21st September - Titchfield Haven, Hampshire

Right, a confession, this week or the next two days will be the last trips out I take birding for hopefully two to three weeks.  I am scheduled to have a cataract surgery on the 24th of this month.  So with a beautiful morning I decided to spend as much of the day as I could at Titchfield Haven.

I parked up at Cliff road and then walked down to the cabin to check in and then set off around the to the sea wall.  But I stopped at the bridge where below a smart looking drake Gadwall was feeding at the edge of the reeds.  It seems that the drake Gadwall are always the firs ducks to show the full winter breeding plumage.

The tide was falling, and there were not any waders on the high tide roost on the beach behind the sailing club.  The sea was like a mill pond and out in the middle was a group of Eider.  I could see nine, but there were thirteen counted earlier.

The Rainbow Bar was now showing and there was a large group of Mediterranean Gulls aof all ages present.  This just a selection of the gulls present.

Also flying around the bar were Sandwich Terns, these adults.

At the entrance to the west side of the reserve were at least twelve Clouded Yellows, maybe more.  Here are a couple.

The Meon Shore hide was rammed with people, but I managed to find a space and settled in.  Outside the scrape was covered in hundreds of Canada Geese, the most I have ever seen here.  In amongst the geese were Little Egrets, this one hunting in the open water along with a nice reflection.

A Couple of Whimbrel flew from the north scrape calling and headed out towards the beach.  I decided to go out to search for them, but there wasn't any sign on what was now a busy beach.  The Sandwich Terns were still about, one coming close to the sea wall.

Again adult birds, now in their non breeding plumage.

Back on the reserve I walked up to the Pumfrett hide, but other than sixty seven Lapwing on the north scrape it was quiet.  Back in the Meon Shore hide it was quieter.  A Redshank on the small island in front of the hide.

Oystercatchers heading out to the beach and shallow water at low tide/

In amongst the Canada Geese were a few Greylag and Egyptian Geese and this one Barnacle Goose.

Like the Rainbow Bar earlier there were a lot of Mediterranean Gulls on the scrape.  There were gulls of all ages, this one a first year bird going out of it's juvenile plumage.

There were more 'Med' Gulls than the usual Black-headed Gulls.  These adult bird leaving the scrape and heading out to the sea.

A quiet day for September, but a glorious day weather wise.  A good laugh in the hide as well.

19th September - Keyhaven - Lymington Reserve, Hampshire

Back home from Corfu, it was back to Hampshire birding.  There has been a Pectoral Sandpiper on Butts Lagoon at Keyhaven all week so I was keen to try and catch up.  However the morning was overcast and with a very strong south westerly wind blowing, but I was hopeful that with the cloud and rain overnight it would still be about.

I managed to park along the ditch at Oxey Marsh and then walked out across the marsh towards Pennington Lagoon.  A Kestrel was hunting in the field as I passed through the gate.

There were plenty of Horses in the fields but a check around the hooves did not find any Yellow Wagtails.  Three Curlew flew up from the field and flew over my head calling.

I walked up on to the sea wall and immediately felt the full force of the wind, but the skies were clearing with a bit of watery sunshine.  There were good numbers of Meadow Pipits moving through and out over the water calling.  On the path were good numbers of Linnet and Goldfinches on the dead teasel seed heads

I headed towards the Jetty, the tide was falling and on the shingle just before the Jetty were a few waders.  Close in were Turnstone and three Dunlin.

Further out there were three Grey Plovers all in their winter plumage.

On reaching Butts I scanned for waders but couldn't find any at all.  It was good to see some water in the lagoon, on the last visit there a couple of weeks ago the lagoon was bone dry.

I walked on to Butts Bay where a Bar-tailed Godwit was flushed by a loose dog.  Not only did the godwit go but all the other waders and some from Butts which was frustrating.

Fishtail too had some water and with it waders.  I scanned through them in an effort to turn Dunlin into a Pectoral Sandpiper, but it didn't work, they were all Dunlin.

There were also three Ringed Plover, all immature birds with the light fringes on the feathers.

I walked as far as Keyhaven Lagoon, but it was devoid of birds.  Walking back past Fishtail there were Pied Wagtails onb the mud and the same waders, still Dunlin.

I walked all the way around to Moses Dock and didn't lift the camera. As I approached the dock a Curlew was in the water with about a dozen Redshank.  It slowly walked away from me.

There was a Greenshank on the other side.

And the Curlew had made its way to the sea weed on the rocks.

I walked on towards Normandy, eight acre pond was full of water once more with the sailing boats out.  As I reached the corner near to Normandy there was another Greenshank close to the sea wall.

A feather was dislodged as a result of the preening.

Feeding on the mud.

A little Egret was battling in the strong wind and as it turned its back to the wind its crest was blown up.

Normandy was the same as all the other locations, devoid of birds.  I walked around to the southern side and found a Redshank.  I decided to settle down to have an early lunch and as I munched a Greenshank came close to the fence.

It came out of the water and stood on the mud.

The Redshank flew off and called in alarm, the Greenshank straightened, but stayed in place, providing a nice pose along with the red glasswort.

Nothing else showed so I decided the wind was ruining the day so I made my way back to the car.  There were More Dunlin on Oxey Lake.

While on Salterns a couple of adult winter plumaged Black-tailed Godwits.

A Kingfisher called and then flew all around Salterns before disappearing out of sight.  That was the last bird action of the day.  I headed back to the car and drove home listening to the misery that is Tottenham Hotspur.

My last day out was here, two weeks ago and the two visits could not be s o different.  I believe the wind ruined the day today, but why couldn't there have been a Grey Phalarope sheltering from the wind?

10th - 17th September - Corfu, Greece - Sunrises, Sunsets and some interesting Images

Being on the east coast of the island we did not get to see the sunsetting, but the light from the setting sun would change the colours in the sky dramatically, turning the mountains of the mainland and the sky into the land of the pink and grey.

The mountains of the mainland would also produce some dramatic clouds.

We had one early morning start the day we went to Paxos and we were treated to a spectacular sunrise.

A distant yacht, it's white sails contrasting with the deep blue of the sea.

The straight geometric designs of the hotel lodge roofs were quite pleasing when contrasted with the blue sky.  First though in black and white.

Then the blue sky.

This cloud appears to have a string.  Just opportunistic that the vapour trail ran out as the cloud passed over.

A Fan Palm leaf back lit with a dark background.

The tall palm tree that towered above our sun bed spot.  Late afternoon it would take the sun away.

Some more sunset images bring back the land of the pink and grey.

The rains that came on the evening of the 15th, breaking a spell of dry weather in Corfu of four months.  There was thunder and lightning and strong winds and heavy rain that last just over an hour.

Then the following morning, our last day we were treated to some lovely morning light and some atmospheric scenes stretched out across the sea.

In the valleys on the mainland mist gathers lit up by the morning sunshine.

The mountains silhouetted like strips of torn paper.

High cloud lingered for most of the morning shading the sun but creating some lovely effects.

Eventually the cloud cleared and it was a lovely day with that deep azure blue sky.  Later in the evening we were treated to a wonderful sunset for our last meal.

A wonderful, relaxing holiday, what else do you need?