stonechat: Christchurch harbour had an influx of 70 on Oct 12

Wheatear: Singles at two south coast sites on Oct 16

Ring Ouzel: 32 reports during the week with a peak of 11 in the Hastings area on Oct 11 and still five birds in total at five sites on Oct 16

Blackbird: 115 at Dungeness on Oct 13 were probably arriving from the south but 351 passing Flamborough Head in Yorkshire on Oct 14 were heading south as were 120 passing Spurn Head on Oct 16

Fieldfare: Still no big flocks (biggest count in England was 56 in north Kent on Oct 13) but the birds are now widespread reaching the Scillies by Oct 14

Song Thrush: Many reports include counts of 100 over Hastings on Oct 13 and 220 going north over Jersey on Oct 14 when one Dutch site had a count of 1867

Redwing: 48 reports, mostly from southern England, include 28,892 flying south west over the RSPB HQ in Bedfordshire on Oct 13 and 12,535 coming south past Flamborough Head on Oct 14. Locally a few were heard flying over Havant on the night of Oct 10 and others were heard over Emsworth that night (the observer in Emsworth assumed they were going south but I think it more likely they were coming in from the south - birds coming from Scandinavia may cross the North Sea and then turn south when they reach Britain but others head south from Scandinavia and then west through Germany and France where quite a few turn north to get to Britain by the shorter sea crossing of the Channel)

Mistle Thrush: Twelve reports this week include a group of aroung 30 in the north west of the New Forest on Oct 11 and 135 going over a Dutch site on Oct 15 but all other reports of this now scarce Thrush were of less than 10 birds

Grasshopper Warbler: Just one report of a bird at Sandy Point on Hayling on Oct 11

Reed Warbler: Also one late bird at Titchfield Haven on Oct 13

Barred Warbler: One in the Kent South Foreland area on Oct 11

Lesser Whitethroat: Two reports - one at Dungeness on Oct 8 and one in the Scillies on Oct 13

Common Whitethroat: Four reports - one at Dungeness on Oct 8, one at Sandy Point (Hayling) on Oct 11 and a single at Portland on both Oct 11 nd 14

Garden Warbler: Just one in Cornwall on Oct 14

Blackcap: Seven reports including 29 in Thanet (Kent) and 10 at Portland, both on Oct 14

Yellow-browed Warbler: Sixteen reports from sites all along the south coast including at least four in Cornwall and six in the Scillies

Radde's Warbler: One trapped and ringed at Sandwich Bay on Oct 10 and two more in the Scillies on Oct 15

Wood Warbler: A surprising late report of one at Pulborough Brooks on Oct 9

Chiffchaff: Numbers now diminishing to a max of 100 at Beachy Head on Oct 11. At least one still singing in the Brighton area on Oct 15

Willow Warbler: Three late reports of singles at Lands End (Oct 12), Thanet and Beachy Head (both on Oct 14)

Goldcrest: A small influx of 30 at Sandwich Bay on Oct 15

Firecrest: Eighteen reports including 12 birds in the Scillies on Oct 15 and one singing in the Q E Country Park near Petersfield on Oct 16 (at least three birds at that site)

Flycatchers: Spotted, Pied and Red-breasted all present in the Scillies on Oct 15

Long-tailed Tit: Reports of high flying Bearded Tits and Dartford Warblers are not uncommon at this time of year as the birds make long journey in search of 'greener grass' but I had never thought of Long-tailed Tits behaving in this way until now. On Oct 14 a party of 20 were seen to descend from a high flight and on that day one Dutch site recorded 93 migrants

Brown Shrike: One in the Staines area of Surrey drew a good crowd of birders on Oct 14 - I think this is the first of its species in this country this year (other than a 'possible' at the Lizard in Cornwall on Sep 27 - that may have been an Isabelline)

Great Grey Shrike: There have been 11 reports of this species since July, mostly from the near continent but including one in the Thanet area of Kent on Sep 18,19 and more recently one flying east at Folkestone on Oct 14 but I am not aware of any settling in England yet

Jackdaw: By Oct 14 on Dutch site reported 5000 passing over and on Oct 15 another Dutch site reported 10,580 so there is little doubt these birds are moving to winter quarters. Here in England 283 flew west over south Hayling on Oct 13 and 40 went over Christchurch Harbour on Oct 15. Latest local report is of up to 180 circling over Portsmouth, gaining height and then flying north west towards Fareham at 8:45 am. These passage movements must be distinguished from the daily flights to and from huge corvid night roost which will soon build up (one such roost normally occurs in Elson Wood north of Gosport from which many hundreds of birds make daily flights to feed in places as far away as the New Forest). A collection of 800 Rooks seen in the Tarrant Hinton area of Dorset on Oct 14 may have been the beginnings of such a winter roost.

Starling: 13,000 passed over one Dutch site on Oct 14 and 10,576 over another on Oct 15 when Hunstanton in Norfolk recorded the arrival of 17,374 in Britain

Chaffinch: Also on Oct 15 Hunstanton had 4,000 Chaffinches coming in from the continent

Brambling: 30 new reports this week include peak counts of 132 in Holland on Oct 15 and 42 in the Thanet area of Kent that day

Greenfinch: These remain in short supply compared to the huge flocks of a few years ago but Christchurch Harbour had the peak count for this week with just 230 on Oct 12

Goldfinch: Peak count in this week's reports was 2360 at Climping near Worthing on Oct 14 - half a dozen other sites had over 1000 birds

Siskin: Peak count of 500 at Dungeness on Oct 14 but several other sites had over 100

Linnet: Christchurch Harbour had 1130 on Oct 14 but nothing to match the peak of 4300 there last week

Twite: First report for this autumn is of 7 in the Thanet area on Oct 12

Lesser Redpoll: Christchurch Harbour again had the highest count of the week with 112 on Oct 14

Crossbill: Twenty two reports this week as the birds continue to arrive in southern England. Biggest count was of 212 over Ballard Down near Swanage in Dorset but 105 were logged in Kent (Thanet) on Oct 14 and on Oct 15 the Ventnor Downs on the IoW had 89 passing over. At least one was heard in the Creech Woods at Denmead on Oct 12

Common Rosefinch: One in the Hastings area on Oct 11 was a surprise - another was still in the Scillies on Oct 15

Bullfinch: 10 seen in the Test valley at Timsbury on Oct 13 shows that a few of these are on the move (another 8 went over Hastings that day

Snow Bunting: None in southern England this week but 12 were at a site on the French coast on Oct 16. Five of these birds were still to be seen in the Cairngorms by Tony Tindale on Oct 10 and it is well worth a visit to the Three Amigos blog ( http://www.surfbirds.com/blog/amigo/12413/Ptarmigan+on+Cairngorm.html ) to see Tony's close up pictures of three Ptarmigans also present on Ben Macdhui that day. If you go to the start of the blog ( http://www.surfbirds.com/blog/amigo ) you can get even more benefit from Britain's Defence Budget which, even in these straightened times, not only takes you to the Cairngorms but also (courtesy of Steve Copsey) to the Straits of Gibralter to watch Eagles (Booted and Short-toed) heading south

Reed Bunting: Returning to our south coast Christchurch Harbour had 135 Reed Buntings passing on Oct 12 and 142 on Oct 14 - many other sites had smaller numbers including 4 at Sandy Point on Hayling on Oct 12

(Skip to Plants)

43 Common Darters were still active at Gosport on Oct 8 and three could still be seen near Lymington on Oct 13 when many Ruddy Darters were reported at Oare Marshes in north Kent. One Southern Hawker was at Lymington on Oct 13 and two Migrant Hawkers were at Gosport on Oct 8

17 species in this week's reports (excluding the Small Skipper!)

Wood Cricket (Nemobius sylvestris): This species only gets its first mention for the year on Oct 13 when a chorus of them could be heard in woods north of Lymington.

(Skip to Other Wildlife)

Welsh Poppy: The bright yellow flowers of one of these plants in a 'twitchel' path connecting Lymbourn Road to Wade Court Road (where Havant Borough workers have done their utmost to eliminate all colour and natural life from road and path sides) was a welcome site on Oct 12

Sea Heath (Frankenia laevis): Brian Fellows found many plants (past flowering) at the East Head site near West Wittering on Oct 15. I have looked for this plant in vain around the Black Point area of Hayling where it was reported as recently as 1995 and did not know it could be found just across the water of Chichester Harbour. Despite it's name the plant is unrelated to Heathers and is a member of the Rock Rose family with very similar flowers (but a pleasant pink colour rather than yellow). I have only heard of this plant at Rye Harbour this year but on checking the internet I find that, in addition to its east coast stronghold, there is an isolated colony in north Wales (well worth a look at http://www.ukwildflowers.com/Web_pages/frankenia_laevis_sea_heath.htm ). I see that the species can also be found by the Widewater Lagoon at Lancing in west Sussex.

Dwarf Mallow: I had given up hope of seeing this species this year when I stumbled on several plants at Prinsted this week (see my diary entry for Oct 12 for pictures)

Least Yellow Sorrel: On Oct 12 I found that the mass of plants in the footpath crossing Southbrook Road in Langstone had started autumn re-flowering

White Melilot: Brian Fellows added this to the October list when he found plants flowering at Eastney (Portsmouth) onmOct 13

Strawberry Tree: The big old specimen alongside Slipper Mill Road had started flowering on Oct 12 and on Oct 17 I found a specimen newly planted in the roadside flower bed of White Ladies Close (opposite the Wheelwright's Arms pub in the Emsworth Road of Havant) bearing both flowers and fruit

Moth Mullein: A couple of plants were flowering at Prinsted on Oct 12 at a site where I saw them last year and near them (at an old farmyard site) were a couple of plants which I have not yet been able to identify. One of them is probably one of the Pigweed (Amaranth) species but my best guess at the other (which may be well clear of the mark!) is that it is Sorghum - a huge species of grass which is grown in this country as a game crop and in Asia as a main source of grain. I gather that Sorghum plants can grow to several metres high and have stems 30 cm across which would fit these plants (which I think are still young). The leaves of these plants clasp the stem as grass leaves do and Brian Fellows tells me they have very rough edges (also like some grasses) but the only other clue is that they are reported at second hand to have blue flowers (with no descripton of the flower type). My next step will be to go back and see if the leaves do have the required 'ligules' where they leave the sheath clasping the stem

Shaggy Soldier (Galinsoga quadriradiata): Masses of this also flowering at Prinsted on Oct 12 in the market garden plot in fields close to the farmyard with the Moth Mullen

Chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile): Still flowering at its Purbrook Heath site (Waterlooville) on Oct 16 - see my Diary entry for that day for pictures

Sea Rush (Juncus maritimus): I have seen a single clump of this in the Sandy Point nature reserve on Hayling and learn from Brian Fellows this week that a lot more of it can be seen at East Head, just across the water of Chichester Harbour entrance.

Weasel: A birder visiting Pagham Harbour on Oct 16 was surprised to see a Wood Pigeon crashing to the ground from several metres up in a tree overhanging the Church Norton carpark and even more surprised when he saw that a Weasel had it by the throat. When they hit the ground the pigeon was still alive and the Weasel retreated from its flapping wings and potentially stabbing beak but made repeated darting attacks on it until it was dead. I know that Weasels are notoriously fearless and inquisitive but this is the first time I have heard of one climbing so high and bringing down such a large prey item.

Minke Whale: A birding boat trip off the Scillies on Oct 13 encountered not only one of these Whales but also both Basking and Blue Sharks

Hedgehog: With the first touch of ground frost on my lawn on Oct 18 Hedgehogs will soon be settling down to hibernate. Tony Tupper told me that the one for which he had provided a winter home (in a hay box inside a chicken house) was already starting to use it for sleeping by day on Oct 8 and I have not heard of any others being active since then though John Goodspeed's website reports that one or two were still active in a Waterlooville garden on nights just before Oct 8. While on the subject of hibernation I missed the beginning of a contribution by Chris Packham to this week's AutumnWatch programme but heard him saying that some hibernating animals regularly awake during the winter months, partly to defecate and rid their bodies of what could accumulate into dangerous poision, but also to 'get some sleep' which is necessary to keep the brain in a healthy state (distinguishing sleep, during which bodily functions are active, from hibernation when the animal's metabolism closes down)

Snakes: Both Adder and Grass Snake were still active at the Q E Country Park near Petersfield on Oct 16 when Slow-worms could also still be seen

Angular Crab (Goneplax rhomboides): This was one of several species new to Cliff Dean when he was involved in a shrimp netting exercise in the sea at Rye Bay on Oct 11. Another was a Long-legged Spider Crab (Macropodia rostrata) and among other finds were species he had seen previously like the Little cuttlefish (Sepiola atlantica)

Fungi: A couple of interesting finds in this week's news are of a Wood Cauliflower (Sparassis crispa) in Park Wood at Waterlooville on Oct 8 and a more recent find of what I believe to be Branching Oyster (Pleurotus cornucopiae) on a dying Rowan tree in a Langstone garden (see pictures of this in my diary entry for Oct 16). One reason for hesitancy in this identification is that the spore print of the Oyster Mushrooms is given as lilac coloured while the staining of the gills shown in the photos is a bright rust colour. I could not get my specimen of the fungus to yield any spores but I suspect that the colouration of the gills may come from some other cause in the same way that the 'black speckles' seen on the top of the cap where actually tiny specks of dead wood which had dropped from a above as insects which had spent their larval period within the wood bored their way out as adults (many 'wood worm' like holes could be seen in the dead wood and the speckles shook of the cap if you tapped it!)

(Skip to previous week)

The first large arrival of Brent brought 222 to Langstone Harbour on Oct 3 and 400 to Chichester Harbour on Oct 4 when there were already 53 Pintail in Langstone Harbour.

Current rarities include a possible American Golden Plover in Kent and a Long-tailed Skua in Hampshire - latest excitement is a Long-billed Dowitcher at the Blashford Lakes on Oct 11

Newcomers to the autumn reports are Bewick's Swan and Sacred Ibis (both on the continent) Also on the continent raptors have been moving in large numbers

Turtle Doves are later than usual in departing but most Terns have now left as the first large Starling flock of the winter arrives

Local excitement came from unexpected Woodlark song on Oct 8 and at least 5 Redwings flying over Havant during the night of Oct 10 (these are just a tiny part of recent massive movements of birds that will winter in Britain).

My knowledge of birds was extended this week by Jason Crook's comment on Bearded Tits feeding habits at Farlington Marshes

14 butterfly species are still flying, among them large numbers of Clouded Yellows in the Beachy Head area but the big story is the first successful breeding in Britain by a Queen of Spain Fritillary in Brandy Hole Copse near Chichester

Moth news includes two rarities (Sombre Brocade and Beautiful Gothic) plus th uncommon and very pretty Merveile du Jour

Late sunshine is keeping up the numbers of flowering plants among which I learn the name of ne species that is new to me - Caucasian Stonecrop. I also have photos of the uncommon but totally insignificant Chinese Mugwort at Broadmarsh. More colourful flowers this week are Dog and Field Rose plus Hairy Vetchling

With autumn nights turning cold Hedgehogs are thinking of hibernating and with more rain the number of fungi is increasing. The Chinese Mitten Crab also gets a lengthy mention in Other Wildlife where we also have a river full of Jellyfish.

(Skip to Insects)

Red-throated Diver: Two in the Lymington/Milford area on Oct 6 and the single Black-throated was still in Southampton Water on Oct 5. By Oct 8 Spurn Point had 22 of them heading south while one was still off the Bournemouth area.

Black-throated Diver: One still in Southampton Water on Oct 5 and reports of them in Weymouth Bay and Reculver in north Kent on Oct 7

Great Northern Diver: Other than one in Devon on Sep 7 the first in southern waters this autumn were seen on Oct 7 off Milford (west of Lymington) and Dungeness in Kent

Diver species: One unidentified diver flew over the RSPB HQ in Bedfordshire on Oct 9

Black-necked Grebe: Two were still in Langstone Harbour on Oct 4 with one still in Southampton Water on Oct 10 and the first two back in the Studland Bay area of Dorset on Oct 4

Sooty Shearwater: On Oct 6 ten were seen off Portland with five off Dungeness and even one seen well from Sandy Point on Hayling

Leach's Petrel: One reported off Bournemouth on Oct 9 (and two off the Scillies on Oct 4)

Shag: 25 seen off Milford/Lymington on Oct 7 was the highest Hampshire count of the year though these were probably passage birds like the 14 moving east past Hayling on Sep 20

Cattle Egret: Two are now based on the Lymington Marshes and both were seen on the evening of Oct 5 going to roost in the Normandy area with more than 50 Little Egrets. Both were still there on Oct 10

Glossy Ibis: The five at Dungeness were last reported on Oct 4 and the single bird at Paxton Pits on the Beds/Cambs border was still there on Oct 9

Sacred Ibis: One of these reported in Holland on Oct 9 (presumably a wild bird and not an escape)

Spoonbill: The number in Poole Harbour was up to 11 on Oct 10

Bewick's Swan: The first report I have seen this autumn is of 3 in Holland on Oct 9

Whooper Swan: One was in Cornwall on Oct 6 and 7 and maybe the same bird was at Abbotsbury in Dorset on Oct 8

Canada Goose: On Oct 5 there were thought to be a total of 670 at Titchfield Haven

Brent Goose: The first big flock of 400 seen in Chichester Harbour on Oct 4 was matched with another 150 seen in Langstone Harbour that day but both flocks have probably moved on. After writing this in mid-week I saw that Jason Crook had recorded a total of 222 in Langstone Harbour on Oct 3. On Oct 7 Titchfield Haven had 19 but on Oct 8 the Pointe du Hoc in Normandy recorded 3584 going west on the French coast. On Oct 9 Rye Harbour had 205 and on Oct 10 there were 15 on the Lymington Marshes and another 300 off the Normandy coast of France

Pale-bellied Brent: A few of these regularly get mixed up with the Dark-bellied birds and seem to stay with them for the rest of their lives. This was borne out this week with two separate reports of single Pale birds arriving back with flocks of Dark (on Oct 7 one Pale was with 19 Dark at Titchfield Haven area and on Oct 6 one Pale was with 10 Dark in the Pegwell Bay area of East Kent - I suppose this might be the same bird in both cases). I wonder why I have never come across reports of Dark birds joining Pale flocks?

Wigeon: On Oct 10 a total of 450 were seen in the north of Langstone Harbour by Jason Crook looking from Budds Mound

Pintail: A total of 53 were in Langstone Harbour on Oct 4

Garganey: The long staying bird was still at Sinah Lake (Hayling) from Sep 11 to Oct 10 - and another late bird was at Marazion in Cornwall from Oct 1 to 4

Tufted Duck: There were between 750 and 800 on the Paxton Pits (Beds/Cambs border) on Oct 5 and 7 - by far the biggest number of the autumn so far

Velvet Scoter: Two seen at Dungeness on Oct 3 were the first I have heard of in southern England this autumn (one seen on the north French coast on Oct 8 may be one of these)

Red-breasted Merganser: On Oct 7 two were seen off the Lymington shore and on Oct 9 three were seen at Dungeness and several were off the Climping shore east of Worthing

Goosander: Two in Christchurch Harbour on Oct 8 may well be birds breeding further up stream this summer

Ruddy Duck: Two reports this week suggest that more are now arriving in southern waters (though they may have been here un-noticed through the summer). One was at Bembridge (IoW) on Oct 5 and eight were at the Blashford Lakes on Oct 6 (where the previous high counts reported for this year were 5 in January and 3 on Sep 14)

Hen Harrier: A ringtail had been seen in the New Forest on Sep 12 and another was there on Oct 5 (with a further ringtail coming in over Christchurch Harbour on Oct 7). On Oct 10 a male was seen in the north west of the Forest

Sparrowhawk: On Oct 9 a Belgian site reported 38 migrants passing over (with 30 reported from a Dutch site that day)

Buzzard: Also on Oct 9 two Belgian sites reported 124 and 116 Buzzards passing over.

Osprey: Singles seen on Oct 9 and 10 over the Low Countries

Red-footed Falcon: One also reported from Holland on Oct 10

Hobby: Many of these may have left us already but there were still two in the Poole Harbour area on Oct 6 plus singles at Dungeness on Oct 5 and Blashford Lakes on Oct 4. Three were seen at Blashford on Oct 8 when another was in the Hastings area. Four went over a Belgian site on Oct 9. Last year the last I know of was at Rye Harbour on Oct 14.

Pheasant: An 'all white' female attacted attention on Oct 4 in fields near the West Stoke carpark for Kingley Vale near Chichester

Avocet: The total on Poole Harbour for the winter was up to 915 on Oct 8

Lesser Golden Plover: This seems to be a name for Pluvialis dominica which is nowadays generally called American Golden Plover. It was used to report sightings of a single bird seen among a flock of normal Golden Plover in the Thanet area of Kent on Oct 1 and 5 - the distinguishing feature noticed was the dark underwing of the 'different' bird. In the 'MacMillan Guide to Bird Identification' Keith Vinicombe says that the underwing coverts and axillaries are grey (silvery grey on Golden Plover) and so look darker in flight but when seen on the ground the American stands out more from a flock of Golden by being distinctly smaller and slighter and catches the eye as being different when actively feeding (though difficult to separate when at rest). Keith says the main thing to look for when on the ground is the length of the primaries which extend beyond the tail by 1 cm (normal Golden wings exend only just beyond the tail). This is the third bird I know of for this year after one in Norfolk on July 22 and one in the Scillies on Sep 20

Lapwing: Still no large numbers in southern England but that may soon change as on Oct 10 three sites in the Low Countries reported 295, 313 and 1005 respectively passing over

Knot: 27 were in the Farlington Marshes lake area at high tide on Oct 4

Pectoral Sandpiper: Still at Lymington marshes on Oct 10

Curlew Sandpiper: On Oct 4 there were singles at Farlington Marshes, Lymington and Newtown Harbour on the IoW. Latest report is of one in Christchurch Harbour on Oct 9

Purple Sandpiper: Two more have been seen in the Scillies on Oct 3 but so far none have been seen nearer to Hampshire than Selsey Bill (where two were seen on Sep 6)

Buff-breasted Sandpiper: A young bird has been at Paxton Pits in Bedfordshire from Oct 4 to 6

Jack Snipe: One was at Arundel Wildfowl Trust reserve on Oct 6 and one was at the Farlington Marshes Lake on Oct 8

Long-billed Dowitcher: Those twitchers who have not yet gone to the Scillies (where one of these was on Tresco up to Oct 7) will be heading for the Blashford Lakes at Ringwood where one turned up on Oct 11

Black-tailed Godwit: A count of 760 by Jason Crook at Farlington Marshes on Oct 4 was more than double the 300 peak count there so far this autumn (though not the 1215 in Poole Harbour on Oct 1). On Oct 10 a flock of 300 was in the Bosham area of Chichester Harbour, a significant increase on the flock of 212 seen in the Chichester Channel on Sep 19

Whimbrel: A total of six were seen by the party which Barry Collins led round Thorney Island on Oct 4 - the date is getting late for passage birds and Thorney usually has at least two Whimbrel wintering around it, making me wonder if all six will stay this winter. 20 Greenshank were seen around Thorney by the same party

Redshank: A high tide roost of around 150 birds were in the Budds Farm Pools at Havant on Oct 10

Long-tailed Skua: Great, Arctic and Pomarine Skuas have all been seen at several places in the past few days but only two Long-tailed were reported - one at Milford on sea (west of Lymington) on Oct 6. The other was also seen on Oct 6 at Start Point in Devon where there were 27 Arctic and 81 Great Skuas. Still on Oct 6 Portland reported 55 Great Skuas.

Sabine's Gull: One seen in north Kent on Oct 7

Ring-billed Gull: Still none at Gosport but on Oct 11 two stopped to bathe at the Blashford Lakes before flying off west

Terns: Sandwich, Common and Arctic Terns have all been seen up to Oct 6 but numbers are now small. Having written that in mid-week there was a surge bring 50 Sandwich to Dungeness on Oct 9 and 700 to the Normandy coast of France on Oct 10. 13 Common Terns were off Titchfield Haven on Oct 6 and 2 were seen at Christchurch Harbour on Oct 8. 10 Arctic Terns were at Christchurch on Oct 7 and 5 there on Oct 8

Auks: One Guillemot was seen from Milford on sea on both Oct 5 and 6 and a single Razorbill was off Sandy Point on Hayling on Oct 6. On Oct 7 Christchurch Harbour had 4 Razorbills

Stock Dove: First signs of autumn movement with 38 roosting at Christchurch Harbour on Oct 8 and 54 passing over a Dutch site on Oct 9

Wood Pigeon: No big numbers in southern England so far but on Oct 9 one Dutch site had 1595 going over and another had 1746

Turtle Dove: Last year the last of the year was at Portland on Sep 27 - this year there were still two at Portland on Oct 10 with one at Christchurch Harbour that day.

Barn Owl: One reported at Portland on Oct 10 but I am not sure if it was coming, going or resident

Wryneck: A late bird at the Lizard in Cornwall on Oct 5 - last year there was one at Farlington Marshes until Oct 13

Woodlark: I thought these had by now all moved from their inland breeding sites to winter near the coast or in market gardens but on Oct 8 Brian Fellows heard at least one singing over fields near West Marden (north of the source of the River Ems) where breeding numbers have been increasing in recent years. This report elicited news from Sussex that one had been heard singing on Sep 21 and that song was heard throughout October last year. A large increase in reports of birds on the move includes one on south Hayling before setting out over Langstone Harbour on Oct 8. Oct 9 brought a report of 55 passing over one Dutch site

Skylark: By Oct 8 Dungeness had 44 and Christchurch Harbour had 73 passing over while Oct 9 brought a report of 806 over one Dutch site and 313 over another. On Oct 10 Durlston had 68 over and Lodmoor (Weymouth) had 52

Swallow: Numbers have dramatically decreased in the past week or so but Dungeness was still able to record 280 on Oct 6. Numbers then shot up again on Oct 8 and 9 with a peak of 4300 over Christchurch Harbour on Oct 9

House Martin: Durlston was still able to report 2000 overhead on Oct 9 when Barton on Sea had an estimated 1700

Meadow Pipit: One Dutch site reported 25,000 passing over on Oct 5

Yellow Wagtail: Five reports this week - the latest being 2 over Hastings on Oct 10

Pied Wagtail: Singles heard over my garden this week suggest that winter birds have settled in here in the Havant area and this is confirmed by a first report of a flock of 170 on playing fields near the M27 and Southampton airport in the Eastleigh area on Oct 7 (also that day Christchurch Harbour reported a total of 1100 Alba wagtails passing over)

Robin: An influx of Robins with 40+ at Dungeness on Oct 4 and more than 43 at an Andover site on Oct 5. On Oct 9 Dungeness had 50

Black Redstart: Durlston reported the first of the autumn there on Oct 5 and by Oct 10 singles had been seen at Haywards Heath, St Catherine's Point (IoW), and Portland

Ring Ouzel: 15 reports this week include 7 birds in the Hastings area on Oct 10 with 3 in the New Forest and 2 in Andover that day

Blackbird: 26 more in from the continent in the Thanet area of Kent on Oct 6

Fieldfare: Nine reports this week including 20 birds in Yorkshire on Oct 9 and 4 at Cissbury Ring in Sussex on Oct 10

Song Thrush: More than 50 arrived at Christchurch Harbour on Oct 4 and 40 were in the New Forest on Oct 9. By Oct 10 one Dutch site reported 700 passing and another had 418

Redwing: Late news of an early arrival on Sep 22 at Longwood Warren below Cheesefoot Head east of Winchester (not quite the first to arrive this autumn - that honour went to Spurn Point in Yorkshire with 5 there on Sep 15). Latest news is of 83 in Bedfordshire on Oct 10 when 5 went over Ashdown Forest, 2 were seen near Beachy Head with another 2 at Christchurch Harbour and at least 5 going over Havant in the late evening. In Yorkshire 661 went over Bradford on Oct 9 and a Belgian site had 168 on Oct 10

Mistle Thrush: 15 reports this week was a real surprise to me - especially one report of more than 30 together in the New Forest on Oct 10 when 12 were at Cissbury Ring near Worthing

Zitting Cisticola: One still reported in north Kent on Oct 5

Blackcap: Still good numbers - on Oct 5 there were 83 in total at three sites and Durlston still had 30 on Oct 7

Yellow-browed Warbler: There seem to be three different birds in Cornwall and the Scillies this week plus one whose calls surprised a birder in his own garden in Hove (Brighton) on Oct 2. On Oct 8 one was at Birling Gap on Beachy Head. On Oct 9 there were 2 on Portland and on Oct 10 one at Christchurch Harbour was the first of the autumn there

Chiffchaff: Still plentiful with 120 at Durlston on Oct 5 and around 50 there on Oct 7

Willow Warbler: Three sites reported singles this week - the last was one singing in Thanet on Oct 5

Firecrest: Reported from seven sites between Oct 4 and 7 with a max of 25+ at Dungeness on Oct 9

Spotted Flycatcher: A late bird at Christchurch Harbour on Oct 8

Pied Flycatcher: One in the Scillies on Oct 7

Bearded Tit: On Oct 4 Jason Crook saw 17 at Farlington Marshes with some of them on the mud at the base of the reeds suggesting they were eating fallen seeds (though they could have been picking up tiny pieces of grit which birds need in their gizzards to grind up whatever food they take in) and Jason tells us that Bearded Tits live on a diet of invertebrate food during the summer and it is only in the winter that they feed on reed seeds (giving us a much better chance to see them as they come to the top of the reed stems).

Red-backed Shrike: The juvenile which appeared at Newtown Harbour (IoW) on Oct 2 was still there on Oct 4. Another was near Swanage in Dorset on Oct 8

Woodchat Shrike: One remains near Lands End up to Oct 7

Jackdaw: 70 flew over Christchurch Harbour on Oct 9 and a Dutch site reported 2668 over on that day

Starling: A flock of more than 2000 seen in the Thanet area of Kent on Oct 6 was the largest that I know off since an estimated 3000 came to roost in the reeds at the Dungeness RSPB site on July 22. Since then a Dutch site has reported 8000 passing on Oct 10

House Sparrow: On Oct 10 I noticed a large number chattering away hidden in bushes in a Havant garden (something I have not heard for some time) and on that day a French site reported 130 passing through

Chaffinch: Several reports of thousands moving on the continent with a peak of 8954 over a Dutch site on Oct 9

Brambling: Four at Dungeness on Oct 9 and three at Durlston on Oct 10

Greenfinch: Numbers of this species remain low but Christchurch Harbour reported 660 passing on Oct 9

Linnet: Christchurch Harbour had 4300 over on Oct 9

Lesser Redpoll: Christchurch Harbour had 86 over on Oct 9

Crossbill: Counts of 26 at Sandwich Bay and 24 at Reculver near the North Foreland on Oct 7 may have been the same flock arriving from the continent. 23 flew over Stubbington south of Fareham on Oct 9 but there was a surprising count of 234 going over Ballard Down near Swanage on Oct 7

Lapland Bunting: A flock of six were on the shore at Pegwell Bay in Kent on Oct 5 while singles were at Christchurch Harbour on Oct 5 and at Durlston on Oct 7

Little Bunting: One at Portland on Oct 8

Reed Bunting: Numbers on passage have now taken off with a peak of 135 over Christchurch Harbour on Oct 9

Turtle Dove 3 on Oct 10

Wryneck 1 on Oct 5

Woodlark 1 on Oct 9

Sand Martin 2 on Oct 7

Swallow 4300 on Oct 9

House Martin 'hundreds' on Oct 7

Tree Pipit 2 on Oct 10

Meadow Pipit 3800 on Oct 7

Yellow Wagtail 1 on Oct 5

Common Redstart 2 on Oct 5

Whinchat 2 on Oct 10

Wheatear 25 on Oct 8

Ring Ouzel 7 on Oct 10

Grasshopper Warbler 1 on Oct 10

Sedge Warbler 1 on Oct 10

Reed Warbler 3 on Oct 5 and 2 on Oct 10

Lesser Whitethroat 1 on Oct 6

Common Whitethroat 2 on Oct 8

Garden Warbler 1 on Oct 4

Blackcap 50 on Oct 5 and 40 on Oct 8

Chiffchaff 120 on Oct 5 and 70 on Oct 8 on Oct 7

Willow Warbler 1 on Oct 5

Spotted Flycatcher 1 on Oct 8

Pied Flycatcher 1 on Oct 7

Woodlark 2 on Oct 8

Skylark 73 on Oct 8

Rock Pipit 5 on Oct 8

Grey Wagtail 4 on Oct 10

Pied Wagtail 172 on Oct 7

Robin 50 at Dungeness on Oct 9

Stonechat 5 o Oct 9

Blackbird 26 on Oct 6

Fieldfare 20 on Oct 9

Song Thrush 50+ on Oct 4

Redwing 83 on Oct 10

Mistle Thrush 30+ on Oct 10

Yellow-browed Warbler 2 on Oct 10

Goldcrest 16 on Oct 10

Firecrest 25+ on Oct 9

Chaffinch 560 on Oct 9

Brambling 4 on Oct 9

Greenfinch 660 on Oct 9

Goldfinch 2200 on Oct 7

Siskin 378 on Oct 7

Linnet 4300 on Oct 9

Lesser Redpoll 86 on Oct 9

Crossbill 234 on Oct 7

Reed Bunting 125 at Christchurch Harbour on Oct 9

(Skip to Plants)

One Common Darter and one Southern Hawker seen in Havant Thicket on Oct 8 when quite a few Migrant Hawkers and Common Darters were seen in the Hook/Warsash area

14 species reported in the current news

(Skip to Other Wildlife)

Common Fumitory: One plant had started re-flowering in my Havant garden on Oct 10

Pale Flax: Durlston reported a plant still in flower on Oct 9

Indian/Himalayan Balsam: Still flowering in damp ditches in the Chidham Village area east of Emsworth where it was seen by Brian Fellows on Oct 6

Hairy Vetchling: Three plants still flowering on Oct 10 in a part of the Broadmarsh 'mountain' here in Havant where the grass had not been mown

Field Rose: One bush with two fresh flowers seen on Oct 8 on the Gipsies Plain west of Rowlands Castle

Dog Rose: Two plants seen with fresh flowers in the Havant area on Oct 10

Caucasian stonecrop (Sedum spurium): This is normally a garden species but when it escapes or is left untended it is very persistent. This week I found several fresh flowers on plants in the Havant Eastern Road cemetery and this persuaded me to find out the name of this plants whose dense mats of non flowering stems and leaves I have seen in both the Havant and Warblington cemeteries on long untended graves - see my picture with my diary entry for Oct 5

Chinese Mugwort: This inconspicuous alien never flowers until Oct and I found several plants in flower at Broadmarsh n Havant on Oct 10 - see Diary entry for photos

Several other plants get a mention in my diary entry for Oct 8 and bring the total of plants seen flowering in October to around 152

Bottle-nosed Dolphin: More than 20 off the Scillies on Oct 5

Minke Whale: A boat trip around the Scillies came on 2 Minke Whales and some 30 Common Dolphins on Oct 3

Hedgehog: It's now time for these to be thinking about hibernating and here in Havant Tony Tupper has provided a small box stuffed with hay for the young Hedgehog that has been coming to feed in his garden for some time. The box has been put in a chicken house and so should be secure from frost and snow and the Hedgehog has already started to explore it.

Chinese Mitten Crab: On Oct 1 a dog walker in a field close the River Rother near Rye was confronted with a Crab waving its enlarged claw menacingly at both man and dog. The Crab was said to be a Japanese Mitten Crab but Barry Yates (warden of Rye Harbour reserve) suggested on the RX website that it was more likely to be the Chinese species which had had a mention on the RX website in March 2008 when a dead crab washed up on the Camber Sands had been identified as that species. What was written about it on that occasion caused me to write the following in my Summary ...

"This is an unwelcome ship-borne alien invader from the Far East which arrived in the Thames estuary (where it is now well established) as long ago as 1935 and has been spreading around the east coast - the dead one was the first to be found in Rye Bay and may have been washed there after it died, but live ones are probably not far behind. The name 'Mitten Crab' comes from the tufts of hairs that grow between the joints of the crab's limbs giving the appearance of a crab wearing gloves. The reasons for this species being unwelcome include the fact that it is able to flourish and multiply in our waters, but are mainly based on its habit of tunnelling into the banks of streams, causing the banks to collapse, and on its willingness to enter buildings (including inhabited houses). It probably also has an adverse effect on longer established species here."

A Google search today added a couple of pieces of information about the species - firstly that it reached Europe as early as 1912 when it was found in Germany, and secondly that the species normally lives in fresh water (and thus is likely to move up the River Rother or any other river) but has to return to the sea when they reach five years old and need to breed. Wikipaedia goes on to tell us .. "This species is very invasive and has been spread to North America and Europe, raising concerns that it competes with local species, and its burrowing nature damages embankments and clogs drainage systems. The crabs can make significant inland migrations. It was reported in the London Evening Standard in 1995 that the residents of Greenwich, UK, saw the Chinese mitten crabs coming out of the River Thames and moving towards the High Street, and other reports indicate that the crabs have been known to take up residence in swimming pools. In some places the crabs have been found hundreds of miles from the sea."

The suggestion that this was a Japanese Mitten Crab may have come from someone who had come on that species in a restaurant as both species are regarded as delicacies by gourmets and may be found in restaurants in this country but I am not aware that living Japanese Mitten Crabs can be found in British waters. The thought of eating either species should carry with it the warning that these crabs are good at collecting such poisons as Cadmium and Mercury which they can tolerate but which might not be good for humans (though the British Natural History Museum has this year issued advice that crabs caught in the Thames are safe to eat)

If you want to see the most menacing photo of this 'nasty alien invader' try http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/ecology/aliens-of-the-deep-invade-britain/548

Common Jellyfish: On Oct 7 the Beaulieu River was full of small Jelly Fish which the reporter described as being 'Common Moon Jellyfish' making me wonder if it was a different species to Aurelia aurita which I have listed as Common Jellyfish but I now find that they are the same

Fungi: My first significant find of the autumn came in Havant Thicket on Oct 8 with a troop of around 50 'dinner plate sized' Fleecy Milkcaps as well as two clumps of Sulphur Tuft. On the same day Brian Fellows found several Shaggy Inkcaps (some of them already going over) near Watergate House north of Walderton in the Ems valley - nearby he found some fresh and colourful 'Turkeytail' (Trametes versicolor)

(Skip to previous week)

Little Egret numbers along the south coast peak at this time of year and I continue to be intrigued by their choice of night roost sites - we have two sites in the Langstone-Emsworth area both of which are visible to an airborne bird in the area and sometimes those that have settled at the Langstone site are disturbed and change their minds about where to spend the night, flying off en masse to the alternative site near the Thorney Little Deeps. This week we have news of 174 birds using the Thorney site with 120+ known to have come to Langstone a few days earlier. Oct 4 brought the first big flock of 400 Brent into Chichester Harbour and other wildfowl numbers are increasing (e.g. 450 Wigeon and 25 Pintail in Langstone Harbour where two Black-necked Grebes and two Mergansers have been seen this week). Christchurch Harbour has been visited by a Ring-necked Duck. We have also had the first substantial flock of Bar-tailed Godwit near Langstone though Lapwing numbers there remain minimal. The last of our summer Terns are now leaving but a rare White-winged Black Tern was among the few seen on Hayling this week. Among the vast number of passerines currently on the move I note the first report of Wood Lark back on the coast and also the first continental Blackbirds and Redwing to be seen arriving on our south coast. The annual collection of lost birds is starting to assemble in the Scillies and Cornwall - among them four Shrike species and a Rustic Bunting. Also new this week are the first Whooper Swans and Smew

Warm weather has brought reports of five Dragonfly species including Ruddy Darter and the first mention of Black Darter for the year. Butterflies are down to 18 species but there is still a spectacular show of Clouded Yellows in East Sussex (and west to the Isle of Wight) and Kent has added a new insect to its inhabitants - the Sickle-bearing Bush Cricket which was new to Britain when found breeding at Hastings in 2006 has now appeared at Dungeness

The Gorse flowers which will brighten our winter had their first substantial showing on Hayling this week after a lengthy summer break in flowering and a couple of Violet species also sense day lengths similar to those of spring and have responded by unseasonal flowering while a strange member of the Nightshade family called 'Cock's Eggs' (from its tiny white egg shaped flowers) is currently enjoying its main annual flowering season. The first four days of October have seen 96 plants species reported as flowering

The appearance of Common Earthballs and Honey Fungus herald the start of the autumn fungus season which has been delayed by drought and I include an apology for giving the wrong location in last week's summary for the find of the rare Tooth Fungus. Off the Dorset coast the first Mackerel Shark (or Porbeagle) have appeared following shoals of Squid and Mackerel

(Skip to Insects)

Divers: Both Red-throated and Black-throated seen off the Hampshire coast - a summer plumaged Red-throated was off Barton on sea (west of Lymington) on Sep 26, 27 and 30, and a winter pumaged Black-throated was in Southampton Water (around the mouth of the Itchen), seen on Sep 24 and 29 below the docks and then on Sep 30 further north off Mayflower Park. Across the Channel there was a count of 49 Red-throated on Oct 2

Slavonian Grebe: Other than the single bird which spent the summer in the Exe estuary in Devon (last reported there on Sep 28) the first of the winter was a single passing Spurn Point in Yorkshire on Oct 2

Black-necked Grebe: The two birds in Langstone Harbour where seen again on Sep 30 and the one in Southampton Water which appeared there on Sep 26 has been seen again up to Oct 1. Another of these birds was still at Tresco in the Scillies on Oct 1 and on Oct 3 a Dutch site reported the presence of two birds

Sooty Shearwater: One was off Christchurch Harbour on Oct 3 after one had been seen on the Brittany coast on Oct 2 (when Spurn Point reported three of them.

Leach's Petrel: Three seen off the French coast near Calais on Oct 1

Cormorant: A night roost in trees around Alresford Pond had 28 birds on the evening of Sep 29

Night Heron: A Hampshire birder holidaying in Spain last week had seven juveniles visible from his hotel balcony and maybe one has followed him back but turned up, not in Hampshire, but on the Scillies on Sep 26

Cattle Egret: The single bird on the Lymington Marshes was still there on Sep 30 but on Oct 1 it was briefly joined by a second bird there.

Little Egret: Following the count of 120+ flying in to spend the night in the Langstone Pond trees on Sep 24 Barry Collins has seen 174 going into trees near the Little Deeps on Thorney Island on the night of Sep 29 so it would seem that both these established night roosts are still in business this autumn

Great White Egret: On Sep 29 one flew south out to sea from Abbotsbury in Dorset and the Blashford Lakes bird has been seen again on Sep 30 and Oct 1

Glossy Ibis: A flock of five has been at the Dungeness RSPB reserve from Sep 23 to Oct 1 at least but the one at the Pagham Harbour North Walls (which was first seen on Sep 22) has not been reported since Sep 27 (and on the Sep 28 one turned up in the Cuckmere Valley near Beachy Head). Another bird was in the Lizard area of Cornwall on Sep 26 and since then one has been at Paxton Pits on the Cambridge/Bedfordshire border from Oct 1 to 3 at least. I have also just picked up news of one at the Arundel WWT reserve on Sep 21 (probably this was the one which flew on to Pagham Harbour that day)

Spoonbill: The Poole Harbour group increased from 6 to 9 birds seen at Brownsea Island on Oct 1

Whooper Swan: The first to arrive this winter were five seen at Carnoustie in Scotland on Sep 26 and this report has been followed by one of 11 birds at Paxton Pits in Cambridgeshire on Oct 1 before they flew off in the direction of the nearby Grafham Water

Brent Goose: After writing the summary which follows I see that Trevor Carpenter saw 400 Brent in the Emsworth Channel (off Gutner Point) on this morning's (Oct 4) high tide. ... There seems to have been a pause in their passage at the beginning of this week (the only news was of 10 seen on the Solent off Ryde (IoW) on Sep 29) but on Oct 1 things got moving again with 163 passing the Calais area of France and 110 at Seasalter on the north coast of Kent with smaller number seen on the east coast of Kent and 5 appearing at Christchurch Harbour. On Oct 2 'a few' were in Langstone Harbour and the 5 at Christchurch had increased to 7 while 10 wre reported from the Normandy coast. On Oct 3 at least 24 were on the Sussex coast near Worthing and some had come into the Solent (8 at the mouth of the River Hamble, 4 on the shore at Calshot, and 5 at Lymington with reports of 15 from the French coast and at least 23 in Holland. Although up to 300 could be seen in the Solent harbours by this time last year the main arrival (with counts of 1000+) did not start until mid October.

Egyptian Goose: An estimate of 177 in the Eversley area on the Hants/Berks border on Oct 1 reminds me that English Nature have recently added this bird to the list of pest species which landowners are allowed to cull on their own land without any special licence (though they need what is known as a General Licence to ensure that only authorised people carry out any culls). Also on the list of species they can kill are Canada Goose, Monk and Ring-necked Parakeets - to find out more about this change in the rules go to http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/about_us/news/2009/300909.aspx

Wigeon: On Sep 27 there were 208 in Christchurch Harbour and on Sep 29 Jason Crook saw 350 in Langstone Harbour (where he has seen up to 25 Pintail 'recently'). On Sep 30 Jason was on what he calls Southmoor Hill (the old covered rubbish tip overlooking Budds Farm which I have always called Budds Mound but which Havant Borough call Johnson's Mound in memory of the Council Officer in charge of it when it was a tip) from which he could seen 450 Wigeon and 10 Pintail, plus two Black Necked Grebe and two Mergansers

Gadwall: Three were still on Budds Farn pools on Oct 1 and 20 at Titchfield Haven on Oct 3 but the highest count is of 46 on Alresford Pond near Winchester on Sep 29 (there were also 46 at the Arundel WWT reserve on Sep 21)

Garganey: The eclipse drake was still on Sinah Lake (Hayling) on Oct 3, four weeks after it arrived. It can usually be seen from the public grassland on the north side of the lake but I suspect you have to be there early in the morning or late in the evening to find it active.

Red-crested Pochard: One was seen on the Sussex Ouse north of Lewes on Sep 27

Pochard: A party of eight flew east over Christchurch Harbour on Sep 27 and were later seen off Barton on Sea still heading east towards the Solent. On Oct 1 one was in Newtown Harbour on the IoW and on Oct 3 ten were seen on Sowley Pond east of Lymington

Ring-necked Duck: A single drake appeared in Christchurch Harbour on Sep 29 and is believed to be the first 'genuine' example of the species for the Harbour (the only other example ever seen there was a bird of suspect origin based in the mouth of the River Stour but occasionally drifting into the harbour at some time in the past)

Smew: First to be reported anywhere this winter was in Holland on Oct 3

Red-breasted Merganser: Two were in the north of Langstone Harbour seen from Budds Mound on Sep 30 and 7 were reported from a Dutch site on Oct 3

Marsh Harrier: On Oct 2 Dungeness had 5 while singles were seen at Blashford Lakes, Titchfield Haven and Farlington Marshes

Buzzard: Of local interest when I was in the Warblington cemetery extension on Oct 2 I saw two Buzzards rapidly circling low over the nearby cress beds and was puzzled as to what they were doing until one of them lowered its talons, showing its animosity towards the other which it soon drove off. Neither of the birds paid any attention to a Crow which was trying to harass them. Presumably one of the local breeding pair was driving an intruder from its territory.

Merlin: This week seems to have bought a mini-invasion of Merlin with new birds at six coastal sites between Sep 26 and 29. Further sighting on Sep 29 and Oct 1 showed this invasion to be ongoing and on Oct 2 an inexperienced young male which was disturbing the small birds (without success) in the fields west of Selsey Bill was driven from the site by a large female.

Quail: Yet another bird apparently pausing on our south coast before crossing the Channel - one seen in the Hastings Country Park on Sep 27. Oct 1 brought another sighting of one at Abbotsbury in Dorset

Avocet: On Oct 1 a count of 853 at Brownsea Island in Poole Harbour was a significant increase on the 741 there on Sep 23

Dotterel: One in Cornwall on Sep 26 is the seventh I have seen reported in southern England this autumn

Golden Plover: A new wave of arrivals brought 75 to the mouth of the River Hamble on Sep 30 and 160 to the mouth of Chichester Harbour (seen from West Witteing) on Oct 1 with 18 in Newtown Harbour on the IoW on Oct 2

Lapwing: Although there was an early report of 175 at The Vine National Trust site near Basingstoke on Aug 13 these birds seem reluctant to show up on the Hampshire coast this autumn - 65 birds at Lymington on Sep 30 is the highest count I have seen so far from a coastal site (although there was one report of 30 in the Brownwich area near Titchfield Haven on Sep 5). Last year Rye Harbour had 1000 by Sep 12 and in 2007 there were a dozen on the Langstone shore by Aug 11.

Knot: These are only occasional visitors to the Langstone area with half a dozen seen there if you are lucky, and a count of 20 at Farlington Marshes on Sep 12 was the highest anywhere in Hampshire so far this autumn so I rather suspect that a report of 50 seen off the Langstone Village shore on Sep 29 may have been a case of mistaken identity....

Sanderling: A report of 150 seen from the Ryde esplanade (IoW) on Sep 29 is the first count I have seen exceeding 100 this autumn. There were around 130 still there on Oct 3

Pectoral Sandpiper: One was in the small pool marked by the presence of a large Herts County Council metal bin on the landward side of the Hayling Coastal Path not far south of the Oysterbeds from Sep 25 to 27 (followed by an unconfirmed report of it off Langstone village on Sep 29) and another has been on the Lymington marshes from Sep 24 to Oct 1 at least. Elsewhere one has been in the Cornwall/Scillies area from Aug 14 to Oct 1 at least

Purple Sandpiper: The seventh report for this autumn (after the first at Portland on Aug 25) comes from the Scillies on Sep 30 when a group of five were seen together

Ruff: One has been at the Blashford Lakes (Ringwood) from Oct 1 to 4

Black-tailed Godwit: Currently the largest collection of these is in Poole Harbour (1215 birds seen from Brownsea Island on Oct 1) followed by some 300 in Langstone Harbour (roosting at the Farlington Marshes Lake during the high tide of Sep 30). The Hook area near the mouth of the R Hamble had 177 on Sep 29 and the Fishbourne Channel in Chichester Harbour had 117 on Sep 29.

Bar-tailed Godwit: Although I could not be certain of their identity I had distant views from Langstone Bridge on Sep 29 of what looked like some 200 Bar-tails in the area between Northney and Pook Lane on the Warblington shore. This would be the first large flock in either Langstone or Chichester Harbours this autumn - they did not stay there after that day.

Green Sandpiper: Of local interest Barry Collins saw a couple of these near the Thorney Little Deeps Egret roost on Sep 29

Skuas: 5 Poms were on the French coast near Calais on Oct 1 and 26 Arctics were off Brittany on Oct 2 (with 2 seen at Portland on Oct 3). Bonxies are currently the most numerous with 29 near Calais on Oct 1 and 28 off Brittany on Oct 2

Little Gull: The odd singles seen along the south coast recently could soon increase as on Oct 2 Spurn Point in Yorkshire had 363 head south

Ring-billed Gull: A single bird has been reported around the Cornish coast on four dates between Aug 29 and Oct 1. The first in Hampshire was 'probable' seen on Sep 30 at the Badminston Pits in the New Forest area near Southampton Water. Last year the regular Gosport bird arrived there on Oct 12

Common Gull: No great numbers of these along the coast yet but John Clark saw 105 at Alresford Pond near Winchester on the evening of Sep 29 - they were flying south east, possibly to roost in Langstone Harbour overnight. As Common Gulls seem to prefer to spend their days on inland fields at this time of year I suspect they will have flown back there early next morning. On Oct 3 the first substantial number seen on the coast were 58 at Lepe (mouth of Souhampton Water

Lesser Blackback Gull: The highest count so far this autumn was 3061 at the Eversley pits on the Hants/Berks border (Thames valley) on Oct 1

Iceland Gull: A second winter bird seen in the Cornish coast at Marazion on Sep 26 was the first I have seen reported in southern England since late May

Terns: Most of our summer birds seem to have departed but a juvenile White-winged Black Tern at Black Point (Hayling Island) on Sep 29 was an exciting sight. I have only two other reports of this species in England this year (2 juveniles in Bembridge Harbour on the IoW on Aug 24 and one at Farmoor Reservoir in Oxfordshire on Sep 3) plus a couple of sightings in the Low Countries on May 23 and Aug 21. The latest reports of our regular species are of 7 Sandwich Tern at Christchurch on Oct 3, 1 Common Tern (also Christchurch Harbour on Oct 3), and one Arctic Tern at at Sandy Point (Hayling) on Oct 2

Black Guillemot: The first reported anywhere south of Scotland is one at Cap Gris-nez on Oct 3

Wood Pigeon: Last autumn the first report of Wood Pigeons on the move came from the Warsash area where an estimated 1000 were at Chilling on Sep 21, and what was probably the start of the arrival of continental birds came on Oct 6 when more than 1700 went past the South Foreland in Kent. This year there was an isolated report of more than 500 on the move near Alton back on July 20 but what may be the first sign of the main autumn movement came on Sep 28 with a count of 852 passing over the Smestow Valley south of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands

Little Owl: I have long been aware that drowning is one of the major causes of death in Barn Owls (in dry areas they get into field water-troughs to bathe, their feathers get water-logged and they cannot get out unless the farmer has put a plank of wood into the end of the tank so that birds can scramble up out of the water) but I had not heard of this happening to a Little Owl until I saw a report dated Oct 3 on the SOS website of one dying from this cause on the Downs above the Cuckmere valley. There were also two coastal reports of Little Owls (both on Sep 29) on the Lymington shore and near Thorney Island Little Deeps - these recalled past memories of Little Owls seen near The Point of Farlington Marshes and of being told by Dave Billet (then warden at Farlington) that young birds dispersing at this time of year and ending up in strange places (when confronted by the water of Langstone Harbour the birds did not know how to proceed and would stay near the seawall for some time).

Short-eared Owl: One at Christchurch Harbour on Sep 27 was by no means the first of the autumn - that was at Portland on Aug 31

Wryneck: Four birds in the current news. One near Lands End from Sep 25 to 29, one at West Bexington in Dorset on Sep 27, one at Durlston from Sep 27 to Oc t, and one on Hayling Island near the old rail bridge on Sep 28

Wood Lark: First report of a sighting on the coast is of four birds at Durlston on Sep 28

Richard's Pipit: There were probably two in Cornwall on Sep 26 when another was seen on Jersey. On Sep 27 one was on the Scillies, another on the Isle of Wight (West High Down) and maybe the same bird across the water at Barton on Sea

Grey Wagtail: Two at Brook Meadow in Emsworth on Oct 1 may well stay there for the winter

Blackbird: First report of continental arrivals was of 18 flying north over Christchurch Harbour on Sep 28 followed by 10 at Hastings on Oct 1 and 10 at Jersey on Oct 2 plus 5 at Farlington Marshes on Oct 3

Song Thrush: At least 28 reports of migrants in this weeks news - mostly on the near continent (with a peak of 276 over a Dutch site on Oct 3) but also reports from Durlston, Portland, Christchurch Harbour, Hastings, Dungeness (65 on Oct 2), Sandwich Bay and Romsey

Redwing: These have now been seen at nine British sites - 5 at Spurn Point in Yorkshire on Sep 15, 1 at Weir Wood in north Sussex on Sep 23, 1 at Smestow Valley south of Wolverhampton in the west Midlands on Sep 28 plus 3 over Durlston that day. Most recent have been at Spurn Point (56 on Oct 2) with 105 over a Dutch site on Oct 3

Mistle Thrush: A few of these are now being picked up as migrants with 3 at Sandwich on Sep 2 and twos at Climping, Hastings and Spurn Point

Melodious Warbler: One still at Lands End on Sep 25, 26 and 29

Barred Warbler: One on the Scillies on Sep 28

Yellow-browed Warbler: One at Sandwich Bay on Sep 26 and 28, one at Penzance in Cornwall on Sep 25 and one in the Scillies on Sep 27 (with another on a different island on Sep 30)

Firecrest: Quite a few seem to have come in from the continent recently - 10 sightings this week include 2 at Fishbourne near Chichester on Sep 29 (maybe from the pair which seem to have bred there this year) and one in a Forestside garden (northern edge of Stansted Forest) on Sep 30 followed by 3 at Dungeness on Oct 1 then one on Old Winchester Hill (Meon Valley) on Oct 2 and Durlston on Oct 3

Golden Oriole: A Dutch site reported 31 passing through on Oct 3

Brown Shrike: One of these (or possibly an Isabelline) was at the Lizard in Cornwall on Sep 27

Red-backed Shrike: One in the Thanet area of Kent on Sep 26 (probably one of the two that have been in that area since Sep 18). Also a juvenile at Newtown Harbour (IoW) on Oct 2

Steppe Grey Shrike: The bird reported in last weeks news when it appeared on St Martins in the Scillies on Sep 25 was still there on Sep 26

Woodchat Shrike: The bird first seen at Nanquidno near Lands End on Sep 21 was still there on Oct 1

Jay: Four in the Hastings area on Sep 27 and one at Dungeness on Sep 28 and 29 may have been precursors of arrivals from the continent

Jackdaw: A night roost at the Paxton Pits north of Bedford brought more than 3000 Jackdaws there on Oct 2 along with 1000+ Rooks

Hooded Crow: One flew south past Spurn Point on Oct 2

Serin: One at Portland on Sep 28 and one at Durlston on Sep 30

Common Rosefinch: One in the Scillies on Sep 27

Ortolan Bunting: One still on the Scillies on Sep 27

Rustic Bunting: A 'probable' at Land's End on Sep 26

Little Bunting: Possibly 2 in the Scillies on Oct 1

Turtle Dove 3 at Portland on Oct 1

Wryneck 1 at each of four sites between Sep 25 and Oct 1

Great Spotted Woodpecker 4 at Sandwich Bay on Sep 27

Wood Lark 4 at Durlston on Sep 28

Skylark 52 at Spurn Point on Oct 2

Sand Martin 1 at Spurn Point on Oct 2

Swallow 2000 at Beachy Head on Sep 30 (and 105000 over Jersey in the Channel Isles on Sep 28)

House Martin 5000 at Christchurch Harbour on Sep 28 and 3000 at Beachy Head on Sep 30

Tree Pipit 2 at Cissbury Ring (near Worthing) on Oct 2

Meadow Pipit 510 over Christchurch Harbour on Oct 2 when 640 passed over Jersey

Rock Pipit 14 at Christchurch Harbour on Oct 2 (these are now arriving at winter sites around the coast)

Yellow Wagtail 6 at Climping (Worthing) on Sep 27 and still 2 at Christchurch Harbour on Oct 2

Grey Wagtail 8 at Christchurch Harbour on Sep 27 and 3 at Sandwich Bay on Oct 2

Pied Wagtail 305 over Durlston on Sep 30 and 130 there on Oct 4

Dunnock 8 in the Hastings area on Sep 27 were regarded as migrants

Robin 29 in the Hastings area on Sep 27 were regarded as migrants

Common Redstart 1 at Dungeness on Oct 2

Whinchat 2 at Rye Harbour on Sep 29 and 1 at Portland on Oct 1

Stonechat 11 at Portland on Oct 1 and 11 at Sandwich Bay on Oct 2

Wheatear 14 at Portland on Oct 1

Ring Ouzel 1 over Durlston on Sep 29 and 1 at Dungeness on Oct 2

Blackbird 18 north over Christchurch Harbour on Sep 28.

Song Thrush 65 over Dungeness on Oct 2

Redwing 3 over Durlston on Sep 28 and 56 at Spurn Point on Oct 2

Mistle Thrush max 3 over Sandwich Bay on Sep 28

Grasshopper Warbler singles at Portland and Pagham Harbour on Sep 29 with one at Portland on Oct 1

Sedge Warbler 1 at Portland on Sep 28

Reed Warbler singles at Spurn Point, Dungeness and Christchurch Harbour all on Oct 2

Lesser Whitethroat 2 at Portland on Oct 1

Common Whitethroat 1 at Beachy Head on Sep 30

Garden Warbler 1 at Beachy Head on Sep 30 and one at Spurn Point on Oct 2

Blackcap 500 at Beachy Head on Sep 30 and 20 at Farlington Marshes on Oct 3

Chiffchaff 100 at Portland on Sep 28 and 78 at Dungeness on Oct 1

Willow Warbler just 1 near Chichester on Sep 29

Goldcrest several at Barton on sea on Sep 27 and 17 at Christchurch Harbour on Sep 30

Firecrest 3 at Dungeness on Oct 1

Spotted Flycatcher 1 at Portland on Sep 29

Pied Flycatcher 1 late bird at Christchurch Harbour on Oct 2

Red-breasted Flycatcher 1 on the Scillies from Sep 24 to Oct 1

Tree Sparrow 25 at Dungeness on Oct 1

Chaffinch 220 over Durlston on Sep 28 and 305 over a Dutch site on Oct 3

Brambling 1 at Dungeness on Sep 20 and 27 at a Dutch site on Oct 3

Greenfinch 75 over Christchurch Harbour on Oct 2 with 127 at a Dutch site on Oct 3

Goldfinch 1265 passing Sandwich Bay on Oct 2 when 230 went over Chrsitchurch Harbour

Siskin 19 reports this week with a peak of 165 over Durlston on Oct 4

Linnet 17 reports this weekd with a peak of 492 at Durlston on Sep 30

Lesser Redpoll just two reports so far with 19 over Christchurch Harbour on Oct 2

Lapland Bunting 1 at Sandwich Bay on Sep 27

Snow Bunting 4 which arrived at Sandwich Bay on Sep 24 were down to 1 on Oct 2 when Spurn Point reported 5 heading south

Reed Bunting 87 at Christchurch Harbour on Oct 2

Corn Bunting 44 at Rye Harbour on Sep 29

Escapees: A Chiloe Wigeon on the Drayton pit lake to the east of Chichester on Sep 29

(Skip to Plants)

(Skip to Other Wildlife)

Yellow Horned Poppy: Several of these still flowering on the south Hayling shore on Sep 29

Narrow-leaved Pepperwort: One plant still flowering by the Langstone Roundabout at Havant on Oct 1

Early Dog Violet (V. reichenbachiana): Despite the prevailing drought several of these had started to flower in the Havant Eastern Road cemetery on Sep 28

Sweet Violet: Rosemary Webb tells me that soem of these are in flower in south Hayling

Common Gorse: Although Brian Fellows had seen the first bush re-flowering in Emsworth on Sep 4 and I had seen a few flowers on Sep 8 my first sight of substantial flowering was on bushes beside the Hayling Coastal Path on Sep 29 - none could be seen on the huge areas of Gorse on Sinah Common that day and I think the reason the bushes by the coastal path are usually the first each autumn is that they are regularly cut back and respond to the 'threat of imminent death' by bringing forward their arrangements to secure survival by generating new seeds as soon as possible.

Restharrow: Still flowering in the Eastney (Portsmouth) shore on Sep 30

Ribbed and White Melilot: Both flowering at Eastney on Sep 30

Lucerne: Also flowering at Eastney on Sep 30

Ice Plant (Sedum spectabile): Garden escapes are now flowering in several places

Stone Parsley: Nearly every plant of this is now totally dead but I still found one in flower on Oct 1

Burnet Saxifrage: Several plants flowering on Oct 3 in the grass of St Faith's churchyard in Havant where I do not recall seeing it before

Fine leaved water dropwort (Oenanthe aquatica): This is probably extinct in Hampshire so it is good to hear that it is thriving in dtiches in ditches of the marshes to the east of Rye in East Sussex and Kent

Cock's Eggs (Salpichroa origanifolia): This was at the peak of its flowering at the Sinah Common site along the west side of the last house garden south of the Staunton Avenue when I was there on Sep 29

Tomato: These turn up in odd places but I was surprised to see one with both flowers and fruit beside the Billy Trail in Langstone on Oct 1

Pale Toadflax: This still had a few flowers on plants half submerged in the gorse bushes west of the public lavatories (north of the Inn on the Beach on Sinah Common) where it maintains its slender foothold on Hayling Island

Round-leaved Fluellen: Still managing to flower in Warblington cemetery on Oct 2

Slow Worm: A couple of reports this week (from Durlston and Brighton) may indicate that these reptiles are becoming more visible as they enjoy the late summer sun before hibernating (which normally starts in October)

Porbeagle aka Mackerel Shark (Lamna nasus): On Oct 10 the Durlston website reported that several of these had been seen off the Dorset coast and had probably followed the shoals of Mackerel. Porbeagle also feed on Squid and shoals of these wre said to have been reported off Portland recently

Fungi: The first Common Earthball was seen in the Hollybank Woods at Emsworth on Sep 29. This fungus seems to enjoy dry ground and so may enjoy the current conditions which do not suit most fungi. Also seen on Oct 2 this week, on a dead tree stump beside the main road into Emsworth from Havant, was the first showing of Honey Fungus. Here I must own up to an error in reporting the rare Tooth Fungus Creolophus cirrhatus (and a couple of other species) in last week's notes - I said they were found in Stansted Forest but in fact the Havant Wildlife Group which found them on Sep 19 did so in Hammonds Land Coppice, part of the Staunton Country Park immediately south of the Gipsies Plain grassland which is south of Havant Thicket. I had been told the correct location but mentally changed it to Stansted Forest when trying to recall details of two previous finds of this Tooth Fungus which had been in Stansted (those two finds were on different logs not far from each other in The Sling area of the Forest close to Rowlands Castle - both the logs were removed shortly after the finds so it is all the more interesting to know that this rarity is still to be found in the Havant area)

(Link to previous week’s summary)

All three Diver species have now been seen back in southern waters along with the first Black-necked Grebes in Langstone Harbour (plus one in Southampton Water where they are not normally found). Here in Havant 120 Little Egrets were seen to roost at Langstone Pond while Fishbourne Channel of Chichester Harbour had an amorous Black Swan still feeling the antipodean urge to breed in what is the southern spring. Pagham Harbour has had one of the Glossy Ibis birds currently invading England. Also returning for the winter are Shelduck (and one flock of Fieldfare) as Poole Harbour reports the presence of 741 of the 1000+ Avocet that are likely to winter there. Rarities in the news include Little Bunting and Yellow-breasted Bunting, American Golden Plover, Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Long-billed Dowitcher, possible Greenish and Radde's Warblers, and the 'mega rarity' of a Steppe Shrike. Species now leaving the continent to arrive in Britain include Robins, Chaffinches, Song Thrushes and at least one Brambling in Kent (which has also seen the first four Snow Buntings of the winter). Another sign of winter is the first report of Whooper Swans.

Butterfly species which emerge at this time of year normally go straight into hibernation, not mating until next spring, but this autumn some have decided to breed now and untimely broods of Small Tortoiseshell and Peacock caterpillars are being found in Sussex. The week has brought a huge new emergence of Clouded Yellows in Sussex and reminded us of the absence of late Holly Blues

Plant news includes a find of Apple of Peru in the Denvilles area of Havant not far from where I discovered a small flowering tree which I did not recognize and which has now been added to my knowledge under the name of Harlequin Glorybower (an imported garden species - not wild)

The most significant local news is the discovery of a rare fungus in Stansted Forest, outdoing the sad news of the death of the apparently healthy Northern Bottlenose Whale at Bournemouth after the whale seemingly got caught in underwater fishing tackle ropes and drowned. Another obituary is of 300 Eels stranded in dried up pools at Pett Level on the shore of Rye Bay - although Eels can breathe air when out of water it seems that the increasing lack of oxygen in the water in which they were trapped acted as carbon monoxide does on humans, killing them without giving warning

(Skip to Insects)

Diver species: On Sep 22 a group of six divers were seen swimming west off Worthing in a choppy sea - the limited view of them available suggested they were all Great Northern Divers

Red-throated Diver: A summer plumaged bird seen off Barton on Sea near Lymington on Sep 26

Black-throated Diver: One heading up Southampton Water on Sep 24

Black-necked Grebe: Two were seen off the west coast of Hayling Island (south of the Oysterbeds) on Sep 20 and still there on Sep 26 - these are the first I know of back in Langstone Harbour since February. Also on Sep 26 one was seen in Southampton Water

Black-browed Albatross: A sub-adult bird was seen from a boat two miles south of St Mary's in the Scillies on Sep 21 - this is possibly the same bird that was seen off Devon and Cornwall in late July and so may be a long-term vistor to our latitude

Shag: A group of 14 spent a little time on the sea off the mouth of Chichester Harbour on Sep 20 before flying east

Little Egret: At least 120 flew into the Langstone Pond trees to roost on the evening of Sep 24

Great White Egret: The Blashford Lakes bird which seemingly returned there on Sep 14 is now being seen more regularly (reports for Sep 23, 24, 25 and 26)

Glossy Ibis: The invasion of southern England by this species, which started with a single bird in north east Kent on Sep 15 but got going in earnest on Sep 19 (when I believe three separate groups, each of six birds, were seen (one in Devon and Dorset heading east, another seen at Lymington at a time when the Dorset birds could not have been there, and the third in East Anglia), continued this week. On Sep 21 three were at Sandwich Bay and one in Pagham Harbour (this latter seen again up to Sep 26 at least at the Breech Pool behind the North Walls). Also on Sep 21 a mystery bird high over allotments in Portsmouth could have been this species. On Sep 22 two flew west over Rye Harbour and may have turned into the group of three seen that day at the Dungeness RSPB reserve where a group of five flew in on Sep 24.

Spoonbill: A group of five were in Poole Harbour last week and had become six this week, seen on Sep 23 and 26. One which flew in to Titchfield Haven on Sep 20 but has not been seen there since.

Whooper Swan: The first for this winter were five at Canoustie in Angus, Scotland, on Sep 26. Also at Carnoustie that day were 4270 Pink-foot Geese.

Black Swan: One seen in the Fishbourne Channel near Chichester on Sep 26 flew north after its amorous advances to a Mute Swan had been rejected (this is of course the breeding season for these antipodean birds). It could have been one from the West Ashling pond near Funtington.

Brent Goose: A total of 49 were seen in Langstone Harbour on Sep 18 but that number may well have doubled by the end of this week - when Steve Copsey was at Sandy Point on Hayling on Sep 25 he had a distant view of around 100 wildfowl which he thought were Brent (or possibly Wigeon) flying north from the sea over the Bracklesham area west of Selsey. The only other report I have picked up is of 19 birds in the Thorney Channel (east of the south of Thorney Island) on Sep 20. While these may well have been migrants the new comers are usually out in the open water of the harbour entrance (between Thorney and Black Point) whereas the Thorney Channel is a regular site for summering birds in that harbour (I saw 8 there on Aug 25 and there was a report of 15 birds flying west over the Fishbourne Channel towards Thorney on Sep 6 before any migrants arrived)

Pale-bellied Brent: These are now arriving in force with a count of 490 from the Isle of Lewis in the Hebrides on Sep 20.

Ruddy Shelduck: On Sep 26 three of these appeared on the water at Radipole (Weymouth) - maybe feral birds from the Netherlands?

Shelduck: A count of 105 passing Pointe de Hoc in Normandy on Sep 21 indicated the start of the return of Shelduck from their moult grounds to their winter quarters and I am pretty sure that the appearance of 15 Shelduck off the west shore of Emsworth at Nore Barn on Sep 23 was associated with this movement though this particular flock was made up of 12 juveniles and three adults, all of which have probably been somewhere on our south coast through the summer. All I know is that I have not heard of any Shelduck in the Langstone/Emsworth area since Apr 17, just before the mass movement from English Water which saw 47 passing Dungeness on Apr 24 and 103 off the Thanet coast in Kent on May 4. The juveniles now off Emsworth may have arrived there from somewhere not far inland (e.g. around Alsdworth Pond which has now dried up), having waited there until they were fully fledged and able to fly.

Wigeon: On Sep 21 there were 190 at Christchurch Harbour, 110 at Pulborough Brooks, 68 at Hook/Warsash (with 20 Pintail), and 34 (with 52 Teal) in Nutbourne Bay east of Thorney Island

Garganey: The eclipse male was still on Sinah Lake (south Hayling) on Sep 25, having arrived there on Sep 11. Also on Sep 25 John Clark saw a single female or young bird lurking under the north shore of the central pool at Budds Farm in Havant.

Scaup: None yet in southern England but I see that 3 were seen at Lewis in the Hebrides on Sep 21 after the first of the autumn had been reported at Spurn Point in Yorkshire on Sep 17

Eider: A flock of 41 flew east past Worthing on Sep 22, presumably still on their way from northern breeding grounds to winter quarters. On Sep 23 the birds off Titchfield Haven had increased from 13 to 20

Velvet Scoter: One off Spurn Point on Sep 21 was the first I have heard of anywhere since June (the last on the south coast was off Selsey on May 20)

Red-breasted Merganser: One seen from Portland on Sep 22 may have been summering on the south coast but reports of one passing Spurn Point on Sep 21 and two seen off Lewis in the Hebrides on Sep 22 indicate that they are now starting to head south

Goosander: One of these also went past Spurn Point on Sep 21, the first mention of the species since an isolated report of a flock of 27 moving over the Bradford area of Yorkshire on Aug 29

Honey Buzzard: Among nine reports this week were one from Berlin on Sep 22, one over Jersey and two over Holland on Sep 26. Here in England there were singles over Dungeness, Portland, Brighton, Lymington and Swanage plus a local sighting over Havant Thicket on Sep 24

Marsh Harrier: Latest report is of a juvenile over the Thorney Little Deeps on Sep 26

Montagu's Harrier: A 'probable' ringtail was seen at Soar in Devon on Sep 20

Sparrowhawk: Sandwich Bay had 8 migrants over on Sep 24 after recording 4 there on Sep 22 and 2 on Sep 21

Common Buzzard: More than 36 migrants passed over the Thanet area of Kent on Sep 24 after five had been seen to fly south (with one Honey Buzzard) from Portland on Sep 23

Rough-legged Buzzard: An interesting local report for Sep 24 is of one seen over Havant Thicket 'talon locked' with a smaller Common Buzzard - I doubt this sighting will appear in the Hampshire Bird Report without further confirmatory evidence that the larger bird was definitely a Rough-legged and not a 'different looking' Common Buzzard

Merlin: More of these are arriving for the winter (or at least to chase the huge masses of passerines to be found along our south coast at this time of year). A female was over Thorney Island on Sep 20 when another clocked in at Portland, and a third was over the Brading Marshes (IoW) on Sep 21. On Sep 24 one was seen on the Lymington shore and on Sep 25 another arrived at Portland.

Quail: Yet another migrant Quail touched down at Polgigga in Cornwall on Sep 21

Water Rail: Most birders will have come across Moorhen climbing about in bushes or low trees but it's not so often that a Water Rail is seen doing so - one seen in Brambles at the Lymington marshes on Sep 21

Coot: These continue to leave inland waters which may freeze over before long and head for winter quarters on the sea - the number on the Slipper Mill pond complex at Emsworth was up from 58 on Sep 15 to 68 on Sep 20 (no more than half a dozen pairs breed there). There could well be an even higher number now on the Thorney Little Deeps. By Sep 25 more than 1000 Coot were present at the Blashford Lakes.

Avocet: 741 had reached their winter quarters in Poole Harbour by Sep 23

Ringed Plover: 200 were in a high tide roost on the shingle of the Hayling Bay shore on Sep 20, no doubt unseen by many people walking along the nearby grassland. This roost also had 50 Sanderling, 7 Dunlin and a juvenile Curlew Sandpiper. I'm not sure exactly where this roost was but a similar roost can often be found during the winter on the shingle south of the east end of the Hayling Golf Course

Dotterel: One was heard flying over the Selsey West Fields on Sep 20 and one was in Devon from Sep 20 to 23 at least.

Golden Plover: Among eight reports this week a flock of more tha 30 were on mud in the Emsworth Channel on Sep 23 and 600 were roosting at Rye Harbour on Sep 24

American Golden Plover: One had been seen in Norfolk in late July and now the second I know of for the year is reported on St Agnes in the Scillies on Sep 20

Pectoral Sandpiper: In addition to several reports from the Scillies between Sep 12 and 25 (and one at Seaton in Devon on Sep 16) one was on the Lymington marshes on Sep 23, 24 and 26. Latest news is of one on Hayling Island in a field pool beside the Coastal Path not far south of the Oysterbeds carpark

Buff-breasted Sandpiper: Also after several recent reports from the Scillies (and one from Cornwall/Lands End on Sep 21) one made a brief appearance among a flock of Golden Plover at Rye Harbour on Sep 21

Long-billed Dowitcher: The first I know of in Britain this year was on Tresco in the Scillies from Sep 22 to 25 at least

Grey Phalarope: One at Cuckmere Haven near Beachy Head on Sep 24

Lesser Black-back Gull: John Clark found 1520 of these at the Fox Lane gravel pits at Eversley in north Hampshire on Sep 19 and then counted 2015 leaving the night roost there at dawn on Sep 20 - later that day he found more than 1900 either gathering their supper on nearby Blackbushe airfield or flying over towards the roost site

Black Tern: Their passage now seems to be coming to an end. After 3 were seen at Dungeness on Sep 14 there were no reports until Sep 21 when 4 fly along the Normandy coast with a single at the RSPB Dungeness reserve on Sep 24

Turtle Dove: One at Christchurch Harbour on Sep 22, another at Weir Wood in north Sussex on Sep 23 followed by one at Portland on Sep 24 (with 2 there on Sep 25 and 3 on Sep 26)

Swift: One went over Beachy Head on Sep 19 and an even later bird was seen at Spurn Point on Sep 21

Wryneck: Ten reports this week, the last being of 2 near Brighton on Sep 25

Great Spotted Woodpecker: A reminder that these are partial migrants came when three were reported at Dungeness on Sep 22, then on Sep 25 there was one at Portland, six at Christchurch Harbour and six at Sandwich Bay. On Sep 26 a Dutch site reported 11 migrants.

Short-toed Lark: First mention of one this autumn comes from Jersey on Sep 23 when flocks of Skylarks are starting to move (e.g. 22 over Sandwich Bay on Sep 21)

Sand Martin: It seems few of these are still with us - just three reports this week. On Sep 22 there were 20 at Durlston and on Sep 23 Beachy Head had 30. On Sep 26 Durlston reported just 2

Swallow: These are now the main component of the hirundine flocks currently patrolling our south coast before taking the plunge (!) to cross the channel. On Sep 21 Christchurch Harbour recorded 4000 and Sandwich Bay had 2800. On Sep 26 there were still 1000 over Christchurch Harbour but Jersei in the Channel Isles had 2350 that day

House Martin: Early this week peak counts were of 3700 over Sandwich Bay and 5691 over Hunstanton in Norfolk, both on Sep 22, but on Sep 26 there were still 15,000 to be seen over Christchurch Harbour with around 1700 reported at other sites. Here in Havant the local breeding birds which have been heard daily over my garden since the beginning of May ceased to appear after Sep 25

Richard's Pipit: Four reports this week include one at Christchurch Harbour on Sep 19 with others in Cornwall, Yorkshire and Jersey

Tawny Pipit: Two reports from Cornwall on Sep 21, probably of the same bird as both were in the Lands End area, then one at Durlston on Sep 23 and one in the Netherlands on Sep 26

Red-throated Pipit: One in Belgium and one in Holland, both on Sep 26

Water Pipit: The first to get a mention as a migrant was seen in Holland on Sep 26

Robin: New arrivals from the continent brought reports of a significant increase in numbers at three sits on Sep 21

Stonechat: 45 grounded by mist at Christchurch Harbour on Sep 24 and a comment that there had been a small influx on the Lymington shore on Sep 26

Ring Ouzel: Singles at four coastal sites this week

Fieldfare: What may have been the same flock numbered 16 in Belgium on Sep 15, then 15 near Chichester on Sep 18 and now 12 in the New Forest on Sep 20

Song Thrush: Continental birds were arriving over Christchurch Harbour this week with 10 seen flying high over on Sep 20 and another 9 on Sep 21. Just one Redwing was reported in Holland on Sep 23 when another flew south over Weir Wood reservoir near Crowborough in north Sussex

Cetti's Warbler: These (along with species like Dartford Warbler) have been dispersing for some time now but the loud sound of one singing at Brook Meadow in Emsworth on Sep 20 was exciting as being only the second ever heard there (first was in June 2005). Brian Fellows tells us it brought the number of bird species recorded on that reserve this year to 46 (the site has recorded an overall total of 70 species over the years since 2000)

Zitting Cisticola (aka Fan-tailed Warbler): One seen in the Thanet area of Kent from Sep 21 to 26 at least may be the same which had been seen there on July 26 at Seasalter and at Sandwich Bay on Sep 6 and 7. Other vagrants have been an Icterine Warbler on Sep 21 and a Barred Warbler from Sep 21 to 25, both at Hope Gap near Beachy Head. Cornwall still had its Woodchat Shrike on Sep 21 and both Devon and Cornwall had Rose-coloured Starlings on Sep 21

Greenish Warbler: A 'possible' seen near Gatiwck airport on Sep 24 - the observer recognised the bird both by sight and call

Yellow-browed Warbler: On Sep 21 singles were seen at Sandwich Bay and Reculver in Kent, and at sites in Cornwall and the Scillies. On Sep 23 one was at Steyning north of Worthing and on Sep 24 one was again at Sandwich Bay

Radde's Warbler: A 'possible only' sighting of a largish warbler in a bush at Titchfield Haven on Sep 25

Red-breasted Flycatcher: One on Lundy Island off Devon on Sep 22 and one in the Scillies on Sep 24

Bearded Tit: 35 seen on Thorney Island (presumably the Little Deeps) on Sep 20 included 'high flying flocks of 19 and 14 birds' indicating that these are now off on their intrepid flights to find new reedbeds. Further confirmation that they are on the move came on Sep 23 in a report of one on the Scillies (where they are very rare and this bird would be a lost vagrant). Also on Sep 23 a flock of 10 airborne birds were seen to drop into the Little Deeps reeds at Thorney Island and on Sep 26 three were seen to drop in to reeds at Christchurch Harbour where they are not normally present. Also on Sep 26 one observer in the Lymington area saw 10 flying over a Maize field and others there on the same day counted 31 in the air

Red-backed Shrike: One has been at Sandwich Bay from Sep 18 to 24 with two seen there on a couple of days. Another was seen at Reculver in north Kent on Sep 21 and 25 and another was in Devon on Sep 20

Steppe (or Saxaul) Grey Shrike (Lanius meridionalis pallidirostris): This mega rarity turned up on St Martins in the Scillies on Sep 25 and was last seen at midday on Sep 26. There had been a possible sighting in Cumbria in July 2009 but the last definite sighting was in Lincolnshire from Nov 23 to 26 in 2008 (the species has not been recorded in Hampshire, but there have been past records from both Wilts and Dorset and 10 other counties ). This bird is sometimes treated as a separate species but is better regarded as a subspecies of Southern Grey Shrike which normally breeds in central Asia and goes south to the tropics in the winter. It is very similar in size and markings to Great Grey Shrike but is noticeably paler. I was amused to see one photo of the 2008 bird perched on a tripod mounted digiscoping camera.

Great Grey Shrike: Two reports this week - one in Belgium on Sep 25 and one in Holland on Sep 26 (there was one in Kent on Sep 18 and 19). The Cornish Woodchat Shrike was last seen at Nanquidno on Sep 21

Tree Sparrow: Two at Christchurch Harbour on Sep 21 and two at Durlston on Sep 26

Chaffinch: Three at Portland on Sep 20 were the first autumn passage birds there (62 were reported at Berlin on Sep 22 and 84 in Holland on Sep 23). In England there were 140 over Chritchurch Harbour on Sep 25 and across the water 681 went over a Dutch site on Sep 26 One Brambling in the Thanet area of Kent on Sep 21 was the first of the autumn in southern England

Greenfinch: 120 moving through Christchurch Harbour on Sep 26 was the first substantial passage of the autumn

Common (Mealy) Redpoll: First to get a mention this autumn was one at Spurn Point on Sep 25

Snow Bunting: Two at Spurn Point on Sep 21 and four at Sandwich Bay on Sep 24

Yellow Hammer: A small flock of at least a dozen in the East Park at Stansted on Sep 26

Little Bunting: One at Portland on Sep 25

Yellow-breasted Bunting: The first I have heard of this year was on St Mary's in the Scillies on Sep 20

Peak counts of migrants so far this week:

Tree Pipit 11 in Holland

Meadow Pipit 3700 at Sandwich Bay

Water Pipit 1 in Holland

Yellow Wagtail 27 at Hook/Warsash

Grey Wagtail 10 at Portland

Pied Wagtail 135 at Durlston

White Wagtail 1 at Portland

Dunnock 82 in Holland

Robin 50+ at Portland

Redstart 6 at Portland

Whinchat 18 at Sandwich Bay

Stonechat 45 at Christchurch Harbour

Wheatear 50 at Portland

Ring Ouzel 1 at Durlston

Fieldfare 12 in the New Forest

Song Thrush 20 at Christchurch Harbour

Redwing 1 at Weir Wood reservoir

Grasshopper Warbler 3 at Portland

Sedge Warbler 5 at Christchurch Harbour

Reed Warbler 4 at Christchurch Harbour

Icterine Warbler 1 near Beachy Head

Barred Warbler 1 near Beachy Head

Lesser Whitethroat 4 at Beachy Head

Common Whitethroat 8 at Christchurch Harbour

Garden Warbler 3 at Christchurch Harbour

Blackcap 400 at Beachy Head

Yellow-browed Warbler 1 at easch of five sites from Kent to Cornwall

Chiffchaff 300 at Beachy Head

Willow Warbler - just three reports of singles in Sussex

Goldcrest 7 at Christchurch Harbour

Firecrest 1 at each of five sites

Spotted Flycatcher 6 at Pagham Harbour

Pied Flycatcher 2 at Portland

Bearded Tit 35 airborne over Thorney Island

Blue and Great Tits several seen as migrants on Portland

Golden Oriole 1 'probable' on the Scillies

Red-backed Shrike 2 at Sandwich Bay

Rook 23 over Christchurch Harbour

Tree Sparrow 2 over Christchurch Harbour

Chaffinch 140 at Christchurch Harbour

Greenfinch 120 at Christchurch Harbour

Goldfinch 171 at Christchurch Harbour

Siskin 18 At Durlston

Linnet 310 at Durlston

Snow Bunting 4 at Sandwich Bay

Reed Bunting 55 at Christchurch Harbour

(Skip to Plants)

Just 18 species reported on the wing this week

(Skip to Other Wildlife)

240 plant species found so far this month to my knowledge but most of those being found currently have already had a mention in these notes when they first appeared

Apple of Peru plants in Havant and site where found (see below)

Green Amaranth: What I believe was this species was found on Sep 24 growing in a game cover crop on Idsworth Down (north of Rowlands Castle). Brian Fellows who found it was not certain of its name and his photo showed its flower/fruit spikes were strongly red-tinged. The Common Amaranth I am familiar with normally has yellowy green spikes but a search through the internet did not come up with a different species but did show me at least one example of a red-tinged plant. Among many other plants found at this site was Green Bristle Grass

Red Goosefoot: What I believe to be this species is prominent at the moment with some plants having a bright red tinge to their flower/seed parts - see my photos in my Diary entry for Sep 21

Yellow-flowered Strawberry: The roadside plants in Juniper Square here in Havant had new flower buds on Sep 22

Yellow Pimpernel: This had many fresh flowers in shady parts of Southleigh Forest providing the only bright colour when I was there on Sep 21

Harlequin Glorybower (Clerodendrum trichotomum): This garden shrub/small tree imported from the Far East is not a wild plant but when I saw an example in flower in a garden in the Denvilles area of Havant on Sep 21 I was impressed and it took me some time to track down its identity (a new species for my personal knowledge). I see that it is a member of the Verbena family.

Apple of Peru (Physalodes nicandra): This colourful plant is sometimes grown as a garden ornament (despite its poisonous tendencies) but more often occurs as a casual on tips. This week I found a small colony of plants in a garden in the Denvilles area of Havant but the garden had no fence and the plants were in a neglected section containing only bags of waste so I doubt they were planted there

Nettle-leaved Bellflower: A single elderly plant which still had a couple of flowers was the first I have seen this summer - my find was in Woodlands Lane above Walderton

Small Teazel: Visiting Racton hamlet in the Ems Valley on Sep 21 I was too late to find flowers on the plants there but this colony (the only one I know of locally) still thrives among the trees on the south side of the major road junction in the hamlet (see photos with my Diary entry for Sep 21)

Perennial Sunflower: Nothing special about a find of this plant except that a single specimen I found on Sep 21 was flowering happily in what had earlier in the year been the river bed of the Ems immediately south of the roadbridge over the river at Racton (photo with Diary entry for Sep 21)

Otter: One was seen both in and out of water at the Blashford Lakes near Ringwood on Sep 25. To the best of my knowledge they are not resident there and this was presumably an animal 'seeking pastures new'

Bottle-nosed Whale: The Whale which was apparently healthy and catching Mackerel off the Bournemouth coast last week (first seen Sep 13) was washed up dead at Bournemouth on Sep 23 - I have not yet heard the official cause of death but there were indications that it had got caught in fishing ropes and had drowned

Common Seal: 12 were hauled up on mud off Thorney Island on Sep 20 and the same number were seen there on Sep 26

Noctule Bat: One seen hunting over gardens at Alresford near Winchester on the evening on Sep 23

Eel: Drying up of the Pett Level pools on the shore of Rye Bay left some 300 Eels dead on Sep 20. I find this slightly puzzling as I have always understood that Eels can make long overland journeys as part of their migration so I would have thought these Eels would at least have made an attempt to struggle overland to another water body. A probable answer came on Sep 26 when Brian Banks saw one pushing its head out of a similar drying pool in the Walland Marsh area north east of Rye Bay - he comments on the ability of Eels to take oxygen from the air out of water and on the lack of oxygen in the near-dry pools - presumably the Eels in this water might die from lack of oxygen in the same way we can die from carbon monoxide, succumbing to a poison that we are unable to detect

Fungi: The Havant Wildlife Group were in Stansted Forest on Sep 19 and found Chicken of the Woods (Sulphur Polypore) apparently thriving on the trunk of a White Poplar with the Lumpy Bracket (Trametes Gibbosa) found nearby on a log. Best find is what I consider to be an example of the rare Creolophus cirrhatus shown in Roger Phillips popular book (this identification has been confirmed by local Fungus specialist Rosemary Webb). I was at first confused by different books having different illustrations with different names for what I thought was a single species of Tooth Fungus but when I had a look at Gordon Dickson's 'Fungi of the New Forest' I found he listed three species of Tooth Fungus and had photos of two of them (both listed as Hericium ) which did not match the current find (see the photo supplied by Jim Berry of what the group found on Sep 19) in that the new find does have a distinct cap above the teeth, ruling out those two but leaving the third possibility in the air. That third species is the one shown by Roger Phillips whose photo shows both a cap and teeth, both being a good colour match for the current find. My current opinion is that the group did find Creolophus cirrhatus