This is my 500th post on this blog.
It has been a while since I witnessed the sunrise down at Hill Head, but this morning I was able to catch it as the sun emerged through the early morning cloud, lighting up the reed bed.
Looking across the Solent the dawn sunlight was picking out the waterfront houses of Cowes on the Isle of Wight.
Walking around the sea wall you were able to get a different perspective on the reed bed surrounding Duck Lake.
Common Terns started to wake up and move between the reserve scrape and the sea, the tide was falling, although most of the beach was still covered. A Common Sandpiper called and flew low across the water of Duck Lake before alighting on one of the many posts in the water.
Then as quickly as it arrived it was off, its calls standing out, as it flew away from us, from the increasing volume of the terns and Black-headed Gulls.
Attention turned to a pair of Great Crested Grebes, one of which appeared to have a lump on its back as it swam around.
Closer inspection revealed this to be a youngster, using Mum as a ride. The black and white humbug stripes just visible as it popped up briefly to see where it was going.
There wasn't much else going on so we decided to take a short journey to Stubbington, Newlands Farm to be exact, where there have been good sightings of Little Owl. Leaving the cars we walked along a track with quite a bit of scrub on either side. Teasels and bramble were attracting the butterflies and insects, here a Hornet Mimic Hoverfly on one of the flowering teasels.
Ian picked out a Little Owl distantly on the roof of one of the farm buildings as we walked around the maize field. On reaching the buildings we could see the Little Owl and it was obviously watching us as well.
It was then a case of how best could we view the owl and get close enough for some acceptable photographs. This didn't prove to easy. In the end we walked around the back of the building, moved back a little bit into the maize field where we could get a better, if not closer view.
It was a case of moving about through the maize, using the tram lines to find the best place.
The old worn paint of the roof kind of adds to the scene.
Not sure what it was looking at here, something, probably one of the several Lesser Black-backed Gulls that had been passing overhead.
Moving around to the other side we could n't see anything, then you had that feeling you were being watched. Which of course you were.
Then back to us, could have been one of the youngsters.
When the owls finally disappeared we started to head back. I only had the morning so we decided to go back to Hill Head and go into the reserve. The walk took us through the maize field (by a path!), and then out across some grass land. In the bushes there were plenty of Gatekeepers taking in the sunshine.
Plus also a few Meadow Browns.
And a butterfly that this year has been very hard to find, the Speckled Wood.
Walking across the grassland through the tall grass stems and Ragwort there were many more Meadow Browns.
And also a very showy Common Blue, probably from a second brood.
We checked in at the Haven and headed for the Meon Shore Hide. The water lvevels were much higher than last week and there were no waders of note close in. Plenty of Black-tailed Godwits on the northern part of the scrape and 43 Avocet. Where last week the Wood Sandpiper fed it was now all water. There was also hardly any Common Terns and no Black-headed Gulls save for a few juvenile birds parading as Ruff look a likes.
Leaving the hide we came across a Comma butterfly nectaring on the bramble flowers.
We walked to the Pumfrett Hide where there was a little more action. It was closer to the group of Avocet.
A Green Sandpiper flew from the reeds beneath the hide where it wasn't visible across the scrape to the other side where it was now visible but distant.
I returned to the Avocet and zoomed in on the middle of the group and then converted to Black and White, the Avocet plumage and the water reflections work so well with this media.
With not much time left we decided to walk on tot the Spurgin Hide. Again the water was high and the only bird of note was Grey Heron sitting on a post minding its own business.
A juvenile Black-headed Gull was calling from one of the islands and was joined by both adults. The adults were soon unhappy with the presence of the heron and decided to do something about it, flying at it from behind.
And dive bombing the heron as it ducked out of the way.
The gull made several of these fly pasts, but they made no impression on the heron that remained, quite happily on the post and continued to mid its own business.
Sadly as we watched the juvenile Black-headed Gull we could see that all was not well, it appeared to be throwing itself about in an effort to fly, but on a closer inspection it was clear that one of the wings were badly damaged. Unfortunately the future for the young gull does not hold much hope, but the parents were continuing to look after it.
Leaving the hide we came across another Comma on the reeds.
And as we left the reserve a Gatekeeper with a gorgeous background.
That was it for the day, the last one of July, the year continues to move on at pace, what will August bring?
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