A strange quiet Christmas, lets hope it is mad next year! My day started off on a great note as I headed towards Hill Head once again, a Barn Owl flew across the A32 and settled on a post by the side of the road giving me a great view with the headlights. Of course I couldn't get the camera and it was still very dark so I just enjoyed the experience.
The weather has been very seasonal though, cold dry and frosty. This morning was no exception, but with clear skies that were lit up over the sea at Hill Head as dawn began to break as I pulled up at the sea wall.
Looking to the west the full moon was just falling away over the New Forest.
A close up of the full moon as the clod started to shroud it
The colours in the sky to the east became even more intense.
A Black-headed Gull silhouetted against the fiery sky.
Looking north across the reserve the colours though were more subdued, more of a pastel shade.
A Black-headed Gull drifts slowly through the pink water.
Over the last few weeks we have been treated to some incredible scenes at dawn and through out the day here, dramatic clouds, dark skies and sunshine and rainbows, but this morning took it to another level.
A group of Eider were just off shore, believe me there are some in the photo.
One flew past to joint the large group.
Meanwhile the dawn spectacle continued away to the east.
The groynes were starting to be covered with the liquid gold.
Obsessed with the sun spectacle we missed a Slavonian Grebe that must have drifted past us. We did though manage to pick it up off the Rainbow Bar. I decided to check the Meon where a Gadwall sowed off against the reed bed reflections.
Five Wigeon flew around us, silhouetted against the sky.
I had resisted when Ian went down to photograph the Sanderling, but the resistance didn't last and a single one feeding along the shore was to much of a temptation. They are beautiful little waders and if you are still and patient they will come quite close.
In the end it was the Sanderling that left me so I had to climb back over the sea wall. We decided to try the harbour. But were distracted by the lightonce again, this time highlighting the Mute Swans on the Meon.
And a pair of Turnstone on one of the groynes.
They say that winter light is the photographer's dream and this was certainly the case today. Walking around to the harbour, the tide was rising and the yachts were lit up by the sun producing lovely reflections.
At bridge the groynes at the harbor mouth were silhouetting against the golden light and throwing lovely reflections across the harbour water.
The Turnstone on the harbour was were tinged with the rising sun.
At the bridge we stood and waited for the Kingfisher to show. We had seen it fly into the bush, but it was out of sight. Eventually it appeared flew across the water and settled on the reserve sign. Unfortunately this happened all too quickly and the exposure was all wrong and the white of the sign really played up the scene.
Waiting for the Kingfisher to return the light continued to provide the perfect canvas for the Little Grebe.
Behind the gulls were squabbling over the duck food that was being liberally thrown about. Again the silhouettes are great against a dramatic golden background, it captures the nature and aggression of the gulls.
From the harbour bridge we walked to the viewing platform where there was alarge gathering of gulls. Mostly all Black-headed Gulls there was a pair of Herring Gulls and a half a dozen Common Gulls.
Once again the reflections in the water provided the perfect background for gulls that are normally over looked.
Walking back to the cars a Sandwich Tern passed out on the Solent.
We walked up onto Brownwich Cliffs to get some elevation to allow us to view the water. The Slavonian Grebe was closer in and was able to get an acceptable photo.
There were exceptional numbers of Great Crested Grebe with 54 counted while a count of 69 Eider could have been more. A single Common Scoter made up the duck. Cormorants came and went along with a couple of Shag easily identified by the huge leap they make out of the water as they dive.
Ian then found a Great Northern Diver that came quite close.
Finally it flew off to the east.
In the field behind there was a large flock of Linnet. This is about half of the flock that was flying around. Where is the Merlin?
After lunch a report of Guillemot close in to the beach at Browndown South had us decide to drop in. Walking along the beach there was a flock of Sanderling that I managed to avoid. A dark shape on the water had us guessing but it disappeared. A little further along I noticed a shape on the beach, the shape turned out to be the Guillemot. Things didn't look good as we ran towards it, but as we got close we could see it was alive.
A little closer it put up a bit of a fight.
But we could get closer, all was definitely not well.
And when Ian was able to pick it up we knew it definitely was not a well bird, maybe exhausted as it did not look emancipated.
We debated what to do, should we take it to the RSPCA? In the end we decided to see if it would return to the water. Ian placed it close to the water and it made to move towards it. So we picked it up again and put it into deeper water and it swam off.
Even looking to use the wings to propel it quicker through the water.
We watched it drift further out and convinced ourselves this was probably the best action to take.
A great day and a chance to get a lift after all the bad news that was round and the situation we all face. Nothing better than to start the day with a Bran Owl, a tremendous sunrise, some great light for photography and the Guillemot at the end.
Happy New Year to everyone reading, well it can't be as bad as 2020 can it?
