5th November - Titchfield Haven, Hampshire

After Tuesday's uninspiring walk down the Canal Path I decided today to head straight to Hill Head.  There had also been a report of a Red-throated Diver off the Sailing Club and I was hoping I could catch up with it.  

Needless to say there wasn't any sign of the diver, only Great Crested Grebes, but there was some action off the beach spit with the wader roost being spooked, probably by the high tide.  This meant the Turnstone, Sanderling and Ringed Plover would fly out across the water and then look to find a safe place to settle back down.  The light wasn't good, it was a gloomy overcast day and photographs once again were a challenge.

There are 49 Sanderling in this picture, and this represents about half of the flock so probably good numbers in excess of 100 in the roost.

My attention then went from the waders to a Black-headed Gull and Common Gull, the Common Gull was carrying something that the Black-headed Gull was interested in.  As the Common Gull dropped onto the water I could see what it was carrying, a Rat!

It was big for the Common Gull, so I am not show how the Black-headed Gull thought it was going to deal with it, but it tried.

I can't believe that the Common Gull killed the Rat, I can only assume that the rat was already dead and the gull picked it up.  It kept dropping the rat in the water and ten plunging its head in to the water to retrieve it.  It managed to turn the rat head first, but wasn't able to swallow it and eventually left it to fall to the bottom.

The water was quite clam and still and it was just after high tide and the beach was becoming exposed.  Sanderling, Ringed Plover and a few Turnstones were now on the beach while out on the sea were four Common Scoter, these had been reported earlier and were four females.

In to the Meon Shore hide there were a lot of Teal on the scrape.  Also of interest were two Greenshank at roost in the far north east corner of the scrape and a single Avocet feeding on the right hand side.  Black-tailed Godwits were coming in from the sea and flying around the scrape.

Stan picked up two Meadow Pipits on the east bank of the scrape and as we looked at these another slightly larger pipit was down close to the water.  Stan called it as a Water Pipit, I had a look through his scope and could see quite clearly that it was.  But it then decided to fly away and we lost it.  Pipits were flying around the causeway area and we decided to try from the Pumfrett hide to look for it.

There wasn't any sign of any Pipits from the hide, but we settled in and a male Pintail dropped on to the North Scrape.  This one was still showing signs of the eclipse plumage.

A female Marsh Harrier sat in one of the bushes alongside the north side of the north scrape.

While one of three Wigeon present was alongside the causeway.

The Marsh Harrier then moved across the scrape and down towards the river.  In doing so it flushed all of the North Scrape and some of the South, sending this Snipe up too.

The only other option open to us was that maybe the Water Pipit was on the islands from the Spurgin hide.  As we approached there were two calling Chiffchaffs and two Great Spotted Woodpeckers on the dead trees, this one staying after the other flew off.

There were no Pipits from the hide, Meadow or Water, but once again the Grey Wagtail flew in and perched on the perch in front of the hide.

At the moment the Spurgin hide is probably the best place to get good views of the Marsh Harriers, hopefully with the completion of the nee Suffern hide that will provide some too.  The female Marsh Harrier was hawking around the bushes and reeds and was clearly interested in something in the reeds.

This female is seen now quite regularly.

We wanted to go to the Brownwich Cliffs, but decided before we di to pop in to the Meon Shore hide once again.  The Shoveler were a little restless moving from the scrape out to the river bay on the other side of the reeds.  They look quite special in flight with the lovely sky blue speculum.

We were just about to leave when the Water Rail decided to come out of the reeds on the right hand side and fly across in front of the hide.  It was still gloomy so I was shooting with a very high ISO so everything looks quite grainy.

The tide was low now and there was a lot of the beach exposed.  Looking out from the first view point on Brownwich Cliffs the clouds looked quite impressive above a still calm sea.

We quickly picked up the Common Scoter, there was a group of seven very distant and viewed through a scope.  These included two adult drakes.  But closer were four females, making eleven out on the water.

There was a group of twenty two Eider and they were drifting east, as we watched them Stan picked up on a flock of twenty Common Scoter distant fly east towards Cowes where they finally settled on the water.

Walking back the Eider had drifted quickly and as I reached the Sailing Club spit they were quite close off shore.  Here all twenty two birds, only four female amongst the males that were displaying and calling.

Some closer views of the Eider.

Head bobbing and wing flapping from the males.

Not the best of days for photography, but some quality birds once again.

3rd November - Titchfield Haven Canal Path and the Reserve

I hadn't walked the Canal Path for sometime and with some lovely autumnal sunshine this more and a cool feel to the air I decided to park at Bridge Street and walk down to the sea wall.  But first I crossed the road and checked the horse paddocks to see if the Glossy Ibis were there.  I drew a blank and decided to go back and walk the path.

I was interested to see the water levels in Posbrook Floods and as I approached I could see there was quite a bit of water.  But a closer inspection showed that while there was plenty of water there were hardly any duck at all.  The summer's drought having dried up the floods and killed off the under water vegetation and animal life.

There was a good amount of water in the canal and it was reflecting nicely in the sunshine.

Aside from calling Chiffchaff and flocks of Long-tailed Tits the only bird of note was a Common Buzzard half way along sitting on a post close to the thatched cottage.

Walking past Hammond's bridge I listened out for Yellow Browed Warbler but could only hear Chiffchaff.  I walked on, down to the sea wall where the tide was out and there was plenty of beach exposed.  As I entered the reserve on the west side there were two male Clouded Yellow butterflies moving along in the sunshine close to the reeds.  Unusually they stayed close together, even settling together on the ground.

They looked immaculate so can only assume they have just emerged.  These were my latest Clouded Yellows I have seen beating those I saw in 2014 at Pagham on the 31st October.

I walked to the reserve where at first it was quiet on the scrape as most of the duck had been flushed by a low flying Coastguard helicopter.  Shoveler were flying out to the bay.

But the Teal remained and this one decided all was well and went to roost on the edge of the small island in front of the hide.

A Water Rail appeared on the right hand side of the hide, skulking through the reeds in probably the darkest area, which was a challenge for the photographs.

Slowly coming out of the reeds.

Finally showing well.

A little later it was seen walking away and around the corner into the bay out of sight.

But came back through the reeds and then out to show off once again.

Eventually going back into the reeds and the gloom.

In between the Water Rail appearances a Grey Wagtail came in and settled on the positioned perches in front of the hide.

A single Lapwing once more was on the small island in front of the hide.

A bird the size of a thrush flew across the scrape and at first I thought it might be a bird of prey.  I managed to take some poor shots and could see that it was in fact a Fieldfare, which was an unusual place to see it.

Shoveler were still moving back and forth from the scrape.

Everything then went up on the scrape and the reason was for a large female Marsh Harrier that was hunting around the central causeway.

The Lapwing go a little crazy when they all go up, flying around showing off their acrobatic skills

A Kestrel was the fourth bird of prey to show and it again flushed all the Teal in front of the hide.  It came over the hide and I went outside to catch it, a male.

Back in the hide rain showers to the north of the reserve were producing rainbows.

The Shoveler were still flying around the scrape.

With things quietening down and the fact that I was freezing from the brisk north easterly wind that was blowing through the hide windows, I decided to walk around to the harbour.  A Kingfisher flew across the bay settling on the island and there were two Common Gulls, one of which was close to the roadside viewing point.

On the river from the bridge a Little Grebe.

And several Gadwall including this smart drake.

I started my walk back to the Canal Path, but as I reached the sea wall I noticed a white bird diving into the sea.  When it emerged I could see that it was a Sandwich Tern.  I think it caught something and was chased by a Black-headed Gull, but when I managed to catch up with it there wasn't any fish.

Once upon a time these terns would head south for the winter but they are now seen frequently during the winter along the south coast.  This one is showing the winter plumage with the white forehead, but still with the black bill and yellow tip.

Just outside the toilet block at the bottom of the canal path the male Kestrel was back and showed very well.

The Canal Path was still quiet, but this time a Marsh Harrier showed over the reed bed.  This time a male Marsh Harrier.

As it headed north it came upon a female Marsh Harrier and there was a little quarrel involving talons and beak.

But it came to nothing and they flew off, almost together.

As I reached the car park a Jay flew across the field after having mobbed a Buzzard in a tree.

An interesting day and as always it proves that if you wait and give the hides some time something will happen.