All the forecasts had aligned and we were finally able to get to Pennington. It was partially overcast on arriving in the car park, but there were signs that the sky might start to clear, the forecast being for a dry and sunny day. In the gloom I was able to pick out a large group of Canada Geese feeding in the middle of the field alongside the car park, there was also calls of Brent Geese coming from the fields of the Hurst View Camp Site. As I changed my shoes large numbers of Curlew were coming across the marsh and heading to the field to join the Brent.
A distinctive silhouette.
Once Ian had arrived we set off across the Old Tip by way of the west side overlooking Fishtail. There were hundreds of duck and geese gathered on the water and the marsh, numbers of which I hadn't seen for sometime. I had expected there to be wildfowlers present, and with several vans and 4 x 4 in the car park I had thought this had confirmed it, but as I got ready it became clear these were dog walkers as they returned and left. Climbing up on to the sea wall the reason became clear as we looked out over Butts Bay.
The wildfowlers can only shoot from the salt marsh, which means they have to walk out on to it. Today was one of the highest tides I have seen here, completely covering the concrete portion of the sea wall and just the tips of the vegetation and grass on the salt marsh showing.
On the water were more Brent, Pintail and Wigeon, something else I have not seen in numbers like these before. In this view you can see the difference in water levels from the sea on the left and Fishtail Lagoon on the right
With the tide high the waders were finding it a challenge to locate a suitable spot of dry land to settle on. Ringed Plover, Dunlin and Knot could be seen wheeling around as they tried to settle on what little area there was. Some famous local landmarks in the background
We made our way to the west along the sea wall, getting closer to the duck and geese on the sea. The sun was now up, but hidden by cloud in the east which resulted in a multi coloured sky.
Out on the marsh we could see the block and posts that normally have Peregrine sitting on them, but today there was no sign of any falcons at all. The duck were moving between the lagoon and the sea while all around there was the calls of Brent as they communicated with each other. Pintail are irresistible either in flight or on the water.
The sky was brightening the cloud breaking up and providing a wonderful backdrop to the wildfowl and there calls.
We turned our attention to Fishtail Lagoon and of course the Pintail, several of which were close to the bank, settled on the shallower water created by the shingle island. The drakes were looking superb with their chocolate brown heads and white neck stripe.
With the geese calling and every so often flying off it made the duck nervous, the Pintail in particular would extend their long necks, looking across the water and you know this is the prelude to them flying away. They probably have the longest necks of the commoner dabbling ducks and it is accentuated by the long white stripe.
Then the crouch and finally off with an explosion of the wings providing the lift required to get them from the water and into the air.
As I have said many times I find Pintail irresistible and it was hard to pull away let alone stop photographing them as they flew over our heads and out on to the sea. But we did and we walked around to Keyhaven Marsh where there was a different aspect of the sun rise, none less spectacular though.
Then looking more south on a wider angle.
Where the sun was breaking through it was turning the water golden, and again an opportunity to capture the geese as they swam through.
I followed a distant Pintail, its distinctive long neck and pointed tail identifying it as it crossed in front of the golden clouds over on the Isle of Wight.
We didn't walk around to Keyhaven, instead turned back and made our way towards Butts. Looking back though I was taken by the colours in the sky above the Isle of Wight and Hurst Castle, pale pastel colours of blue, orange, grey and pink.
There was a breeze and also very little seed heads on the reeds and consequently there was no sight or sound of any Bearded Tits. The lagoons were quiet and there was little if anything on the sea. The only bird to catch my eye was a Stonechat in the gorse on the sea wall.
This a female.
And not far away was the male, showing as well as its mate.
Then a report came in about nine barnacle Geese in the field alongside Lower Pennington Lane with Canada Geese. A group of nine make it more likely these were wild birds rather than the plastic individuals that stay all year around at other locations. So it was worth turning back and heading around to the car park and the lane.
We paused along the way to check out a dark shape on one of the banks in the middle of the marsh, it wasn't the hoped for Short-eared Owl, but a Common Buzzard.
The other spectacular playing out over Pennington Marsh was the frequent flights of Lapwing and Golden Plover. It was not clear what was causing them to take to the air, the buzzard clearly wasn't and there was no sign of any other raptor in the area, but almost every few minutes the sky would be covered in Lapwing and Golden Plover.
Here a partial flock of what were probably up to 350 Golden Plover around the marshes.
After a quick stop for a cup of tea we set off along the lane. Though gaps in the hedge we could see the Canada Geese feeding in the field and at the back could just make out a few Barnacle Geese.
It was possible to get in closer.
Aging the birds is not easy as the main differentiation is baring on the flanks which is prominent in the adult while the flank in a juvenile is diffuse. In the above photograph I think the goose closest to us is definitely an adult as might be the other goose.
The bird on the right is an adult the one in the middle a juvenile
We considered there to be four adults and five juveniles which could then be two family parties of two and three juveniles each, another pointer that these were true wild birds.
It was difficult to get clear shots of all nine birds together through the gap in the hedge.
Finally all nine out in the open!
Turning around to check the marsh on the other side of the Lane the Golden Plover were off again circling the marsh.
While in the middle of the marsh four grey geese, presumed to be Greylag were fast asleep.
There was no way we could get any closer to the geese so we decided to move on, taking the footpath at the back of the marsh towards Oxey. There were more geese and duck in the flooded fields and walking alongside Oxey Creek the water level was still very high despite it now being two hours since high tide. As we approached Eight Acre Pond a Kingfisher came low across the sea and wanted to settle on the old dock wall, but swimmers were in the way so it headed off. However it returned and flew into the bramble on the bank of the sea wall.
But as always is the way with Kingfishers it didn't stay long and set of again across the bay towards Normandy. From the bill this was a male bird.
We walked on, stopping to take in the big sky that was building above Oxey Lake with cirrus clouds.
A couple stopped us as we approached Normandy and told us there was a Kingfisher in bushes alongside the ditch. Sure enough we found it, a female bird this time.
On Normandy Marsh there were seven Avocet, the usual large groups of Teal, Wigeon and Pintail, four Red-breasted Mergansers and a female Goldeneye. Everything was very distant though making it difficult to be able to get a good shot.
Walking to the corner of the marsh I scanned the sea where I could just make out a pair of Eider on one of the spits. As I did so a Kingfisher flew past us and onto one of the posts alongside the ditch. We dashed over trying to get as close as we could, at the exact point we felt we were close enough it flew away, I managed only this shot as it flew off.
Coming back there was a group of male Teal displaying to the females. This involves whistles and the throwing the head back as they lift out of the water.
Back on Oxey Lake the tide was now dropping and a few strands of vegetation could be seen close in. A Great Crested Grebe was close in.
Eight Acre Pond is always a good place to watch Little Grebe and a pair were close to the sea wall. You waited as they dived anticipating where they would come up, sometimes close in.
A little further along on Salterns a drake Wigeon was settled on the bank.
We could see an Avocet on the far side of the pool but it was disturbed by something and flew off, low across the water at first and then over the sea towards Normandy
On the other side of the creek another bird was watching a Dartford Warbler. We were lucky that it showed very well and quite quickly allowing a really close approach.
We continued around the marsh on the sea wall, a Grey Seal was off shore, but there was no sign of any waders on the lagoons.
It was a glorious day now, lots of sunshine and high clouds and blue sky.
On Pennington lagoon teal tucked into the bank out of the way of what little wind there was and in full sunshine.
As we had lunch we watched the Golden Plover wheeling away above Pennington Marsh. The Barnacle Geese had moved from the field to the marsh with the Canada Geese. Initially at the back of the marsh they then flew closer to the Lane.
On the flooded camping ground there was a large flock of Black-tailed Godwits, but as we ate lunch something disturbed them and they flew over our heads and out onto Fishtail.
As the Barnacle Geese looked closer to the road we decided to walk back to see if we could get some clearer photographs. As we got closer they were not a close as we had hoped, but they were all now out in the open. Here they were disturbed by the Lapwing and Golden Plover taking to the air again, the geese all raising their heads to assess the possible danger.
But it was soon back to the important task of eating.
We decided to take advantage of the sunlight and headed to walk around Fishtail and to Keyhaven and back along the highway. Crossing the old tip we stopped to watch a Kestrel at the top of a tree. At this point I took a photograph of a four geese that flew over towards Fishtail.
Now in the bright sunshine my glasses darken and I just dismissed these as Brent. It wasn't until I was reviewing the photographs on Sunday that I could see these were not Brent, but grey geese. Cropping in on the middle two geese you get a better view. For me these are Tundra Bean Geese and were probably the four grey geese I had seen earlier in the day in the middle of the marsh. From that view identification is difficult but it is a good coincidence.
The geese were also picked up by another birder who saw them heading out towards Iley Lane and the back of Keyhaven. Looking closely the bill is smaller, and is dark with pink. One has a white base to the bill which is possible on some Bean Geese but not as prominent as in White Fronted. The neck is also quite long ruling out Pink-footed.
This was all a surprise, but not surprising given the recent influx of White-fronts and Bean geese over the last few weeks.
So completely oblivious of the geese we moved on and up on to the sea wall. Now remember what greeted us early this morning.
Well now it looked like this, was a difference five hours makes.
A single Dunlin was feeding along the edge of the mud close to the sea wall.
The light was superb, turning the water a deep blue reflected from the sky and once again there were Pintail that had read the script for today and were close to us on the sea wall.
Absolutely gorgeous duck, why anyone would want to shoot them is beyond my belief!
We had hoped for a Ruff on Pennington Marsh, but here was the long staying male on Fishtail.
Walking to Keyhaven there were Reed Bunting in the bushes.
And three Tufted Ducks on Keyhaven Lagoon.
We walked around the sea wall to the harbour and then up Iley Lane where found a male Marsh Harrier and a calling Chiffchaff. Back on the Ancient Highway we had great views across the back of Fishtail where there were more Golden Plover.
As the Lapwing settled back on the marsh they observed their own understanding of social distancing.
A couple of drake Shoveler cruised through the pool of water close to the path, the sun though was not helping the photography as it was hidden behind some cloud.
Here the Shoveler.
For the two days previous a Short-eared Owl had been reported from Jetty Lagoon. With the sun dropping in the sky we walked down to the jetty and sat and waited. As always seems to be the case when we do this nothing happened. A Brent Goose drifted into the golden water illuminated by the setting sun.
Away to the west the sun was setting on another great days birding although we didn't know how good, winter light is wonderful and provided today with some wonderful atmospheric landscape photos as well as the birds.
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