In the above photograph there is a slight smudge close to the bird's open mouth. This was on the photo and I can only assume its the Swift's breathe vapourising in the very cool early morning temperature.
It was cool and strong winds were forecast later, I couldn't help an inward smile as today I should have been crossing from Oban to the Isle of Mull, and up there the winds were forecast to be even stronger.
As Ian and I walked at a social distance across the Old Tip Whitethroat appeared to be singing from everywhere. One individual was very persistently calling for the same clump of Bramble.
We checked the back of Fishtail Lagoon from the Old Tip, there wasn't too much about, several Lapwing and Avocet chicks that at first would raise the pulse as they appeared like something else. Finally we managed to track down the bird we were hoping to find, a Little Ringed Plover, but it was too far away to photograph and we relied on the scope views.
The wind was already picking up as we climbed the sea wall to look over Fishtail. In the corner by the steps a group of eight Black-tailed Godwits, in various stages of summer plumage were feeding.
A Redshank was displaying above the lagoon calling loudly and holding the wings out to parachute above the water.
Avocet were the most numerous bird on the lagoon, mostly all in pairs, some with chicks that they were guarding as the young birds fed, while others were sitting on the nest. This left a few pairs still either courting or in the process of breeding. As is always the case with Avocets at this time of year they were always busy and were flying around to attack birds coming close to the chicks or fighting themselves. Amongst this on or two had a more calm approach in the early morning light.
Around the island some pairs were still overseeing territory and partners.
We walked to the west end of the lagoon where a family group of four Avocet chicks were feeding. Both adults were present but they would share the guarding duties, one would monitor the young birds while the other fed, they would alternate these duties.
The chicks though would move around the shallow water feeding, their beaks already curved and they were adopting the classic Avocet sweeping feeding action.
The guarding adult would appear to let the young wander some distance from it, but was always alert should there appear to be any possible danger. In this situation there was a Lapwing and its chick present and as a result this is what happened.
After the initial attack calm settles over the birds and they glide away to assume their guarding responsibilities once again.
The chicks continue to feed without any concern for the antics of the parent birds.
Chicks synchronised feeding
And some observations of the adults.
We walked around to Keyhaven, the walk into a very strong wind. There was very little on the lagoon, a Little tern flew past and we walked to a sheltered spot where were able to view a beach area where there were Sandwich, Little and Common Terns. The tide was turning and the water was rushing in past Hurst Castle but nothing moving through the straits. We turned and made our way back, this time with the wind behind us.
Back at Fishtail a Common Tern was patrolling the small pool close to the footpath.
The tactic was one of flying up and down constantly watching the water below and every so often diving in to pick up a small fish. The water here calmer than elsewhere due to the sheltered spot.
We made our way back to the cars for a cup of tea, Swifts were now gathering over the bushes on the Old Tip, using the up draught to hold in the wind and hawk for insects swept up by what was now a very strong wind.
We decided to walk around to Normandy Marsh with the wind still blowing on our backs. At Pennington Lagoon a Little Tern was fishing the clam water very much in the way the Common Tern had been doing so on Fishlake.
There was another pair of Avocet on Oxey Marsh, but no sign of any young, the two birds happily feeding.
On reaching Moses Dock we were faced with another Little Tern that gave us a bit of a run around. We did manage to get a few opportunities to photograph of which one shot was acceptable.
We paused at Eight Acre Lake for an "Ahhh" moment, a pair of Mute Swans with five cygnets, the dark water supporting well their silver grey plumage.
We walked around to Normandy where there were more Little and Common Terns but little else of immediate interest. Walking back we faced the problem of the wind once again so decided to walk inland to Lower Pennington Lane. The sum total of interest was a Speckled Wood settled on a leaf close to the lane.
It was time for lunch and time to watch the Swifts as they danced in the wind over the bushes, winding around the lake and returning in a full circle. Very quickly sandwiches were replaced with the camera once again in an attempt to get the perfect photographs.
The Swifts were using both the water and wind to hunt insects, they would circle round and head into the wind, this mean that at times they were held up and almost stationary which helped in our chances, still many images were taken and it is fair to say these shown here were probably less than 5% of the total!
At first just Swifts and then House Martins appeared
But the Swifts were the real challenge
Here you get a view of what is a large eye and the beak which opens with a very large gape, the blurred wings giving a sense of speed.
These are probably some of the best swift photographs I have taken, so it clearly pays just to keep shootin' and hopin'!
A single butterfly passed us and disappeared the colour was similar to that of a Wall Brown but we never saw it again. It was at this point we decided it was time to head inland. As we left the lake the House Martins and Swifts had been joined by Swallows and Sand Martins.
The journey north through Lymington and then Brockenhurst was very strange, no traffic at all. We turned off the main road and headed towards the Standing Hat car park. There had been showers on the way but as we set of the skies were clear and it was sunny, plus more importantly sheltered from the strong wind.
We followed a set walk, making our way along the open rides. After a short while Ian picked out a dragonfly. Once it settled we could see it was a female Keeled Skimmer.
This dragonfly is associated with peat and sphagnum moss in ditches and small streams. The area here is now very dry but there were signs of boggy places and water still in ditches.
As we watched the dragonfly a butterfly passed us. We thought it was what we were looking for but never re-found it. A little further along I chased after another elusive butterfly and as I did so Ian found a Green Hairstreak that promptly disappeared.
However a few more steps across the bracken and dead wood and we found what we were looking for a Pearl-bordered Fritillary.
Butterflies were in short supply on the circuit we took. We managed to find two more Pearl-bordered Fritillaries but very little else. Two Redstarts were singing giving brief views and we had a glimpse of a Cuckoo as it flew through the trees. Halfway through we had to shelter from a sharp shower.
Close to the car park there was a lot of activity in the trees and across the rides, groups of Great, Blue Coal and Long-tailed Tits feeding young birds in the trees. We were only able to get good views of the Long-tailed Tits.
An interesting day, not a lot of quantity but again some quality in the Avocets and the Swifts and of course ny first Pearl-bordered for a few year
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