19th August - Titchfield Haven and Hook, Hampshire

Storms early morning and overnight Friday into Saturday would have upset some migration plans.  Arriving at the Bridge Street Car Park a Willow Warbler was trying to sing in the scrub at the back, hopefully an indication of good things to come.

Ian and I set off from the car park to view the Bridge Street Floods from a viewing point close to the traffic lights.  After setting up the 'scope we quickly found the Wood Sandpiper and Green Sandpiper that have been present for the last few days.  Unfortunately they are distant from the fence and much like the photograph taken earlier in the week it serves only as a record.

At one point we thought that there were two Wood Sandpipers, but the second bird was re-identified as a Greenshank, the perils of viewing at distance with a scope.  The Greenshank was later seen with another heading up the valley towards the reserve.

The Green Sandpiper was more elusive, the Wood Sandpiper showing well on the edge of the water, here along with two Black-tailed Godwits.

One objective achieved this morning, that of the Green Sandpiper year tick we headed off down the canal path in hope of some migrants.  The wind was very strong coming initially from the north west, but later westerly.  The canal path though was quiet and it wasn't until we reached the bridge at Posbrook that we came across birds.  Blue and Great Tits were calling in the bushes around the bridge and this female Blackcap showed quite well.

We flushed a Kingfisher from the canal as we walked along the path, it didn't go far and settled in the maze of branches and fallen trees.  I managed to get a view through before it flew off once more.

The Kingfisher kept moving ahead of us until it eventually flew into the scrub.  This is the first time I have seen one this high up the canal path, the water level is very low, there are fish but it must be difficult diving into the mud.

Coming out of the trees the view of the distant trees was almost one you would expect to see in October.

We made our way back to the car park in a short shower.  Swallows and House Martins flew around the cattle but there was very little else about.

At the car park we decided to drive around to Warsash and Hook, the thought was we could explore the TLC horse field for maybe Wheatear, Whinchat and Yellow Wagtail and of course there was always the chance of Little Owl.

There was no sign of the Little Owl.  While there were at least four Wheatear amongst the horses they were too far away for photographs.  The promise from finding the Wheatear though quickly evaporated as there was nothing else about.  A fox provided some interest and back at the main path we watched Pied Wagtail and a Whitethroat.

Four chat-like birds along the fence raised the blood pressure for a moment, but they turned out to be a family party of Stonechat.

We returned to Titchfield, this time parking at the sea wall and decided to try the east side first.  Lunch was taken in the Suffern Hide with not much to see in the way of bird life.  The highlight was a female Sparrowhawk that flew across the reeds and water and briefly perched in the tree on the left hand side of the hide.

A Lesser Black-backed gull looked very regal sitting on the water.

The sun was warming things up despite the stiff breeze so we walked on the Walkway pond and quickly found the Willow Emerald Dragonflies, this time not by the pond, but in the small number of reeds by the boardwalk.

There position provided some interesting backgrounds for close ups of the Damselfly.

One feature of this damselfly is that it will rest with the wings held open very much like a dragonfly rather than the closed wings you will normally see with other damselflies.

A close up of the green spur on the thorax that helps identify this species.

We left the pond and went to try the Meadow Hide.  Two Green Sandpipers were seen and heard in flight, but that was about it bird wise, so we were left to be entertained by the six Highland Cows that were out in the middle of the meadow.

Stirring from the grass.

All six

It was time to head to the west side, but once again found something at the Walkway pond.  This time Darters.  Initially this female Common Darter.

And then a male.

Both Common and Ruddy Darters can be found at the pond and we had the chance to compare the two.  Seen separately can be difficult, but when seen together the differences are clear.

This is the Common Darter, note the head, looking a pale red in contrast to the eyes

Here the Ruddy Darter and you can see the head is a darker red.

The Ruddy Darter (seen here) also has all black legs, other darters have pale stripes in the legs, it also has a much more pinched abdomen that the Common Darter.

Leaving the pond we had a pit stop at the Visitor centre.  A Holly Blue was showing very well on the ice plant in the garden.

It has been an excellent summer for this butterfly with many being seen around the hedgerows and gardens.

The water levels on the south scrape had risen once again and the mud that had been around earlier in the week was now almost covered by water.  Once again there were very few birds in front of the hide.  We could see Avocet and Black-tailed Godwits and there was still a Common Tern chick on one of the platforms, the adults keeping a watch out  as the Lesser Black-backed gulls patrolled.

Common Sandpiper, two Green Sandpiper and a Little Ringed Plover were going back and forth on the causeway.  Once again a distant record shot of one of the Green Sandpipers.

Also present were two Snipe and a Redshank, not the sort of return you would hope for at this time of year.

Throughout the week a Bittern has showed very well in front of the Spurgin Hide and occasionally the Suffern Hide on the west side.  It seems to prefer showing late afternoon, so we left it until around 15.00 before walking to the Spurgin Hide, which as I found out on Tuesday is mind numbing viewing if the Bittern doesn't show.

The hide was packed with people hoping for a glimpse, I managed to get a seat and settled in for the next hour until the hide would be closed.  Needless to say the Bittern didn't show, but there was a little more action about.  A female/immature Marsh Harrier put in an appearance.

But it didn't flush out the Bittern.

The appearance of a Grey Heron was not encouraging either, apparently they have been picking on the Bittern.

So at 16:00 the hide was closed and the occupants all wandered back along the path and out of the reserve.  Maybe another time