17th October - Leaden Hall, New Forest and Blashford Lakes, Hampshire

A pair of Ring Ouzel have been on the Leaden Hall Plateau in the New Forest for the last few days and Ian and I decided, despite the clear overnight conditions to start there today.  We met just after sun rise and on what was probably the coldest morning of the season, walked down the slope towards Black Gutter Bottom.  Away on the horizon, the famous tree of Black Gutter Bottom.

As we reached the bottom of the valley there was frost on the grass, so it was a very cold night.  We walked up the slope to Leaden Hall having crossed a bone dry stream.  Up on the plateau there were a few birders already there but there hadn't been any sign of the Ring Ouzel.  However away to the south west, distantly in a conifer was a White-tailed Eagle.  Unmistakeable.

After trying to chase after the eagle, which decided to fly off towards the south west, we walked back to the plateau and decided rather than stand around waiting for the Ring Ouzel to show we would go looking for them.  Walking around the back of the Whitebeam trees I flushed a female from the bracken.  We searched but unfortunately could not relocate it, or any other.

So we could stand around again or move on, we opted for the latter and headed to Blashford Lakes.  First up was a visit to the Tern hide.  Two White-tailed Eagles have been seen every morning of the past week and their presence had clearly had an effect on the duck on the lake, there was very few and what were there were all up on the north shore sheltering from the wind.

There were good numbers of Coot and Great Crested Grebes, with a few Tufted Duck mixed in.  A Green Sandpiper flew past the hide calling but in keeping with much of what this day was it stayed well out of sight.

So we decided to walk around to the Goosander hide, where it was a little more interesting.  A red head male Goosander, identified by the large white wing panel.

There were also twelve Goosander on the far side of the lake, eleven redheads and smart male.

A Little Gull appeared just off the spit but again always stayed distant.  This is a second winter bird.

I seem to be tripping over Grey Wagtails this month.  Here there were three feeding around the exposed mud below the hide.

But one came up on to the top of the Sand Martin wall, here perched on the Kingfisher perch.

Then replaced by a Chiffchaff.

We then walked around to the Lapwing hide, with the guttural calls of a stag Fallow Deer.  It is currently the the middle of the rut and we were able to find the stag, and a very impressive animal.  A wonderful set of palmate antlers, and you can see the thick set neck which is so vital in it's involvement in the rut.  You can also see that there are plenty of scars on that neck signalling plenty of fights and these must have been successful because it had a full hareem of does with him

In front of the Lapwing hide was a large raft of Coot, but on the edge were two red head Goldeneye, probably newly arrived for the winter.

These may be a pair with the bird on the right possibly still in eclipse.

In amongst the Coot raft were Tufted Duck, a couple of Wigeon and good to see at least six Pochard.

We counted eight Great Egrets around Ibsley Water.  They were quite mobile, flying back and forth along the west shore of the lake.  This one though flew across the lake and dropped on to the shore to the left of the hide.

With nothing else of much note this Great Crested Grebe caught the eye.  It had caught what looks like a sizeable Tench.  IT was trying to swallow it but having difficulty due to the size of the fish.

The Grebe eventually gave up and released the fish.

And we gave up too, walking back to the cars for lunch.  After which we walked to the Ivy Lake south hide.  The hide was packed and quite noisy.  We had to wait for a seat at the window, nothing in front of the hide, but there was a very distant Kingfisher on the left hand side.  It stayed well away from the hide, probably due to the noise and activity.

We should have stayed, an Otter was seen later in the afternoon, but we didn't, we headed to the Ivy Lake North hide, stopping on the way to watch a collection of birds coming to seed spread on some logs.  There were Blue, Great and Coal Tits, Song THrush and Blackbird and a couple of Nuthatch.

The reeds were high in front of the hide and the water in the lake low.  The only bird on show was a Moorhen along with distant Gadwall, Tufted Duck and Teal.  Once again we ran out of patience and once again if we had stayed then maybe we would have seen a Bittern fly up from the reedmace.  But we didn't, we started to try for the Ring Ouzel once again.

It was a beautiful afternoon and as always the New Forest and Black Gutter Bottom was looking spectacular.  Walking down the slope to the stream the tree was prominent on the slope with the clouds emphasised in the black and white photograph.

I took this one standing in the middle of the stream bed, totally dry.

THere were absolutely no birds seen on the plateau, definitely no Ring Ouzel.  We decided to walk around the area coming back along Ashley Walk.  I had noticed that the bracken this year were very short, normally growing as high as my waist or more.  As you can see they are very stunted reaching as high as my calves, all as a result of the drought conditions we have experienced this summer.

A black and white view of the distant clouds beyond the bracken.

Back at the plateau we were rewarded when Ian picked up a distant Goshawk, but aside from that and several Stonechat it was very quiet.  We walked back up the hill to the main road and the cars with a final black and white view of the tree once more.  What would I do without that tree on visits here!

When you look at what was seen today you quickly realise it was quite impressive.  The problem was it was a day for photographing them.  Once again we seemed to be missing some good stuff by moving on.  There is something to be said for maybe sitting it out.

15th October - Titchfield Haven, Hampshire

The forecast through the week was for a good end to the week, but on Wednesday evening the forecast changed, and once again there was early morning rain and overcast conditions, the wind though was coming from the south raising the temperatures well above the average for the time of year.  Taking all this into account I decided to head back to Titchfield once more.

Walking along Cliff road the tide was out and close to the beach were a small raft of Eider.  Here two males that had broken away from the main raft.

Also on the beach were my first Brent Geese of the season.  Forty in total, here a small group, all adult birds.

There was a party of birders looking at the Eider and I decided to get to the hides before they took over the hide.

The South scrape was quiet, but very quickly became even quieter when a Sparrowhawk flew over from the west side scattering the duck and waders.

I decided to walk up to the Pumfrett Hide where it wasn't much better, but when tyhe Canada Geese arrived they had with them the Barnacle Goose.  Close up a lovely delicate looking goose.

From the Pumfrett it was the short walk to the Spurgin Hide.  The female Marsh Harrier was about, but distant over the Frying Pan area.  Very soon the Egyptian Geese arrived.  One thing I would say about these is that they do look good in flight.

There was a trickle of migrants heading south from up the valley.  Skylark and Meadow Pipits would move through calling and they would be joined by Swallows, again adult birds with long tail streamers.

Shelduck have been absent for a few weeks so it was good to see a pair fly past and head towards the south scrape.

A Grey Wagtail had flown over calling as I approached the hide and it didn't take long for it to arrive in front of the hide once again.

Then up to a perch on which I think a lot in the hide would have prefered to be used by a Kingfisher.

Still calling.

Down to the beaten down reeds floating on the water.

There is an old French tradition that states the Wagtail originally did not have a tail and that when he was invited to the Lark's wedding he borrowed the Wren's tail so to look his best.  Unfortunately he neglected to return it and he is said to keep wagging the tail to make sure that it is still there.

The Marsh Harrier then put in an appearance, the same modus coming around the bushes and then following the reeds at the back of the mere, holding and hovering in the southerly wind.

There was some rain still in the air.

A young Kestrel had been hunting along the newly mown paths and flew past the hide and then headed out across the Canal Path.

With it pretty quiet I walked back to the Meon Shore hide, where the Grey Wagtail was on the island and perches in front of the hide, the same male bird as I had seen earlier.

There were a couple of Black-tailed Godwits close in front of the hide.  This one having a good stretch.

With the tide almost high there was a bit more activity on the scrape, good numbers of Teal, Gadwall and Shoveler, a single Wigeon and a Pintail.  The Redshank were busy flying around and calling.  This one coming in to land in the water in front of the hide.

Then, on the left hand side of the hide in the reeds an appearance from the Water Rail.

Creeping through the fallen reeds to start with.

But gradually it came out into the open before ducking under the fallen reed stems.

It was a case of waiting and watching and it appeared this time in the open, walking across the reeds.

Then into the water before sheltering once again from view.

They cross from left to right and back again, but normally cross the open water at speed, due to their secretive nature.  But today it didn't appear to be in a hurry and walked through the water stirring up the mud behind it.

The Water Rail is another of those sort after birds to photograph, this is due to both it's secretive nature, skulking through the reeds announcing their presence by it's squealing call.

But there is a beauty in the bird's plumage, the russet brown and black streaked back, the black and white stripes on the flanks, the blue grey face and breast and of course the crimson red bill.

A lovely close up of the head and bill, the eyes set almost with a binocular vision.

It made its way steadily across the open water.

Finally disappearing in the reeds on the right hand side of the hide.

At last good views of the Water Rail.  We considered there to be at least three birds in the area.  Two were seen initially on the left hand side and as this one went into the reeds on the right hand side there were two birds squealing.

The Snipe were still about, but I could only count four birds today.  One Snipe likes to feed in the open in and around the small island.  But they always like to head back to the stubble of Snipe island.  This provides the chance to catch them in flight.

At the weekend there was some discussion around the differences between the Common Snipe and Wilson's Snipe.  The Wilson's is the North American counterpart to our Common Snipe, but was recently separated due to vocalisation and slight but consistent morphological differences.  These are the width of the white trailing edge of the wings being narrower.  While the underwing is a darker grey.  There are sixteen tail feathers in the Wilson's with the display feathers that provide the drumming sound being two each side, only one in the Common Snipe.

Here you can see the tail feathers clearly and the two outermost tail feathers that do the drumming.

Here the bright underwing of the Common Snipe.

A male Kestrel flew across in front of the hide having just been hunting over the West Paddock.  A closer look revealed the hunt had been successful with what looks like an unfortunate mouse in the talons!

The number of Mediterranean Gulls has dropped dramatically with only two being seen today.  There were also two Common Gulls on the scrape, this one highlight by the dark water and the rotting posts behind it.

Walking back there was a Kingfisher at the harbour bridge, unfortunately it went from a prominent perch to hide amongst the branches, but I could see enough to establish it was the same bird I had photographed from the Spurgin Hide at the weekend.

Another good day, there is always something that turns up here and today it was the lovely Water Rail.