The fine, sunny and warm weather continues and over the weekend a Garganey turned up at last on Posbrook Floods. There was no debate on where I was going this morning as it was present all day Sunday and they usually stick around for a few days.
As I set off along the canal path the news wasn't good, a search for an hour and a half had not found it. I remained positive and continued, stopping to watch the two Glossy Ibis, that remain, on the Bridge Street Floods.
I scanned the Posbrook Floods, but without any luck, there wasn't any sign of a Garganey. There were a couple of Tufted Ducks, a drake Pintail and several Wigeon along with the regular Gadwall, Teal and Shoveler.
After twenty minutes searching I decided to move on, there would always be a chance on the way back. Chiffchaffs and Cetti's Warblers were singing along the canal and showing intermittently. At the thatched cottage a Fox was hunting in the field. From the look of the fur on the hind quarters, this is the same fox that gets around the reserve.
A little further along a Chiffchaff singing in the open.
I do not know what as happened to the feathers around the bill, they look black and dirty.
The warm weather is bring out the leaves in the Blackthorn, and the fresh green colours contrast nicely with the browns of the reeds.
Just past the sluice that controls the water in the canal going into the reserve a Great Spotted Woodpecker was drumming on the bough of an oak tree.
And a little further along the Firecrest was in song in the usual spot.
On reaching the end of the path I walked around the sea wall to the visitor centre. Water levels were much lower in the bay, but still not low enough to expose mud at low tide. However this Redshank was feeding close to the reeds.
At the harbour bridge a Little Grebe was diving just below the bridge. Here you can see the position of the legs right at the back of the body.
After a brief visit to the Meon Shore hide I walked around to the Pumfrett where the birds were a little closer. The water levels had fallen here too, but with there being the frantic gull activity there were few birds close to the Meon Shore, it was better at the Pumfrett.
Avocets feeding.
The male Marsh Harrier had shown over the reeds, but always at a distance.
However a female Marsh Harrier did come close.
Then a head on glide towards us.
The male then returned a little closer.
There were well over fifty Avocet between the North and South Scrape, and as with Avocet there were some scraps with pair squaring up to each other with bills down and tails pointing up.
And when they fight they dance.
The Avocet on the left had been moving sticks and stones, as if making a scrape for a nest, I assume that this is the female and here she doesn't seem to pleased with her partner sleeping.
There were a few Mediterranean Gulls on the central causeway and they could also be heard calling as they flew around the scrapes.
The dark background created by a tree emphasises the beauty of the gull's snow white plumage.
I decided to leave the reserve and head back up the canal path. As I reached the area wher ethe Firecrest had been earlier a Blackcap was now singing. Have to assume it has just arrived as there wasn't any Blackcap singing earlier.
Another of the many Chiffchaffs singing.
A Jay flew across the meadow, heading towards the trees on the west side of the canal.
The view looking north east across the meadows.
As I reached the floods I scanned again as I walked along the path. I then noticed a group of birders, they had seen the Garganey but had lost it in the vegetation, I was able to get to a high point on the path and managed to find it. The white stripe on the head as it moved through the sedge.
It gradually made its way towards the left and towards hopefully some more open water. I tracked it through the sedge and waited.
Then looking north I noticed what I initially thought were six Cormorants, then as the bank it was clear they were Glossy Ibis.
They flew past and then circled as if looking for somewhere to land.
The question was where had these come from? There haven't been any reports of a group like this, recent reports are all of single birds, the two birds I saw here in the morning being the largest group recently. These must be migrants, but arriving from where.
After circling low, they came in low over the sedge.
Eventually they dropped out of site behind the sedge.
With the Glossy Ibis not visible it was back to the drake Garganey and it finally came out into the open.
It was nice to finally get the Garganey, they are not always an easy bird to see as was shone by the no show this morning. An interesting day, with some nice sightings. But it seems as if the weather is too nice and is blocking the movement of migrants. Last year the block was the cold weather, tis year it seems like the warm sunny weather. The hope is that the winds will go around to the south east towards the end of the year.
