29th February - Hayling Island, Hampshire

I can't recall birding on the 29th February before, or at least writing about it. February 29 is a date that occurs every four years and is known as a leap day. Leap days keep our modern-day Gregorian calendar in alignment with Earth's revolutions around the Sun. It takes Earth approximately 365.242189 days, or 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, and 45 seconds, to circle once around the Sun. This is called a tropical year, and it starts on the March equinox.

However, the Gregorian calendar has only 365 days in a year. If we didn't add a leap day on February 29 almost every four years, each calendar year would begin about 6 hours before the Earth completes its revolution around the Sun.

As a result, our time reckoning would slowly drift apart from the tropical year and get increasingly out of sync with the seasons. With a deviation of approximately 6 hours per year, the seasons would shift by about 24 calendar days within 100 years. Allow this to happen for a while, and Northern Hemisphere dwellers will be celebrating Christmas in the middle of summer in a matter of a few centuries.  Leap days fix that error by giving Earth the additional time it needs to complete a full circle around the Sun.

Leap years in the western calendar were first introduced over 2000 years ago by Roman general Julius Caesar. The Julian calendar, which was named after him, had only one rule: any year evenly divisible by four would be a leap year.

This formula produced too many leap years, causing the Julian calendar to drift apart from the tropical year at a rate of 1 day per 128 years. This was not corrected until the introduction of the Gregorian calendar more than 1500 years later, when a number of days were skipped to realign our calendar with the seasons.

The term leap year probably comes from the fact that a fixed date in the Gregorian calendar normally advances one day of the week from one year to the next, but the day of the week in the 12 months following the leap day (from March 1 through February 28 of the following year) will advance two days due to the extra day, thus leaping over one day in the week.

So enough about dates what about the birding?  Well come another weekend come another storm, this time a Spanish one called Jorge.  Friday had been wet and overnight the rain had continued.  As I got in my car at around 7.00 am it was still raining quite hard but by the time I arrived at the sea wall at Hill Head it was easing and only drizzle.  

If the title of this post is Hayling Island then what was I doing at Hill Head?  Well Ian and I had agree to meet there and from there decide what would be the course of action depending on what the weather did.  The tide was out and there was very little moving on the sea.  A single Shag was the highlight a long with a Great Crested Grebe that flew over our heads and a large flock of Turnstone with a single Dunlin.  Over the reserve we watched two Marsh Harriers drop down in the middle of the reed bed, a possible nesting site.

There were signs that the weather would improve and we decided that we would head east to Hayling Island, although I was doubting the wiseness of this as we negotiated the M27 in heavy squally rain.  Our first stop was to be Sandy point at the south eastern point of the island.  The rain now had moved quickly away and we were bathed in sunshine with blue skies and fluffy white clouds. However, stepping out of the shelter of the surrounding houses on to the beach path we were hit by a very forceful south westerly wind, something that had not been present with such force at Hill Head.  The sea was boiling and breakers were smashing into the rocks while Black headed Gulls zipped past us overhead.

Fortunately the wind was behind us as we walked around to the area of the Lifeboat station, here there was some shelter and we were able to put up the telescopes and scan the entrance to Chichester Harbour.  Close to the beach on our side the water was relatively calm in the lee of the trees and building, but mid channel the current was very strong and there was a considerable amount of surf.  Cormorants fished on the edge of the waves.  These though were not what we were here for.  In the week several Great Northern Divers had been reported and we were hoping to find them.  The entrance to the harbour is relatively narrow this would bring them close to us, by close I mean not a speck in the distance that we seem to have when we see Great Northern Divers in Hampshire (as I write I can look at the photograph on my calendar of one seen in Iceland last year!).

Finally Ian picked one up, quickly followed by another.  They were diving in the surf and we headed down the beach to get (relatively) closer.

They were frequently diving making it hard at first to pick them up.

These are the closest I can recall, but they were still a fair distance away and showed no sign of moving into the calmer water closer to the beach.

A Sandwich Tern flew past heading into the harbour.  We stayed on the divers which by now we reckoned were numbering four.  With the rolling surf it was difficult to get a full view of the bird to photograph.  In working through them at home there were lots of glimpses of heads behind the waves or just empty sea!

Finally one reached up and wing flapped.

we found that if one of the divers was staring to preen then there was every chance at some stage it would wing flap and this proved the best opportunity to see more of the bird.

Every so often I would pick up on a Cormorant and with the white in the head you could easily think it could have been another diver as they quickly dived in the surf.

A large and powerful species, historic evidence suggests that the Great Northern Divers have been around for at least 20,000,000 years, making them the oldest and most primitive example of a bird alive today.  In non-breeding plumage it invites confusion with the similar Black-throated Diver, but lacks the sophisticated appearance of the Black-throated, often appearing relatively scruffy in comparison.  

Structurally, the head is large, with a steep forehead and flat crown. The bill is heavy, and, like Black-throated, held horizontally.

The nape is darker than the back although in the light we were faced with this was not prominent.  there is a contrast between the dark head and neck and at the base of the neck there is a diagnostic dark half-collar, above which is a pale notch. 

An interesting fact is that unlike most birds, Great Northern Divers have a number of solid bones (as opposed to hollow) that add weight to help them dive. However this makes it harder for them to take off, meaning that they have to use a “runway” approach of flapping and skimming along the water for a bit before they can manage to get into the air.

In North America the Great Northern Diver is known as the Common Loon, with the other diver species all taking the name loon instead of Diver.  The name “Loon” has an interesting origin – it comes from Scandinavian words for “lame” like the Swedish lam and it describes how the bird’s large webbed feet, placed at the rear of its body, make it less than graceful on land.

Together we considered that there were four birds present but a report later, from birder's who had been present when we were there, were of five birds.  The divers drifted further into the harbour moving from opposite the lifeboat station to around the sailing club and we decided to walk along the beach.  

Looking behind me I was taken by the posts lined along the beach.  With the sun bright from the south the scene looks liker a black and white picture but no colour has been taken out.

While we were bathed in sunshine away to the north there were dark clouds and a faint rainbow appeared.

Overhead a pair of Sandwich Terns flew past and accelerated as they used the wind to their advantage.

As we came around the end of the point we were exposed to the wind once again.  Not only did we have to deal with the buffeting wind, but it was picking up the sand and this was being driven into our faces.  By moving inland we were able to avoid some of this.  We made our way into the bay on the western side of the sailing club.  There were Brent geese along the channel and a few Redshank.  I stupidly left my scope standing up and the wind blew it down and I had to deal with sand all over the eye piece.

While all this was going on a single Curlew stood motionless in the wind on the mud on the other side of the creek.

We made our way back to the shelter of the lifeboat station.  Out in the channel the water was now really rough.  A combination of the strong wind and the high tide rushing into the harbour was creating some crashing surf in the middle of the channel.

There were now three Sandwich Terns flying around the surf.  

One pair were diving into the water at the edge of the rushing surf.

We could only find two of the divers now but they were very distant compared with earlier.  It was time to move on but as we came around the corner back into the wind the waves were crashing into the large revetment rocks present on the beach.  Black-headed gulls were scouring the surf in search of anything that would resemble food being thrown up by the waves.

They would fly into the wind, and using the wind to hover check the water below, swooping down to pluck anything from the water with supreme dexterity considering the force of the wind.

In many cases the "item" would be discarded.  At one point I saw a red item, probably a plastic bottle top, picked up and promptly dropped.

Once past the crashing waves they would circle back around and do it all over again.  They would stay close together and if one dropped so would the other and a squabble would take place to see who could get the item on offer.

The Black-headed Gulls are now in partial summer plumage, some already sporting the brown hood while others are still catching up.

Off shore a group of 25 Eider could be seen battling into the wind heading west.

A small herd of Highland Cattle on the reserve were feeding close to the fence, they did not seem too bother with the temperature, although the wind was blowing their hair in their eyes.

After lunch we headed back north stopping off at the Oyster Beds.  A combination of the tide and a very strong south westerly wind had produced a very high tide, most of the islands that are visible at high tide were now covered.  Walking along the Hayling Billy path there was a large flock of Black-headed Gulls in the field along side the path, and the re was at least two Mediterranean Gulls with them, but it was very hard in the wind to keep the bins steady.

Wigeon, Pintail and Brent Geese were using what little there was of the islands to shelter from the wind.

We battled our way around the oyster beds, Oystercatchers and Curlew could be seen hugging what little there was of the banks and a few Dunlin were also visible.  We came in hope of seeing Black-necked Grebe, but with the waves and high swell it would be almost impossible to pick them out.  Our hope was that they would be sensible and come into the relative shelter of the beds.  However as we came around the corner all we could see in the lagoon was a single male Red-breasted Merganser.

As you can see the water was still very rough in the lagoon.

A female appeared alongside the male, while a Mediterranean Gull sporting a full black hood dropped in to the middle of the lagoon.

Away to the west the skies looked very threatening, the really dark clouds looked like they would miss us but there were showers falling that we had to consider a threat.  There is very little cover here, the only thing available is an old bus shelter.  Goodness knows why it is there but it did offer some shelter and a place to get out of the wind.

The showers passed us by but the wind hadn't relented.  A few more Mediterranean Gulls were gathering, some could be seen on the islands and one or two were settling on the water.  The Hayling Oyster beds is a known gathering site for Mediterranean Gulls at this time of year.  They gather in large numbers ahead of the breeding season before dispersing along the south coast.  We were probably a little early in the year as at its peak there can be anything up to 300 of these lovely gulls present.  Today the gathering seemed to only just be starting.

With the rain passed the sun returned and turned the waters of the lagoon avery deep blue.  The adult Mediterranean gull with its pure white plumage and dark black hood contrasted well.

The adult Mediterranean Gull is a very smart gull, a snow ball in the sky, otherwise broken up by the rich black hood and striking red bill. the all white plumage stunning at this time of year.

We had decided to make our way back to the cars and to search for some quieter and sheltered spots, that, we thought is what any good Black-necked Grebe would surely so.  However our walk back to the car park was interrupted by the male Red-breasted Merganser that was close to the bank of the lagoon.  

This time it was diving, but before doing so it would "snorkel" in the water, by this I mean push it's head under to have a good look around.

Red-breasted Mergansers are members of the Genus Mergus, the typical Mergansers.  The latin word was used by the Romans to refer to an unspecified waterbird.  The full latin name for the Red-breasted Merganser is Mergus Serrator, and of the four family members of the genus is the only one found commonly at sea.  The reference to serrator is due to the fact that these duck are also known as Sawbills due to the serrated edge of the bill used to catch and hold fish.  Here in this shot you can see the serrated edge to the bill.

As we reached the main path we disturbed a pair of Wigeon sheltering in the corner.

We decided on going to Northney Marina, here we believed the water would be a little calmer and we hoped there would be more birds sheltering.  When we arrived the water was still as choppy as it had been at the Oyster Beds and there was very little out on the water save for a couple of pairs of Red-breasted Mergansers and Black-headed Gulls.

Out towards the village of Warblington a large flock of Brent Geese took to the air.

It was mid afternoon, and with very little about I was debating whether we should call it a day.  However we decided to explore a little and walked along the wall that separates the marina from the open water.  A male Red-breasted Merganser was seen in amongst the yachts and in the calm water, a good sign?

At the entrance to the marina there was a bench so we decided to sit down.  In the marina were more mergansers, a gathering of Black-headed Gulls, Wigeon and a pair of Teal.  We sat and chatted and then suddenly things started to happen.  A Great Black-backed Gull flew towards us and into the marina, whether to join the gull roost or just on expectation we will never know.

Then right in front of us a Great-crested Grebe appeared.

Still in winter plumage this could be one of last year's birds.

It dived and we hoped it would come closer.  It stayed under for what seemed an age and then appeared in the marina, an amazing distance travelled under water.

we could see groups of waders wheeling around beyond the wall of the marina, these looked like Grey Plover and Knot.  There were also a lot of Turnstone and a break away group flew on to the rocks on the other side of the marina entrance along with a single Grey Plover.

A single Brent Goose gradually swam up to us, pushing at the sea weed as it came.

Then we started to hear the distinctive yeeooow calls of the Mediterranean Gulls and they started to appear above us and coming across the water from the direction of Warblington.

A beautiful sight the pure white plumage against the blue of the afternoon sky.  I mentioned earlier that they were just starting to gather here and the condition of the hoods was a good indicator of this.  Some with the all black hood while others still having flecks of the white non breeding plumage in place.

There must have been close to 200 Mediterranean gull pass us and gather in the roost in the marina.  They came from all directions illustrating how much they are spread out and that just now they are still not ready for the pairing that takes place when they all gather around the oyster beds.

It wasn't just the Med Gulls though there were also Common Gulls moving in.

Away from the Kittiwake its a close run thing between the Common Gull and Med Gull for my favourite.  I love the dove like head of the Common Gull, very similar to that of the Kittiwake, they also appear less aggressive although they are always up for a fight as one of the Red-breasted Mergansers found later in the afternoon

Then there were the larger gulls, we have already had the Great Black-backed so it was nice to find a Lesser Black-backed cruise in, the back a little lighter than its larger cousin, and the feet a striking yellow.

And finally a Herring Gull

There we had the six commonest Gulls in the United Kingdom.

But we were not finished a pair of Red-breasted Mergansers did exactly what we hoped for, flew towards us and landed in the water just below us.

The female turned around and swam out into the open water.  The classic redhead lacking the subtle colours of the male

The male started off heading into the marina but on realising the female was off turned around and headed out into the open water to join her.  The light was almost perfect, the only challenge being the exposure as the water was quite dark.

The male dived and emerged close to us.  On one occasion it came up with a fish and was immediately attacked by a Common Gull, the merganser taking evasive action by diving and what we can only assume was swallowing the prize underwater.

Once the gull realised there was no food available it left the merganser alone and we were able to enjoy the duck in the lovely light.

Some scratching and preening led to some wing flaps, always good for the camera.

Gradually it drifted away with the female.

The wind was still relentless, and with the time moving on we decided it was time to call it a day.  We commented on how we had about two hours ago almost given the afternoon up, but just by sitting and watching we had been treated to some lovely photograph opportunities.  A day in strange and challenging weather had not turned out too badly.  Some great shots, the experience of some wild weather and two year ticks wasn't too bad for a first day's birding on a Leap Day.  I wonder what opportunities there will be on the next Leap Year on Thursday 29th February 2024?