As 2020 comes to an end it is time to look back on the high points of the year from a wildlife perspective. This was a year like no other for me, the first time I can say that I have not left the country, or been on an aeroplane! This can be seen in my review of the year. The plans I made at the start of the year for holidays on the Isle of Mull and in Madagascar all put on hold due to some invisible enemy that has reeked havoc through out the United Kingdoms people and economy.
However back at the start of the year all was normal and nobody had even dreamed of using words like "lockdown", "pandemic" or "covid-19". Prime Minister briefings were done at times of elections and the concern we all had was would we "Get Brexit Done" So it is in January I start my review of my adventures in the natural world in 2020.
January
The year started in Somerset, at the RSPB Reserve at Ham Wall. A glorious evening provided a wonderful back drop to the Starling murmaration once again. No matter how many times you see this spectacle it never fails to impress. Other highlights on the reserve were Bittern and Great and Cattle Egret.
Back in Hampshire it was the customary trip to Southsea for Purple Sandpipers. These waders are extremely photogenic as they forage around the rocks at the base of the sea wall around Southsea Castle. A little later we were peering through a hedge in Warblington to try and get good views of Cattle Egret.
Towards the end of the month it was a trip to Keyhaven and Pennington, here the star of the show was the weather, a glorious day proving wonderful light and still water reflections. Supporting cast were the waders, a very close Spoonbill and all the wildfowl in wonderful light. But the undoubted star was a group of four Slavonian Grebes that allowed to get close to along the sea wall.
February
By now we were aware of virus that was infecting people in China and some parts of Asia but for now that was all, life continued. The month started with a trip outside of Hampshire. Ian and I headed east to Pulborough Brooks. Early morning we had a very pleasant surprise as a Barn Owl hunted around the Winpenny Hide.
A Hen Harrier also put in a distant appearance from the West Mead Hide, but later after leaving Pulborough for Amberley Wildbrooks we had a wonderful encounter with maybe the same bird.
The following week we were chasing year ticks. A smart male Black Redstart at Daedalus in Lee-on-the Solent was quickly found.
The rest of day we spent around the various sites in the New Forest ending up with the Mandarins at Eyeworth Pond.
With warnings of torrential rain the next weekend I decided to head east again in the hope of avoiding it for a lot of the daylight hours. I was also after a duck I hadn't seen for a longtime, a drake Smew one of which was being seen regularly on the pits at RSPB Dungeness. After a couple of circuits I finally managed a scope view of it distantly at the back of a pool close to the entrance. Sadly the photographs did not do this spectacular duck justice. One bonus was a Stoat that showed very well on the path in front of me.
The middle of the month saw us in the New Forest once again. Starting at Acres Down we managed to find Hawfinch and Woodlark, a trip then to Toyd Down where we were able to find Corn Bunting, Yellowhammer and a Great Bustard. The bustard was one of the introduction scheme on Salisbury but none the less a wonderful bird to see.
With 2020 being a Leap Year there was one extra days birding in February and we headed to Hayling Island where we were after the Great Northern Divers that were present on the east side between Sandy Point and West Head in West Sussex.
During the afternoon we spent time around Northney Marina and the Oyster Beds where this drake Red-breasted Merganser came close.
March
It would be true to say that there was by early March a lot of awareness of the virus with reports of many deaths in Italy and Spain, but we were still not appreciating the critical situation we were facing up until the middle of the month life was still very much as normal as could be expected. The middle of the month saw a trip to Acres Down once again. We managed to find the resident specialists, Crossbill, Firecrest, Lesser Redpolls and Woodlark. But the highlight was a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, but still it was not possible to get the photograph we craved. A very distant Goshawk made a good visit. From there it was to Blashford and the Woodland Hide that provided some great photos of the commoner woodland birds.
Events were brought closer to home on the 18th March. BOC decided to make all staff work from home and so would start nine and a half months working from my home office, although I didn't know this at the time. I could still get out though and on the 21st started at Hill Head and the Canal path. The first singing Chiffchaffs of the year and the resident birds nesting. Back at Hill Head the high tide had forced the Sanderling up on to the beach, the first of many Sanderling photos this year.
But the highlight was a walk around Browndown, there were Dartford Warblers, singing Greenfinch and the first butterflies of the year, Peacock and Comma, but the highlight were some amazing encounters with up to four Adder.
The following Monday the announcement was made that the whole country would go on a hard lockdown with restrictions on travel and the time you could spend outdoors. Fortunately, living in the countryside, it wasn't as bad as it could have been, but it meant my travels around the county would stop and it was a return to "Around Four Marks"
The garden was busy, the regulars, Blackbird and Robin starting breeding already and the first Peacock butterfly of the year. On my exercise walks in the last week of March there was encounters with Red Kite, a bird a really appreciate locally.
April
There was a routine for working from home, work up to just after 4:00pm and then take ourselves off for a walk through the village. The clocks had just gone back and the weather had decided it was going to behave. Weekends I ventured further for longer but never leaving the boundaries of the Four Marks patch and always on foot, the car staying on the drive for six weeks. The common migrants arrived around the village, Chiffchaff song was joined by the Blackcap and, eventually at the end of the month the Whitethroat.
The Tawny Owl I have seen for the last eight years was present in the same tree once again, wonderful to catch up with it for yet another year.
Swallows took a while to arrive and when they did around the third week of the month it was not in the numbers we have been used to in previous years.
The end of the month saw glorious weather and this heralded the arrival of Wheatear and many butterflies the pick of which at this time of year is always the Orange Tip.
Six weeks into lockdown and at the start of the month I ventured away from the village. First was a trip to Noar Hill and the Duke of Burgundy butterflies and then to Magdalen Hill, a week later. With the weather playing its part the butterflies were very uplifting.
The bird of the lockdown for me though was the Firecrest. I managed to find at least ten individuals locally of this gorgeous little bird.
The third week of the month is typically the time to visit the New Forest. We caught up with the Redstarts and other locally special birds. From Acres Down we spent the afternoon at Martin Down with huge numbers of butterflies, stand out was 51 Marsh Fritillaries, 77 Small Heath and 48 Brimstone.
I am normally away at the end of the May, this year it was meant to be the Isle of Mull, but was not to be. So at the end of the month I found myself at Pennington and the New Forest. Avocets and Swifts were the stars at Pennington while Pearl-bordered Fritillaries were found in the Forest.
The last weekend it was another glorious day, starting at Bentley Wood and then Stockbridge Common and Fishlake Meadows. Managed to catch up with a Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary, they are becoming scarce now in Hampshire, the first Dark-green Fritillary at Stockbridge and some Demoiselles at Fishlake Meadows.
At the start of the month we went out of the county, this time heading west into Dorset and Durlston Country Park. The target bird was Puffin, Dancing Ledge is the furthest Puffin colony east along the south coast. Views were distant but very acceptable. A Peregrine put in an appearance on the cliffs and the whole park was alive with wild flowers including many Bee Orchids.
Another visit to Martin Down in the middle of the month was a fantastic day with me having to split my blog into two separate posts, the first Birds and Orchids, the second, Butterflies. Butterfly, Fragrant and Pyramid orchids all along the dyke and Turtle Dove, Corn Bunting and Lesser Whitethroat the stand out birds. Of the butterflies, many Marbled Whites, Dark Green and Silver-washed Fritillary. In the afternoon a trip to Shatterford produced Silver-studded Blues. For me though the highlight of the day was early morning views of Martin Down, a stunning place.
A trip to Gosport, Browndown and Portsdown Hill later in the month was all about the butterflies. Disappointingly it was only very brief views of White-letter Hairstreak, but Marbled White, and Purple Hairstreak more than made up for it.
End of the month we were heading west, this time into West Sussex and Tugley Woods. We managed to get views of Purple Emperor and also White Admiral and Silver-washed Fritillary, unfortunately we didn't find Wood White.
July
A trip to Fishlake Meadows at the start of the year to try and catch up with an Osprey had the predictable result, however the afternoon spent in West Wood just outside Winchester was much more productive with some great butterflies, including brief glimpses of the sought after Purple Emperor. A first visit here produced great views of Dark-green and Silver-washed Fritillary, while the Brimstone put on an amazing light show.
Middle of the month it was a long day starting at Keyhaven and making my way back home via the New Forest, Browndown and Old Winchester Hill. Little Ringed Plover was the stand out bird at Keyhaven, there was no Grayling in the New Forest, but they were plentiful at Browndown. Old Winchester Hill was covered in Chalkhill Blues and a great collection of Marbled Whites, Dark-green Fritillaries and many of the commoner butterflies.
On the last day of July we set off for a week away in Devon. First stop was Labrador Bay just outside. It had been a long while since I had seen Cirl Bunting in the UK and it didn't take long to find one. From there it was into Dunsford Wood for Dipper, a great start to the week.
August
Weather wise it was an indifferent week, but we did manage to find my first Wood White for sometime at Meeth Quarry and capture on the trip cam an otter on the river alongside the cottage we were staying in.
We drew a blank with Wall Brown and Brown Hairstreak at Shipton Belinger on an appalling day and the only highlight was a Water Rail at Titchfield Haven.
The end of August we spent a week in Suffolk which had its own story to tell. A couple of trips to Minsmere did not produce much of interest, it was just lovely to visit. The bird of the trip was a Spotted Flycatcher family outside the cottage.
On the way back from Suffolk I had the opportunity to spend a nostalgic couple of hours at East Tilbury in Essex, nothing of note to report just some wonderful memories.
September
Back in Hampshire the month started at Titchfield and then on to Farlington Marshes. At the Haven we started up the canal path where there were migrant warblers and a nice female Redstart. Once the reserve opened we were treated to a wader show from the Meon Shore Hide. Little Stint, Curlew, Green and Common Sandpiper, Knot and Ruff. At Farlington it was Yellow Wagtail and Wheatear, plus another six Curlew Sandpiper.
Mid month it was back to Farlington where the Curlew Sandpipers were still about but I missed the star turns of Osprey and Pectoral Sandpiper. From Farlington I went to Old Winchester Hill where I didn't expect too much but turned out to be pleasantly surprised. A Redstart when I arrived and later in the day a fly over Osprey. In between some wonderful views of Kestrel and Red Kite. But it was the butterflies that were the highlight, Small Copper, a second brood of Adonis Blue, Clouded Yellow and Silver-spotted Skipper.
The end of the month saw another walk along the Titchfield Canal Path, this time a lot quieter with just a Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler. On the reserve the numbers of waders was much reduced although there were some great views of Snipe and Black-tailed Godwit.
October
Through the summer there were signs that just maybe the virus was on the run, but gradually from September it started to make a comeback, mostly in the north but enough to have the government set up a three tier system with there being varied restrictions depending on the tier. For now we were in the lowest tier, but there was always the threat of lockdown in the media.
The start of the month saw some horrendous weather with heavy rain so much so that the first outing of the month was restricted to an afternoon at Farlington. The trip though did produce two Little Stint in amongst the high tide roost. As its Farlington there was always a Kestrel to entertain.
News broke on Friday the 9th of a Wilson's Phalarope at Fishtail. Anticipating a large crowd we arrived very early and made our way in the dark across the old tip to the sea wall. We passed a Grey Phalarope to get to the south west corner where the Wilson's put on an amazing display all day. There were two Grey Phalaropes as well that were so photogenic. Both phalaropes must have consumed thousands of megabytes of disc space during their stays. A trip in the afternoon to Leaden Hall failed to find the hoped for Ring Ouzel.
The following weekend we were back at Leaden Hall for the annual Ring Ouzel pilgrimage. This time though there was not the partial glimpses and flight shots, three birds showed very well. The afternoon was spent at Warsash where we finally managed to catch up with the Workman Lane Little Owl, two in fact.
On the 24th we were back at Farlington, once again the forecast was not good and we were looking to make the most of the dry weather. An early Short-eared Owl was a lift although it was in the gloom and no photographs. The afternoon was spent at Titchfield in the hide until the high winds closed the reserve early.
The last day of the month saw more bad weather forecast. We were into Titchfield early, camped out in the Spurgin Hide while the wind and rain battered the reserve. Once the rain cleared the sun came out and we had some wonderful views of Penduline Tits.
November
Increasing cases of covid saw the whole country go into a month long lockdown. It was not as severe as earlier in the year with schools still open. We were also allowed to meet one person outside so I was able to continue birding with Ian.
On the 7th we started at Farlington where there was no early Short-eared Owl but some wonderful early morning light that worked so well with the Pintail on the lake.
The middle of the month saw yet another atrocious weather forecast which restricted us to about three hours of birding at Hill Head. In the time though I did get some wonderful views of the Sanderling on the beach. With the reserve closed due to lockdown the day came to a quick end.
The following weekend we were in the New Forest in search of shrike, merlin and harriers. We saw neither but enjoyed a nice walk around a new area of the Forest for us and did get some good views of Crossbill. There was also someone watching us.
On the Sunday a walk along the beach at Hill Head provided some wonderful light for black and white photography.
At the end of the month we were once again back at Titchfield Haven, early morning it was very misty with a light easterly that delivered a surprise in the form of a Great Skua. A distinctive bird in that it would perform 360 degree rolls which to start with we thought was in response to mobbing but turned out it was just doing this all the time. When the sun came through there were distant views of Great Northern and Red-throated Diver from Brownwich and great views of Marsh Harrier over the reserve, the Sanderling on the beach and three entertaining Little Grebes from the bridge.
December
Another awful weather forecast on Saturday the 5th saw us change plans at the last moment and meet at Hill Head. The conditions there were a little better but with a strong easterly. The hope was for something on the sea as I watched the Sanderling on the beach. What I didn't expect was a smart male Snow Bunting to appear which it did for 45 minutes before heading south west high. After that it was left to the Sanderling to entertain and a single Red-throated Diver heading east.
The next weekend we finally got back to Pennington, arriving at first light with huge numbers of wildfowl on the high tide and lagoons, and we caught up with nine Barnacle Geese in the field along the lane. There was some wonderful light that lit up the Pintail and there was also a pair of Kingfisher, the first for some time. But the highlight of the day were four Tundra Bean Geese on Pennington Marsh and then over our heads in the early afternoon.
The last Saturday before Christmas we were back at Hill Head once again. It was the usual fare first thing in the morning, and later we walked a very muddy canal path where we had a great encounter with a Sparrowhawk and finally caught up with the nine White-fronted Geese
that had been in the fields south of Posbrook farm for ten days.
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