21st May - Pig Bush, New Forest, Hampshire

Back from Suffolk, I thought long and hard about where to go today, in the end I opted for the New Forest to look for Spotted Flycatcher, the last real common migrant I needed to see this spring.  It was a glorious day, not too hot and hopefully it would stay dry.  From the car park I walked through the wood and as I came out on to the heath a female Redstart flew from the ground to an oak tree.  I scanned the dead trees close by and immediately saw my first Spotted Flycatcher of the year at the top of the branches.

It was calling from the branches, a very thin wispy squeak, completely un hearable from below, but the bill was moving so I had to assume it was calling.

I walked across the heath and over the stream and out towards the main wood by the Rowbarrow.  There has been some rain recently and the ruts were full of water.

As I came into the wood a male Redstart dropped from a low branch to pick up something on the ground.

It then returned to the tree and sat.  it wa quite gloomy and there was the need for an high ISO.

I reached the Nightjar trees but couldn't find any Nightjars, but there were a pair of Redstart and plenty of calling.  Both adults were carrying food and it looked like there was a juvenile close by.

Some views of the female Redstart for a change.

I walked on and started to hear Redstart calling once more and they were joined by Chaffinch, and a Blackbird.  As I looked I saw a brown largish bird fly across the path and into a tree close by.  I walked down the path and found a Tawny Owl on a branch close to the trunk.

Turning to check me out.

But not that bothered with me as it started to close its eyes.

I walked around to the other side to see if the view was better.  The owl snoozing having fought off the attention of the small birds.

This was one of three Tawny Owls I have seen this year, one of my better years.

I set off out of the wood and across the heath, I was surprised to see a tractor and four by four coming along the path.  It turns out they were going on to the bog to retrieve a burnt out car that had been dumped and torched.  The funny thing though was that the cows followed the tractor out and later I saw them following it back.

Just before the small wood by the railway line, I stopped for a Willow Warbler singing and in front of me there were two Dartford Warblers calling in a small hawthorn bush.  The male was showing well.

I wa;lkled around the wood but there were hardly any Redstart, I found a pair but they were elusive.  Last year there were several Spotted Flycatchers around the cattle pens and as I walked around the area I could hear them calling, but they were very difficult to locate.  Finally I found one that had dropped to almost eye level.

I mentioned earlier the flycatcher's squeaky call and here i could hear it and you have to wonder why it needs such an open beak to deliver it.

It then moved to a closer bush, showing well.

Continued to call

Then to a branch in an area where you are likely to see a Flycatcher sitting in th eopen under an open canopy where the insects get.

Still singing.

Leaving the Spotted Flycatcher I found a male Firecrest singing close by and he also showed well.

Nice against the dark background.

Then it did this, almost lying on the branch and stretching out its wings.  Maybe sunbathing, I am not sure, but the only thing I could consider.

I walked around the wood looking fro Redstart, but without any luck.  I did come across this Song Thrush, singing from a very convenient branch.

Still images will capture the beauty of the bird, but there is a lot of beauty in the song of the Song Thrush, so I captured this with this video clip.

I walked back towards the car park with Cuckoo calling in the distance and Stonechats calling, probably feeding young.

In the wood Redstart sang and as I approached the Nightjar tree a pair of Woodlark dropped on to the path in front of me.  I don't recall ever seeing Woodlark inside a wood before.

I decided to settle in around the Redstart pair I had seen earlier feeding young.  Sitting down amongst the bracken I ate my lunch and watched the pair as they caught insects.  The male liked a particular spot on the oak tree opposite and returned regularly.

A lovely morning in the forest and I managed to find my target bird and a little bit more.

17th May - RSPB Minsmere, Suffolk

It was back to RSPB Minsmere today, arriving the same time, but today the conditions were a lot warmer, the wind was more from the south west and much lighter and as a result as we walked to the Island Mere Hide there was plenty of bird song in the woods, including this male Blackcap.

We had decided to miss out the Bittern Hide this morning, the word was that the best views were being seen from the Island Mere, although a little later in the day we were told of a Bittern that fished in th epool in front of the Bittern Hide for about forty five minutes.  Such is life.

It wasn't too busy in the hide and the beauty of the hide is that it has wide, high windows, no leaning forward to look through a small opening, we both were suffering with our necks as a result.

There are great views across the tops of the reeds and of course there were Marsh Harriers, this one a male drifting past.

I had been hearing the calls of Bearded Tit from the moment we walked down the board walk, but they were staying low in the reeds until this male appeared on the edge of the reeds, low down, but showing well.

Some classic Bearded Tit poses in the reeds.

There were three others in the hide and as we looked out across the mere the call went out "Bittern" and one came from the left hand side of the hide, flying low in front of the hide across the cut reeds.  Wonderful, just what we had come for.

In the breeding season the males have a light blue patch around the eye and at the base of the bill.  This was a male bird.

The throat and belly plumage is what catches the eye, due to its ability to hide the Bittern in the reeds, but in flight you get to appreciate the stunning patterns on the wings and back, a truly beautiful bird.

The Camera just fired away as it passed and I couldn't make my mind up which one was the best so here are all of them.

Following a recent census the RSPB reckon that there are twelve breeding pairs around the reed bed, there was a nest to the left of the hide which is thought to now have chicks.

A little after the first Bittern flew past, another took off t=from the are in which we had briefly seen one on Friday.  It flew across the mere to the reeds on the far side.

We settled in once more to see if anymore would show and we did see two more distantly to the west of the hide.  But another surprise was a Common Crane that flew up from the area directly in front of us and behind the mere.

There were two birds and we could hear them calling, with that lovely wild bugling sound.  The pair have a nest and the thinking is that the chicks have hatched and are now being fed.  Another big success for Minsmere.  The adult birds would fly between the area in front of the hid to a spot distant to the west.

Quite a sight in flight with the wide wingspan and long legs extended beyond the wings.

A sedge Warbler was singing and bursting in the air with its display flight on the right hand side of the hide.

While on the left hand side this Reed Warbler seemed to prefer the small hawthorn bush to the reeds to sing in.

With the calmer conditions today the water of the mere was quite still and threw a nice reflection of the Cormorants resting on the wooden platform.

While a Common Tern fished out in the middle of the mere.

Then another surprise one of the Common Cranes took off from the nest area and flew towards us behind the hide.  I came out on to the boardwalk as it began circling to gain height.

Showing off the impressive wingspan and overall size of the bird.

Things quietened a little as we approached lunch time, so we walked back to the centre for a coffee and something to eat.  Sitting outside I couldn't resist the Sand Martins flying to and fro from their nest holes.

As I watched the Sand Martins I was reminded of the first time I came to Minsmere back in the late eighties when the Sand Martin Colony was the back drop for the car park.  That car park would never support the number of visitors the reserve gets today.

We decided to walk around the scrapes once one, coming up to the north wall a Reed Bunting sand from a single branch within the reeds.

There was always a chance of a heavy shower today, but fortunately we were lucky, this one passing to the south of us heading out to the north sea over Thorpeness.

We walked the board walk once again and then up and over into the dunes.  This Brent Goose was a surprise as it headed out to the sea from the scrape, a very late bird.

A Linnet in the gorse by the sluice.

We walked around to the South Hide, but before going in there is a small raised area where you can look over the scrape that can't be seen from the hide.  As I walked up to view all the Common Terns went up together

Kittiwakes nest on the platforms out at sea and come to the scrape to collect nest material.  Always an impressive bird when seen close up.

We went in to the South Hide, mainly to try and find a summer plumaged Grey Plover.  We found the plover but it was much to far away and the heat haze made a photograph, even a record shot a waste of time.

Another bonus though was a first summer Little Gull, however it is in quite a bit of moult with wing and tail feathers growing.

I couldn't leave Minsmere without a photograph of an Avocet and this one was feeding in the shallow water along with a nice reflection.

As we walked back to the car park through the woodland this little Wren sat up nicely on a fallen trunk.

Minsmere always delivers, but even more so at this time of year, the two days here provided some quality birds and and some great photo opportunities.  I mustn't leave it so long for the next visit.