29th July - Titchfield Haven and Fishlake Meadows, Hampshire

I was uncertain where to start this morning.  I was headed to Titchfield once again, but this time I decided to explore the canal path before the reserve opened.  As I got out of the car in the Bridge Street cap park I could hear Nuthatch calling.  There was a family group hidden in the Sallow trees and every so often an adult bird would fly back and forth to feed what must be young birds hidden in the branches.  The noise from he Nuthatches was also alerting others and there were Great and Blue Tits in the same vicinity and from the surrounding trees a Song Thrush was singing along with a Robin and a distant Wren.

Scanning across the Bridge Street floods I could see that there was some mud but there was no sign of any birds.  A little further along a group of White throat were catching insects around a fallen willow tree.

There had been some rain when I arrived but now the clouds were clearing revealing blue sky, it was though quite blustery and the clouds were rushing by.

Cattle were feeding in the meadow and I looked in hope of finding some Yellow Wagtails, but there was nothing, swallows though were flying around them and plenty more could be seen circling the tops of the trees.

A Greenfinch was singing at the top of an old Ash tree, unusual for the time of year.

I walked as far as the metal bridge with little to show for the walk, turning back a group of 23 Swifts flew overhead in a southerly direction, the summer probably over for them.

I saw one Water Vole and heard at least three plop into the water along the canal path.  At the tarmac path there was a female Banded Demoiselle on the reeds, a male was close by but she was resisting his advances.

At the bridge a Goldcrest was singing, from within the tree, but could be seen just enough to show its worn plumage, the breeding season having been hard by all accounts.

I moved on to the Titchfield Haven reserve, but as I came along Cliff road I noticed Franno on the seat sea watching so decided to join him, little did I know this would be a very good decision.

It was bright and sunny, but very blustery with the wind coming from the south west, this was making the sea quite rough and there were plenty of white crests to the blue waves.  Gulls and terns could be seen heading west, mainly Black-headed Gulls and Common Terns but with a few Sandwich Terns.

About a couple of miles away there were feeding flocks of gulls and terns, too distant though to be able to pick out anything unusual.  A little closer were five Common Scoter, amazingly my first for the year.  A Gannet also moved in from the east to join the distant gulls and terns.

We had been watching for just about an hour when Franno called out Storm Petrel, and I picked it up heading west quite close in, Mark estimated it to be around 700 metres.  I stayed with it as it headed into the wind with a direct flight, not wandering and staying close to the surface of the water.  It was following the direction a lot of the gulls and terns were taking and we assumed it was following them to a feeding flock somewhere off Southampton Water.  I lost it as it passed by with the hedge in the way.  Later down at the sea wall I scanned the water, there were though a lot of yachts out on the water and I couldn't find any feeding flocks of gulls and terns,  Interestingly a single Storm Petrel was reported heading west on Sunday morning off Portland, could this have been the same bird and if so it must have stopped somewhere?

A description is going to be required so here goes.  Very small bird around the size of a House Martin.  White rump was clear with a square tail and the upper parts were dark with no obvious wing bars, wings appeared longer than would be expected on a House Martin and the flight differed in the directness and ease with which it made progress, rolling from side to side rather than the direct shearing of a shearwater. As it banked it was possible to make out white markings on the under wing

I couldn't believe it after missing out on the sea trip off Falmouth.  I would never though have expected this in Hampshire on a clear sunny day in July.

After scanning from the sea wall and deciding there wasn't anything about I went into the reserve hoping there was something else about and that the water levels had fallen.  It wasn't to be on both accounts but I decided to stick around and see if anything changes.

An Oystercatcher was asleep on the closest island.

There appeared to be many more Common Terns today and they would be flying around and calling while others would come and go from the scrape out to the sea.

This one sat on this post with the fish for some time, probably uncertain where its youngster was.

White there were still a few adult Mediterranean Gulls about there were also several juveniles.  Looking closely the plumage looks very smart and new.

As the sun came and wet I noticed the effect this would have on the plumage of the Lapwing in front of the hide.  You normally expect the Lapwing to appear green, one of their many names is Green Plover, but as you can see here in the right light they are multi coloured almost glossy in appearance.

I couldn't leave with out mentioning the Avocet, once again they were enforcing their no go zone on the left hand side of the scrape.  This individual had chased a Teal away and then kept coming to the island where the Black-headed Gulls were backing away as it walked around lunging at them.  Here as it made its way back to the no go zone it adopted this aggressive lunge at a pair of Mallard that quickly got out of the way.

From Titchfield I decided I had to go back for the Osprey at Fishlake, surely I could get better views. As I pulled into the car park it started to rain, so I decided to wait it out in the car.  As I sat in the seat I noticed this Holly Blue sheltering on a leaf in the bush in front of me, so I got the camera and took this photo.

From the car I walked directly to the new viewing point and as I walked in the people there were watching the Osprey on a tree close in.  I dropped the scope but was too late to get a good view and it was then mobbed by Common Terna and flew off.  The terns continued there chase and finally the Osprey dropped into the water.

At the time we all thought it was fishing, but the thoughts later were that maybe it was washing, cleaning the feet and bill of fish scales.  It seemed to be quite happy to splash about and eventually it was up and once again chased by the terns.

It flew around the lake with the terns close behind and on a couple of occasions dropped into the water once again before coming back across the lake.

It made its way to the centre of the lake once again and settled on a dead tree, but only stayed momentarily before the terns chased it off again whereby it flew to a dead bough much further away.

And here it stayed for a good hour and a half.

It had a good preen and looked around and above it almost constantly.

Additional entertainment was provided by Great Egrets, that by now are just another bird.

One became two

Then two became three.

And there was a fourth but unfortunately it wouldn't play ball and join the others.

Eventually the Osprey decided to take off and travelled the grand distance of about two mtres to a neighbouring branch.

But it didn't stay here too long and took off again to go a little further to a tree at the back of the lake.

Whilst here it went through some exercises, wings up, head down.

You probably have a good idea what comes next.

And you were right.

The general discussion was that once they have defaecated they will fly, Well this was the third time and it just stayed, quite content, on its perch and resumed looking around with no intent to fly.

My time had run out, I could believe I had spent nearly four hours watching this one bird and willing it to fly.  But I am sure that if it stays around I will be back in the hope that just maybe I will get a much better view.

Quite a day, a day with very few photos taken, but a day that will be remembered for a little sea bird that put in a very surprising appearance.

27th July - Fishlake Meadows, Hampshire

The weather was kind to me after some concerning forecasts through the week, the rain had eased but it was still overcast and quite humid which added some mist in the air.  There had been recent reports of an Osprey at Fishlake Meadows, a regular site for these birds of prey as they start their journey back to Africa for the weekend.  One had been seen the previous day and there was every chance it was still around today, however they have a habit of disappearing at certain times of the day, and when they are around they more than often sit still in the many dead trees.

I set off for the road side viewing point of which there now is two.  It was the newest one I visited first and scanned across the dead trees.  Aside from Cormorants and a few Woodpigeons there was nothing on the trees.  On the water there were several Great-crested Grebes, at the back of the lake Greylag Geese.

I decided to wait and continued to scan across the trees when I noticed something in the trees that looked familiar.  I turned to the scope but couldn't relocate what I had seen, then with a gust of wind it appeared, the Osprey.  The photo is digi-scoped due to the distance hence the quality, 

As the wind blew the branches moved and revealed more.

It seemed quite content and would have been easily missed.

I watched it as it started to flap its wings and then it turned around and then took off and headed off in the direction of the river.  I waited to see if it would come back or even give a fly past but it never did.

I had a decision to make do I stay put, or move on to walk around the rest of the reserve, there was also the chance the Osprey could appear and would be easily seen from the canal path.  I decided to move and walked down the canal path.  From the first viewing platform I couldn't see anything, but from the second I could see a bird at the top of a dead branch while what was definitely a Cormorant below it.  With the scope I could see it was the Osprey.

Swift and Swallows flying past the Osprey.

It also attracted the attention of the Magpies and three were looking to mob the Osprey, climbing up the branch.

Then there was some wing flapping from the Osprey.

But it settled back down and I spent the time watching the Osprey through the 'scope.  The Magpies would return every so often but the Osprey was unmoved.

A pair of Great Spotted Woodpeckers distracted me for awhile, they were moving around the line of dead trees, probably a small family that may have nested in the dead trees.

I took some video of the Osprey being mobbed and then finally flying off.

I picked it up a little further to the right of the view area as I looked at it, and settled once again in the a dead tree.

My time was up, the Osprey did not appear to be going anywhere and I left satisfied with being able to watch one for at least two hours.  Later on there was a report of two Osprey in the area, so maybe the bird I saw at the end was different to the one seen flying off earlier and had been there all the time.  There is the chance they will stay and there will be more opportunities for better photography.

25th July - Titchfield Haven NR, Hampshire

I met Ian at the sea front at Hill Head on a lovely morning with sun and a blue sky with wispy clouds.  Looking out across the reeds and Duck Bay the feeling never changes.

There was a lot of activity of shore with groups of terns and gulls feeding over the water, but very distantly unfortunately.  Moving between these feeding groups I picked up a Gannet moving in from the west around about mid channel.

It moved east and then headed up Southampton Water, but decided to turn back and then followed the feeding flocks, making one attempt at a dive before turning again and then heading back east at height.

Common and Sandwich Terns moved from the reserve and the sea and both birds could be heard calling.  The feeding flocks were much too far away to pick out anything of interest so we decided to go for a walk along the sea wall.

Turnstone were still in their partial summer plumage, the orange brown contrasting with the greens and browns of the bladder wrack on the groynes.

A Mediterranean Gull passed heading west offshore.

Walking along the beach a few Common Terns were gathered on the groynes.

Two left leaving one bird.

Getting ready to leave.

From the viewing platform we could see the Great-crested Grebe with its two chicks that had grown significantly since we last saw them 9 days ago.

A walk to the harbour bridge was interrupted by a message saying that there were Black Terns off shore.  We headed back to the sea wall and were able to pick out at least three Black Terns feeding in the distinctive fashion amongst other gulls and terns.  However they were all too distant to photograph.  We took some time to scan the other feeding flocks and picked up the Gannet once again following them around.

Off shore we then picked up a Common or Harbour Seal.

Walking to the reserve to enter the west side a juvenile Water Rail scampered across the mud close to the reeds.

The water levels were still high on the south scrape and we were told that the Spotted Redshank had just flown from in front of the hide.  This left us with the Black-headed Gulls and of course the Common Terns, this one a juvenile.

A Common Sandpiper flew across the scrape and landed on the island in front of the hide and started to stalk the flies that were on the surface of the water and the mud of the island.

It was a clear strategy to pick the flies gently off the surface.

It did venture out into the water as well.

The Spotted Redshank appeared on one of the next islands, When it first arrived it was in full summer plumage, but now that was moulting and patches of the grey winter colours can be seen on what is now a very mottled plumage, but at the same time quite spectacular.

Down below us there was a family of two Moorhen chicks, apparently there had been six but only two were left.  The adults were very attentive, one going off across the scrape, evading the Avocets, to bring back what looks like scraps of a dead fish.

There were two pairs of Oystercatcher around the scrape, this one came close to the hide.

There were good numbers of Avocet around the scrape and a few chicks that were defended by the parents with typical aggression.  There was a no go area on the left hand side and the adults would attack anything that came in.  They would also launch sorties across the scrape to attack anything at will.  After last week's Avocet fest I was determined to avoid them today, but sometimes they are hard to resist.  These all in black and white.

One close enough for a lovely portrait

The Spotted Redshank had now moved to the right hand side of the hide and was resting after a vigourous preen.

We decided it was time for lunch and then a walk around the east side of the reserve, on the way we stopped to check out the beach.  The rising tide had pushed a few terns up the beach, but there was nothing like the number we had seen in the morning offshore, or any sign of the Black Tern.  Here Common Terns and a juvenile Sandwich Tern.

Coming back to Duck Bay the juvenile Water Rail was now showing well on the exposed mud on the right hand side.

It came out of the reeds to walk along the mud.

Probing into the mud.

The juvenile lacking the blue grey plumage of the adult.

Then it showed very well before heading back into the reeds.

Stopping at the harbour bridge the Great-crested Grebe family were showing close to the reeds.

We finally made our way into the west side of the reserve and to the Suffern Hide.  As we walked in a Cormorant was sitting on one of the strategically positioned branches.  In the sunshine this gave the opportunity to see the different colours in the feathers and the white spines of the tail feathers.

Some yoga poses from the Lesser Black-backed Gull on the benches, showing off the yellow legs.

A Common Tern fished over the river, you can just see the red tip of the bill as it scans the water below.

The Cormorant had been for a swim and had returned to dry the wings in the classic pose.

We walked around to the Meadow Hide, stopping to watch this Banded Demoiselle.  I have seen plenty of beautiful Demoiselle this year but this was the first Banded.

From the Meadow Hide there was distant views of Marsh Harrier and Buzzard, but not the hoped for chats along the fence posts.  We decided to head back to the west side to see if anything had come in with the rising tide.

The wind had picked up and as we entered the reserve we found this male Brimstone sheltering from the wind close to the reeds.

The Spotted Redshank was showing well as we entered the hide.

These were my favourite set of photographs of the bird.

The gulls and terns would come and go, spooked by aeroplanes flying over and the predatory Herring and Lesser Black-backed Gulls.  This would clear the island in front of the hide, but slowly they would return and on one occasion Five Mediterranean Gulls appeared, one was quite relaxed.

A Common Tern settled on one of the posts before being kicked off by the Black-headed Gulls.

A Mediterranean Gull still with a complete black hood.

 

A Lapwing close to the hide with a Common Redshank in the background.

And then the Common Sandpiper flew from the island to the old reed stems where it commenced the fly stalking once again.

Then out into the open water.

My favourite Common Sandpiper photograph.

One of the young Avocets came a little closer to the hide, showing the downy feathers and the brown and black colours.

Finally after all the Spotted Redshank photographs it was nice to end with one of a Common Redshank, which has its own special beauty.

There is still an element of the summer doldrums but there are signs of migration starting up.  The water levels though need to fall to expose more mud to attract the waders to Titchfield Haven, this autumn I have the time to ensure I get to see as much as I can.