The year started with a trip to Somerset, with a detour to Slimbridge on the way. It had been a long time since I had been to Slimbridge and it was great to catch up with the Common Cranes that are now an important part of scene at this famous reserve. The reserve was busy with lots of families walking around the captive pens, but away from the exhibitions the hides offered some good birding with close views of the winter wildfowl including White-fronted Geese and the Bewick's Swans. The following day we toured the Avalon Marshes where there was a Whooper Swan to compare with the Bewicks, Cattle and Great Egret and of course the Starlings at RSPB Ham Wall.
Locally around Hampshire there were trips to Farlington and Blashford Lakes, the latter produced my first Hampshire Yellow-browed Warbler, but unfortunately it avoided all attempts to photgraph it. We managed to see the Bewick's at Harbridge amongst the any Mute Swans and later in the day we found a very distant Merlin in its usual tree at Black Gutter Bottom in the New Forest. The end of January saw us at Sidlesham in West Sussex once again where a walk around Pagham Harbour produce the usual winter birds.
February
The first major snowfall of the year arrived on the first day of February and very nearly had me stuck outside Basingstoke. The following day saw a trip around Hayling Island and then to Titchfield Haven where the highlight was a female Sparrowhawk ripping apart a Woodpigeon close to the canal path.
The rest of the month saw trips to Pennington to walk all the marshes, highlights were the usual over wintering waders such as Bar-tailed Godwit, Greenshank and Spotted Redshank, but the stand out bird was a Great Skua bathing in Efford Lake at the end of the month.
Two trips to Acres Down in the New Forest produced several Crossbill and Hawfinch on the down, while a walk down the main cycle path delivered a Goshawk and the first butterflies of the year in temperatures that were more suited to late spring, a Red Admiral Comma and a Brimstone
March
The month started with an unsuccessful search for a Great Grey Shrike around Crab Tree Bog in the New Forest, but a walk around Mark Ash Wood produced some great views of Firecrest, followed by Woodlark at Acres Down and the annual trip to Eyeworth Pond for the Mandarin Duck.
In the middle of the month Ian and I had some wonderful views of the Bittern at Blashford Lakes. The long staying bird stayed around for possibly its latest date and showed incredibly well in front of the Ivy Lake North Hide. We also visited Fishlake Meadows to witness the new developments there.
The third week of the month saw Garganey,the year's first Wheatear along Titchfield Haven Canal path, and the regular Water Pipits. Chiffchaffs were in full song and the firs Sand Martins were over Posbrook Floods. Later in the day we caught up with the Little Owl and Black Redstart at Fort Cumberland. A short trip to Southsea castle produced the regular Purple Sandpipers and at the Hayling Island Oyster Beds black-necked Grebe.
Perfect light at the end of March produced a wonderful morning at Pennington and Oxey Marsh. Avocets were performing on Fishtail Lagoon, and there were four Spoonbill on Pennington Lagoon. These along with great views of Spotted Redshank, Greenshank and Little Egrets in lovely spring sunshine made for a great morning. In the afternoon an early spring trip to Martin Down saw Orange Tip, Peacock, Holly Blue, Small Tortoiseshell butterflies, while of the birds Corn Bunting and Grey Partridge were the stand out, a lovely way to end the month.
April
Early in the month a search for the Glossy Ibis at Fishlake Meadows proved fruitless, but on the way home I did manage to see Dotterel at Cheesefoot Head, the site where I last saw one about 13 years ago.
The middle of the month we were off to Portugal. the Algarve. The weather was indifferent but we did manage two trips to Castro Verde in the Alentejo. Here I managed to see lifers in Lesser Kestrel, Little and Great Bustard, while getting some great views of Montagu's Harrier, Roller and Griffon Vulture.
Back on the Algarve I had another lifer in Spanish Imperial Eagle, while again getting great views of Bee-Eater, Hoopoe, Woodchat Shrike and Little Owl.
Back home it was time for the regular trip to Noar Hill for the Duke of Burgundy butterflies. I picked a good day with a count of over 10 individuals. Accompanying the Dukes were Holly Blue, Dingy Skipper and Green Hairstreak.
The end of the month saw a trip around the south of the county, a dismal sea watch after great reports in the week turned into a trip to Botley Wood where fleeting glimpses of Nightingale we seen. Buoyed by this we tried unsuccessfully at Acres Down for Wood Warbler and Redstart, in fact for the first time in many years Ian and I failed to find a Wood Warbler in the New Forest.
May
The month started with a trip to Wales, specifically the RSPB's reserve at Gwenffrwd Dinas and Ynys Hir, we caught up with the specialities, Wood Warbler, Redstart and Pied Flycatcher while getting the chance to enjoy the glorious displays of Bluebells at both reserves.
The middle of the month saw trips closer to home, first it was a weekend stay just outside the RSPB Resever at Pulborough. We found a wonderful cottage close to the North Brooks and we had a great weekend despite an apparent lack of good birds. Back in Hampshire a trip to the New Forest failed to find the Wood Warblers once again, but an afternoon visit to Pennington saw Small Copper and Small Heath added to the butterfly list once again along with some great views of Green Hairstreak. The visit also delivered a spring Temminck's Stint, but we failed to find the reported Wall Brown along the ancient Highway.
The week at the end of May is the time we usually get away and this year we were off to tour Iceland's ring road. Starting in Reykjavik we followed Route One anticlockwise around the island. The trip saw us experience almost all extremes of weather, along with some incredible scenery and landscapes. The highlights were the waterfalls of Skogafoss and Dettifoss, the iceberg filled lagoons at Fjarrsarlon and Jokusarlon, Lake Myvatn and the central Highlands. From a Wildlife perspective we had great views of the seabirds around Iceland including Puffins and Guillemots, but specifically both Great and Arctic Skua, and the Arctic Terns. Close up views of Red-necked Phalaropes, Great Northern Divers and summer plumaged Slavonian Grebes. Animals seen included the Grey Seals, Reindeer and of course the amazing Humpback Whales off Husavik. An incredible country and a must for everyone's bucket list.
June
The month in which birding quietens down as we wait for the returning migrants in early July, a time to focus on butterflies and orchids. A trip to Martin Down produced six species of orchid, including the Lesser Butterfly Orchid, in addition we also managed eight quality butterfly sightings including Brown Argus, Little Blue and Grizzled Skipper. The visit at this time of year also guarantees quality sightings of Turtle Dove, along with wonderful views across the downs.
After a weekend away in Chester to satisfy a need to visit the wonderful Chester Zoo, it was back to Hampshire and butterflies, a visit around the Gosport area found the first Marbled Whites and White-letter Hairstreaks of the year, but as the weather closed in we had to retreat to Titchfield for the annual photographing Swifts in the air competition.
July
The beginning of the month of July is traditionally the time to look for Purple Emperor, however this year was a very poor year for this impressive butterfly and I was not able to find any in the visits made. They were seen after this visit but nowhere like the numbers seen inprevious years, this was said to be due to poor waether in the autumn of 2018 killing of the pupae. The day was not a disaster though as Ian and I did manage to see 20 species of butterfly incuding White Admiral, Silver-washed Fritillary and best of all a day flying Nightjar.
The only other trip of note for the month was a visit to Pennington once again. Little Terns were abundant along with several juvenile Avocet and Little Ringed Plover. There was also an adult Shag at Keyhaven harbour. However the day will be better remembered for the time when water managed to get into the camera and destroy it.
It is at this time of year we are usually setting off on a major adventure, however our plans were a little different this year, and we spent a wonderful week in Montenegro on a Gulet cruise.
August
The Montenegro cruise finshed at the start of August, and once back home it was back to the local spots. The middle of the month saw Ian and I back at Pennington where the autumn migration was in full swing with plenty of Whitethroast about, along with Wheatear and a smart male Redstart. Waders were also back on the lagoons and the estuary mud. A trip to Shipton Bellinger in the afternoon though was the highlight of the day, I was able to find Ian his first Brown Hairstreak, while he reciprocated by finding my first Wall Brown for Hampshire, one of the special days of the year.
2019 was a very good year for Painted Lady butterflies, and we had a good show of these impressive butterflies in the garden. A walk around Old Winchester Hill produced a lot more, and I was also able to find several Chalkhill Blues and the Silver-spotted Skipper.
The Bank Holiday weekend we spent in Exmoor, on the way we stopped off early morning at Ham Wall and Shapwick Heath reserves. Here we were treated to some wonderful views of Osprey from the Noar Hide at Shapwick, and than at Ham Wall, Bearded Reedlings put on a show outside the Avalon Hide.
On the last day of the month we spent another long morning staring at a clump of bramble willing a Wryneck to appear, it didn't! From there we went to Titchfield where the kingfishers put on an excellent show at the harbour bridge, and we managed to see the Osprey that had been showing well as it distantly flew over the reserve caught a fish and flew away.
September
Early September and it was back at Titchfield. There were plenty of warblers along the Canal Path and several Spotted Flycatcher, the first for the year. In the horse field just past Posbrook floods there were two Redstart and and two Whinchat, quite a good mornings walk. On the reserve in the afternoon we had late Small Copper, Peacock, Painted Lady and Common Darters, all providing some great photographic opportunities.
Ia and I then had the opportunity for a weekend away, and we chose to go to Portland and Weymouth on the weekend of the Iron Man Challenge!. An early morning sea watch delivered little but we did experience watching endless Swallows and House Martins heading out across the sea from the Bill. Around the grounds of the estate there were good numbers of Wheatear, Whichats and Stonechats, and a very showy Kestrel.
We spent the afternoon at Lodmoor where the Long-billed Dowitcher finally appeared late in the afternoon after the sun had disappeared. In between we found a Clouded Yellow while searching for a non existent Wryneck and were treated to Yellow Wagtail, Ruff and a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull on the scrape
The following day the weather had changed and we forced ourselves to sea watch again which produced Scoter and a distant Great Skua. Once the rain had passed and we had breakfast there was a significant passage of Gannet. Another search for a Wryneck ended in the familiar failure and we had to be content with Wheatear and Stonechats.
October
October turned out to be the month of the year, although after the first trip out you would not have thought it. Rain was dominant through out the month and a close hide was a very welcome sight. The first visit to Titchfield saw winter wildfowl and waders on the scrape, and a good show from a couple of Kingfishers. Late hirundines added to what was a dismal day
The next day out was to the New Forest and Leaden Hall. The middle of October is a reliable time to find Ring Ouzel, and after some patience and walking we finally managed some good views and photographs. This along with some good views of rutting Fallow Deer made for a great morning, however we did not expect what was to happen in the afternoon.
We decided to try Titchfield once again, maybe the long reported Wryneck would appear. After checking in we walked around to the Meon Shore Hide to be asked if we knew anything about Skuas. It turned out that there was a Pomarine Skua hiding on the island in front of the hide. After a while it took off and treated us to incredible views as it flew around the reserve.
The end of October saw us take a nine day holiday in Tanzania. Highlights of a wonderful trip were the water birds in Lake Manyara, incredible views of Cheetah, Serval Cat, Martial Eagle and Leopard in the Serengeti, Black Rhino and Lion in the Ngorongoro Crater and the Elephants in Tarangire. Thirty two new birds for the life list, and eight new animals, plus the first time we have managed to see the Big Five in Africa.
November
Back home the first trip to Pennington in the month saw Ian and I find a quality raity, after views of Great Northern Diver and Long-tailed Duck we came across a small wader. After a lot of careful consideration we put it out as a possible Semipalmated Sandpiper, later in the day there was a debate as to whether it was a Western Sandpiper, it was finally agreed it was a Semipalmated. It stayed for a week and a half, and was our second in the county.
A Snow Bunting was the attraction in the middle of the month, a male spending time on a playing field at Hill Head. The rest of that day saw good numbers of Sanderling, plenty of Redwing and Fieldfare along the canal path and the Barn Owl in the split tree.
The following day we were treated to a great show of Bearded Tits at Farlington, with at least eight birds showing well in the reed bed at the Lake. The ned of the month Helen and I returned the cottage at Pulborough and we enjoyed the masses of wildfowl and waders around the RSPB reserve.
December
Early in the month Ian and I returned to Crab Tree bog in the New Forest where this time we managed to find the Great Grey Shrike. The afternoon was spent at Pennington where the winter sunshine provided some lovely photographic opportunities with the waders alongthe shore.
A first visit to Western Shore a spot up the Solent not far from the Port of Southampton saw us finding at least two Great Northern Divers and three Velvet Scoter off shore. The afternoon in Romsey and Fishlake Meadows was very quiet with not even the Starlings to entertain us.
Just before Christmas we ventured outside of Hampshire, spending sometime in Arundel WWT, but the main reason was to visit Amberley Wildbrooks. The meadows here were flooded following the heavy rains of the preceeding week and there was vey little dry land. We were treated to an amazing raptor show with an amazing twenty plus Red Kite, at least six of both Marsh Harriers and Buzzard, and singles of Peregrine, Kestreland Sparrowhawk, while the highlight was maybe two ring-tail Hen Harriers.
The last outing of the year swa some amazing views of Bearded Tit at Farlington Marshes a great way to end the year
I would like to say thank you to the two persons that I share these experiences with, to Ian, a great friend found through these blogs and still can't believe how. We share a love of nature, music and all things kind of weird that just make us laugh. And then of course my wife Helen who has in many cases found a lot for me this year, our adventures are just that, and I love taking them with her. I am looking forward to more in 2020.
That is it for another year, all that is left is to say Happy New Year to all those that do read this.
