18th August - Pennington, Keyhaven Marshes, and Fishlake Meadows Romsey, Hampshire

Ever since we have returned from Costa Rica the weather has been indifferent, with overcast conditions.  Temperatures have still been quite pleasant but there has been a complete absence of sunshine.  All this in complete contrast to the hot weather we left behind on the 25th July.

This morning I was meeting Ian at the Lower Pennington Lane car park.  Back in July the water levels were low on the pools and lagoons and there was some excellent numbers of waders to be seen.  While there had not been too many reports in the last week of anything of interest, this was one of the best sites at this time of year.

As I arrived at the carpark Ian was scanning the dry marsh for any sign of Yellow Wagtails, but without any luck.  Getting out of the car I was surprised by the coolness of the wind, but I was determined to keep the summer theme up and refused to put on a coat.  As we walked down towards the sea wall I contemplated whether this was a foolish stance, it felt cold enough for a hat and gloves!

Goldfinches were busy amongst the elderberry bushes, and there were one or two Robins singing that melancholic winter song proclaiming their territories.  Looking across to Fishtail Lagoon there was a little more water than there had been on my last visit, but there was also a considerable amount of dry mud.  Despite this it was almost devoid of any birds, a few Black-headed Gulls, and Mallard in eclipse but that was mostly all.

We walked around to the point overlooking Butts Bay, there were 29 Eider hauled out on the saltmarsh, in various stages of plumage, in fact they looked quite a motley band of characters.  Scanning around the marsh I found a male Common Scoter, as it flapped its wings there were hardly any feathers, so it was very much in moult, and by all account had been present in the same place for some time.  There was also a Mediterranean Gull in amongst the Black-headed Gulls

The Butts lagoon like Fishtail had no waders, the only birds were immature Grey Herons and a few Mute Swans.  We walked up and down in search of just something but it was deadly quiet.  There were two Greenshank on the Jetty lagoon, and a couple of Black-tailed Godwits.

Off shore there was a large group of terns feeding around the narrows close to Hurst point, Sandwich and Common terns were clear but identifying anything else was just impossible.  At the Jetty a single Sandwich Tern sat on the exposed metal.

As we headed towards Butts Bay once again, I noticed something very white and larger amongst the terns around Hurst Point.  Scoping revealed it to be an adult Gannet.  We watched as it moved up and down the Solent, staying ll the time on the far side, and very distant.

The tide was falling in Butts Bay, and there were some waders, although no where near the numbers I would have expected.  Close in were several Ringed Plovers.

We walked around Fishtail Lagoon, where there was a Common Sandpiper on the far bank, and then on to Keyhaven.  Redshank were feeding on the exposed mud, and at Keyhaven there was a distant Spotted Redshank.  As we  approached the harbor at Keyhaven, there was about 100 Black-tailed Godwits feeding on the shore.

By the bridge three immature or female Goosanders were on the water

All three then embarked on some very elaborate preening, taking advantage of the freshwater after probably having been fishing in the sea at high tide.

This even involved completely flipping over into the water, legs all over the place

Then relative calm.

We decided to try our luck in the hide, and as we approached we disturbed a Kingfisher from a post by the pond.  We stayed for awhile in the hope it would return but it never did.  the dead conditions continued.

We walked the Ancient Highway where there were several Chiffchaffs calling, Whitethroats in the bushes, and a Snipe on one of the islands in the Balancing Pond.  A shape on one of the dead branches of a gorse bush turned out to be an immature Green Woodpecker

We had walked some distance in search of birds this morning without little luck.  I can honestly say I have never seen these lagoons and marshes so quiet, it wasn't what I expected.

After a cup of tea we decided to move on, the hope was that we could catch up with the Osprey at Fishlake Meadows in Romsey.  I wasn't holding out much hope, as on many previous occasions I have tried to see them there and failed quite miserably.  The first challenge was to get through the holiday traffic that was present in both Lymington and Lyndhurst.  It put about 20 minutes on our journey, but we finally made it to Fishlake, and walked to the viewing point without any real expectations, and truth be told I was thinking where else we could go when we knew we had failed here.

There were others present as we scrambled down the side of the bank, and were told that the Osprey was out on a dead tree in the middle.  I couldn't believe and as I tried to get a view of the bird to photograph it flew off!  Typical!  But it didn't go far, settling at the top of another tree, however this was only viewable through another tree, and you were dependent on the wind blowing the branches to allow you to focus on the very distant Osprey.

It seemed quite simple, the Osprey was on a tree to our left, and the road went past left, and there are gaps along the road that allow you to see across the meadows.  So Ian and I decided to walk along the road to get a better view.  For one brief moment there was excitement as we could see a bird in a tree, but that turned out to be a Woodpigeon.  The fact is there is nowhere to view the trees along the road, and the trees alongside the road screen the open water and dead trees.  So we had to return, and attempt to get better views.  

This we did manage by moving right, going down to the edge of the water, and pulling back some of the branches.  This provided a similar view to that of the first one, the Osprey hardly having moved.

Numerous shots were taken, but basically of the bird in pretty much the same position, it content to preen, and fluff the feathers.  So I turned my attention to the Great-crested Grebes that had a nest just in front of the viewing point.  

The female brooding what seemed to be two young, with the male bringing fish to feed them.

But then came some excitement, the Osprey had left its perch and was flying out across the water.

It flew around and then stooped, drew the wings in and plummeted into the water and out of sight.

As it arose from behind the reeds it was carrying a fish, but it was a very small fish, and we all commented on how it was worth all the effort.

It took the fish back to the same perch, where it quickly ate it, it was that big!  After its snack it continued to sit on the perch, look around and preen every so often.

There was always the chance that something could happen, we all hoped for it to choose to prefer the dead trees in front of us, but it stayed where it was.  A pair of Kingfishers took turns to whizz past, and intermittently perch in the line of dead trees. 

Tufted Duck and Shoveler could be seen on the water, all in various stages of eclipse, and there was at least one Pochard.

An interlude to the waiting was provided when a Magpie took a dislike to a young male Sparrowhawk, and hounded the hawk as it tried to perch in the trees at the back of the lake.  This went on for some time, the hawk not deciding to fly off, but trying to see off the Magpie, who would also chase the hawk.

A Hobby was then found perched in one of the dead trees, very distant but welcome to me as it was my first of the year.  Another poor distant record shot, the third one today!

The Great-crested Grebes continued to feed the young, although at times the young humbugs seemed reluctant to take the fish offered by the parent, maybe it was too big.

There was a fresh breeze over the water and the young were tucked away beneath the female's feathers.

Ian had gone back to get the his lunch and nothing had changed.  But when I went to check the bird was still there it had gone.  This was my opportunity to go and get my lunch.  As I walked back to the car I scanned above me for any sign, but all was quiet.#

When I got back everyone was quick to tell me that it had returned to the same perch, this time with a bigger fish and was proceeding to eat it.

I had brought my converter with me, and this provided a little bit of a longer lens

It looks like a largish Roach

Its not easy balancing on the top of that tree stump holing on to a fish!

Once having consumed the fish, normal service was resumed, with the Osprey returning to its abolutions and just looking around.  There was no rings on either leg, so it has not been possible to determine where this bird has come from.  It has been great to finally break my Fishlake duck with a bird that can be considered to be notable, all the other visits having ended it what can only be described as frustration and disappointment.

I decided to leave the Osprey alone, and to focus on the Great-crested Grebe family.  Yet another fish was offered to the young, and once again it took some time for the youngster to take it from the parent, let alone swallow it

Here a lovely shot of the female with her feathers blown about by the breeze, the youngster wrapped by the ruffled feathers

It was at this point we decided to call it a day, and it has been a strange day, not one that is in keeping of what we normally do.  Very few birds at Keyhaven and Pennington, success with seeing the Osprey at Fishlake, and an awful lot of time standing in one place.

There was a bonus in 4 county year ticks, but at the same time you couldn't help feel you had missed out on something, mid August should be better