21st August - Hill Head & Titchfield Haven, Hampshire

Another weekend, another awful weather forecast, another change of plans.  I met Ian along Cliff Road at Hill Head, we have abandoned the sea wall as our protest against the recently imposed parking charges along the sea wall.  Interestingly even with the poor weather the amount of cars and RVs that normally use the sea wall area was significantly reduced, if other like us park in the residential areas there is going to be further complaints.

We watched the sea for the first half an hour and there was considerable activity out on the sea with very large groups of terns and gulls feeding and following the fishing boats.  Despite the large numbers there was only a single distant Gannet that could be considered to be out of the ordinary.

We were considering walking to the reserve visitor centre to book in when a message came in of an Osprey feeding just to the south of the Frying Pan on the reserve.  We walked swiftly to the harbour where we were able to pick the Osprey up, distantly, perched in trees amongst some Cormorants.

We decided to check in and headed along the east side, dropping into the Suffern Hide, if it decided to fish again the hide provided views of the widest part of the river.  On entering we couldn't see the trees we had located it in earlier, but we decided to hang on and wait.  On the river a Great Crested Grebe was pestered by its offspring.

Then away to our right as we looked out of the hide a large bird appeared being chased by gulls, a classic shape in the air our gamble had played off, the Osprey was coming our way.

But for some reason, maybe the attention of the gulls it decided to gain height and turn away from the river.

As it did so I was able to discern that the bird was not ringed, which would mean it wasn't a wanderer from Poole or the birds from Rutland moving south.

The fact that it was unringed and that it was showing a clear breast band probably ages the bird as an adult.

There is also a defined band to the tail.

The uniform brown upper parts also support this as an adult Osprey.

Then it drifted away to the east and was reported buy others watching from outside as heading towards Lee and on to Portsmouth.  Ospreys were reported from Farlington so it probably ended up there for the rest of the day..

We made our way to the sea wall where we got the reports on where the Osprey had gone and then decided to enter the reserve on the west side, stopping in the Meon Shore Hide.  There was little going on across the scrape, the water levels looked good but there was no sign of any waders close to the hide, Avocet and Black-tailed Godwits were roosting at the north end of the scrape.  We were there for about 45 minutes when a message came in of a possible Sabine's Gull having been seen by Richard Levett in the Solent from the sea wall.

I had just poured a cup of tea and as this news arrived there was a mad dash to leave the hide, I was the last out with binoculars, camera and scope somehow around my neck and a cup of tea slopping around as I made the dash out of the reserve to the sea wall.  On arriving we were presented with this view.

What you can't see here is the number of yachts taking advantage of the very fresh south easterly and the large groups of feeding terns and gulls that were still about.  The news didn't take long to attract a sizeable number of birders.

Ian had taken the decision to not carry his tripod, prior to August the first this would not have been a problem as we would have parked on the sea wall, today though we were parked along Cliff Road.  He was caught in two minds stay and try and get by with binoculars or go to his van and get the tripod.  He went for the latter and in doing so no doubt was concerned something might happen while he was away....it did!

What was a good candidate for the gull was picked up in a flock amongst the yachts, it could have possibly have been a juvenile Kittiwake, but as the yachts cleared the bird could be seen better and all around were in agreement it was a Sabine's Gull, my first since I saw three on the River Thames after the hurricane in October 1987.

It was very much a case of continuing to watch the gull with the scope rather than come off it and try to take photographs.  Mark Francis did and it is his rather blurred record shots I use here.

Here you can see black primaries and the grey panel contrasting across the upper parts across the upper parts.  In a juvenile Kittiwake there would be a black line then grey, here it looks all grey.

In this image the head is visible which appears dark in contrast with a lighter head that would be seen in a Kittiwake, plus the body is longer and the white triangle patch quite clear, but what you can't see is the distinctive notched tail.  Aging is difficult in some angles the mantle looked brownish, but it was not possible to be definite

We then lost it and Ian returned, we searched and some suggested it had moved up Southampton Water, but I couldn't really confirm I had seen it as it was supposed to have moved past Fawley.

I didn't know what to say to Ian, I could tell he was fuming, I just kept hoping that it would return and it did.  This time dropping on the water, bu the views Ian had were not conclusive, he remained quiet.  Then he and another picked it up as it came up off the water and all was well.  He saw enough to confirm which to be honest made my day.  This would not have been one of those events that I would have teased him with, its not often you get to see a Sabine's Gull on the south coast, let alone in the Solent.  

Sabine's Gulls breed in the high Arctic of North Siberia and North America, vagrants arriving in the west of the United Kingdom will do so when the southerly migration of the north american birds are diverted by gales in the mid Atlantic.

The combination of black bill and notched tail are almost unique within the gulls, as they are shared only with the swallow-tailed gull of the Galapagos. Based on this, the two species were often thought to be each other's closest relatives, however DNA studies confirmed that they are not closely related, and the closest relative of the Sabine's gull is now thought to be the Ivory gull, another Arctic species.

The name Sabine’s Gull honours the Irish scientist Sir Edward Sabine, who sent a specimen to his brother Joseph Sabine after discovering the gull while involved in an expedition to the Arctic region in search of the north west passage.

As we stood scanning the sea in hope the gull would come closer the Common Terns continued to move overhead back and forth from the reserve to the sea.

The birders that had turned up now started to drift away and we decided after about an hour that we would go back the the Meon Hide, the weather was looking threatening again and it would be a chance to hopefully photograph some activity on the scrape.

There were a lot more terns present on the scrape and they were quite active, however it was a Sandwich Tern that was the first bird of interest moving from the scrape to the sea.

The Avocet and Black-tailed Godwits were still at roost at the back of the scrape, the Avocets taking off as something upset them, here a few of the flock circling above the scrape.

A single Common Gull was hiding amongst the Black-headed Gulls and Common Terns, the first I have seen this end of the year.

Another addition to the daily tally of gulls was this Mediterranean Gull.

The weather was closing in and just before the rain came there was an increase in hirundines and this Swift over the scrape.

It was though the antics of the Common Terns that held the interest.  They are charismatic birds, with their long white angled wings and the orange red bill and legs contrasting so well.  They are constantly moving and calling around the post sin front of the hide.  This juvenile bird was constantly begging and got its reward as the parent arrived to present it with a fish.

The posts around the scrape are valuable real estate and there were ongoing battles between the Common Terns and the Black-headed Gulls.

And the Common Terns amongst themselves.

A fight amongst the juveniles

Juvenile and adult

And then a little more intensity between the adults

Finally decides the empty post is just as good.

A conversation then taking place?  I wonder.

Some prefer to take up posts well away from the noise.

As they fly around the scrape, leaving the posts and platforms, they show off their beautiful elegance and aerial ability.

A flock of about nine Yellow Wagtails appeared from the left hand side of the hide, their calls alerting us to them, they flew around above the hide and appeared to head towards the West Hide, but a search later could not find them.

The terns and gulls would all go up, filling the sky above the scrape with their loud calls and white and grey shapes.

We were never able to understand or see the reason for these "spooked" events, but just had to enjoy the spectacle.

Finally we decided to try the Pumfrett Hide for views across the north scrape.  Here the water levels were much better and we saw our first Redshank of the day and some Black-tailed Godwits that were feeding closer to the hide.  With the water level low the water was quite calm providing some lovely reflections.  The reflection enhanced by the particular pose of the this Godwit.

At the north end of the south scrape a Black-tailed Godwit still showing a lot of the breeding plumage was feeding close to the hide.

I had commented that the water levels and mud looked ideal for a Green Sandpiper and low and behold one flew in right on cue!

Again a lovely reflection

Suddenly all the Lapwing and duck went up, the Green Sandpiper, while changing its stance as if concerned, stayed put.

But then settled down once again

Before finally taking a little rest, with one eye open of course.

We decided it was time to head for the beach at Hill Head.  The terns come into rest, bathe and preen on the beach and the numbers have reached well over 700 birds over the last few days.  The have also been a few surprises amongst them, namely a juvenile Black Tern and up to three Arctic Terns.  The trick of course, is to find them.

Luckily Mark was on hand and he pointed out one bird that we could spend sometime watching and studying to understand what are subtle differences and have made it difficult to always be a 100% sure.  This time the Arctic Tern was alongside a juvenile Common Tern and it was possible to see the difference.

First off the bill is finer and all dark, the common showing some pink around the base of the bill.  The legs are much shorter and dark compared with the bright orange red of the Common Tern.

In this final shot the two birds have moved further apart.  One of the subtle differences is the Arctic Tern's head being much more rounded than the Common, the Common being a little flatter.  Here you can also see the difference in the leg length and colour.

We declined to wait for the Black Tern and called it a day.  This morning I was not confident it would be much, I was disappointed we had not been able to go for the butterflies in north Hampshire.  However what then transpired through the day was beyond my hopes.  Great views of Osprey, a long awaited second Sabine's Gull in the United Kingdom and year ticks in the guise of Yellow Wagtails and Arctic Tern, plus some great shots once again of Common Tern and the Black-tailed Godwit and Green Sandpiper.