15th August - Kestrel - Old Winchester Hill, Hampshire

I had come to Old Winchester Hill today primarily for the butterflies, but Old Winchester Hill is also excellent for providing eye level and looking down views of birds of prey and today, with a northerly wind blowing and providing an updraft on the north slopes of the hill fort, the Kestrels were performing.  There were three immature birds hunting together and an adult male keeping well away, but also using the wind to hunt.  This post is a complete portfolio of the Kestrels, the butterflies and views will be the subject of my next post.

On reaching the hill fort I came across the adult hovering just over the slope of the moat on the north side of the fort.  Several hovers and drops into the grass ended up with the bird gliding up on the wind and past me across the fort,

A little further along the three immature birds were hunting over the grassland in front of a line of dying Ash trees.  At first I thought there were four Kestrels but it soon became clear there was a Sparrowhawk amongst them.

The kestrels were flying and the view I had was with the harvested field below them, the fort allowing me to look down on them

This looks like an immature Sparrowhawk and there did not appear to be any real animosity from either the Kestrel or the hawk they would just interact in the sky, maybe the Sparrowhawk mistook the Kestrels for another Sparrowhawk, it was interesting to watch.

Here the Sparrowhawk flew into the Ash tree where one of the Kestrels was perched and briefly settled next to the Kestrel.

I left the young birds and went off on my butterfly hunt.  On my way back I came across the Kestrels once again and this time they were showing very well close to me.

Here the Kestrel flew past me at eye level and appears to be watching me as as much I was watching it.

This provides some idea of how I was looking down on the Kestrels.

Sadlu a background of dead Ash trees.

Headless but it has something with the immature checkered plumage and brown of the harvested field below.

I picked this immature Kestrel hovering over the slope of the fort, with the grasses and flowers blurred in the foreground.

Looking out to the north once more one of the young Kestrels drifted past me heading back to the area where I had first seen them.

I walked on and picked up the adult male Kestrel in the area of the slope that drops down and around to the steep hill.  At first it was perched in a conifer, but then took off and flew past me.

Banking at me.

Hovering in the corner as the path drops down and this allowed ne to get to eye level with the Kestrel.  There was no movement in the wings to hover, just the wind ruffling the feathers.

After an unsuccessful hunt it regained height once more without any effort and then flew past me.  I like to think it was watching me as it did so.

A wonderful experience an the vantage point of the fort provides an excellent opportunity to really appreciate the flying skills of this lovely little falcon.

14th August - Titchfield Haven, Hampshire

From the Crofton Cemetery it was a short drive to the Haven, the destination I had originally set off for.  Parking was still available along Cliff road and looking out over the promenade at Hill Head the tide was still out.  I made my way to the Cabin and for once there was a bird on the river from the balcony, a Little Egret on a perch that was probably set up for something smaller and more colourful.

As I walked around the harbour, I could see the Goosander in the water.  This is the male Goosander that has been around the reserve for the last three year.  At this time of year it goes into eclipse plumage and sports a red head.  The give away that this is a male is the white panel on the wings.

It was snorkelling and diving into the flowing water.

It swam close to the shore and started to bathe in and preen in the water which was followed by the inevitable wing flap.

At this moment I thought the primary wing feathers were still too short for flight.

Walking around to the west side entrance there were plenty of terns moving to and fro from the scrape to the sea.  The number of Common Terns moving now swelled by the juveniles that were now flying.

The water levels on the south scrape had risen, the water having to be pumped in.  These are being maintained to fight off the avian botulism that has been responsible for quite a few deaths around the reserve.

The Common Sandpipers were still on the small island in front of the hide.  In total there were three around the scrape, two here.

An immature Turnstone flew on to the island, unusual to see and the Common Sandpipers were not pleased and chased it away.

The three young Common Terns were still present.  Two are flying and were sitting on the wooden frame while the youngest was still on the island and taking it in turn to shelter under the tile or wade out into the water.

The 'imposter' is also still around and still trying to feed the young terns who are continuing to ignore its advances.

Continually coming back with the same fish.

And then being chased by the parent terns.

It would stand on the island with the fish but the young tern would not come anywhere near it.

The usual waders around the scrape, alongside the Common Sandpipers were Avocet, Black-tailed Godwits and Redshank.  Amongst the terns a couple of Sandwich Terns.

There were the squabbles around the scrape which produce some spectacular aerobatics.

Black-tailed Skimmers and Southern Hawkers flew past the hide as well as a Painted Lady and the expected Clouded Yellow.

It was true to say things were quiet and it was also very hot.  I decided to make my way back to the car, but stopped on the road where the adult Common Gull was sitting on the same post

The tide was now well up, but the Goosander was still in the harbour and showing well.

It swam up to the slipway and then decided it can fly and flew off out on to the river.

On the harbour walls there were quite a few Turnstone and were showing off their summer plumage in the sunshine.

The water levels fluctuating is a problem, now high not attractive to waders, but it will dry out again unless there is rain and the dry mud is no good for waders as well.  This summer is really playing out as interesting.

14th August - Pied Flycatcher - Crofton Cemetery, Hampshire

The Pied Flycatcher is not a Hampshire breeding bird, they like the south west and western areas of the British Isles, typically breeding in holes in the oak woodlands of Wales and the west country.  Every year though one or two will turn up on spring passage, if you are lucky a smart male in its black and white plumage.  The autumn passage though is a little different and adults and juveniles passing through, but unfortunately in the brown plumages but still with dark wings and a white wing bar

What is fascinating is that the Pied Flycatchers turn up in the same locations year after year.  Maybe over two to three years they are the same birds but any longer and they would be offspring.  The two hot spots for the Pied Flycatcher sightings are Hayling Island around the paddocks of Northeney and for some reason the cemetery at Old Crofton church in Stubbington.

One was reported yesterday and then again this morning.  I had made my mind up to go to Titchfield this morning so a short diversion to the cemetery was not a problem.  As I entered the gates it wasn't hard to be taken by the short yellow grass.  The Pied Flycatchers seem to like the area around a large Lime tree, conifer and Yew tree.  It didn't take long to locate it in a small elderberry bush close by.  The bird was highlighted by the sun against a lovely black background.

From the sunshine it dropped to perch close to a bunch of elder berries.

It showed very well.

It then flew across my head and into the Yew Tree, perching above me.

Flycatchers can be very frustrating as they perch on high points to allow them to look out for insects, this doesn't make the photography subject perfect.

Eventually it perched on the outside of the tree, before flying into the Lime tree and out of sight.

Last year I managed my first county Pied Flycatcher and that was at Hayling, I have always missed birds here at Crofton so it was nice to catch up with what is an early bird on passage, maybe there will be a few more moving through those hot spots here in Hampshire.