9th September - Ranvilles Lane and Titchfield Haven, Hampshire

It had been hot all week and we were fortunate that for once a holiday in the United Kingdom delivered good weather.  Today though was due to be the hottest of the recent heatwave and the hottest day of year, in September, bizarre!  An immature Turtle Dove had been found in the week around the RSPCA Ark buildings along Ranvilles Lane in Stubbington, there was a very good chance it was still present as it had been seen with Collared Doves and Woodpigeons.  So it was that I met Ian by the old Crofton Church at 6:30, when hopefully it would be cool.  As we walked across the scrubby field the sun was rising and already you could feel the heat.

There was little if any movement in the bushes, the sun not yet reaching them, so we walked around the field and then into the lane where the dove has been seen.

Turtle Doves nationally have declined due to farming practice, and shooting in the Mediterranean.  In Hampshire up until a few years ago it was almost a dead cert to see them at Martin Down, but numbers there have dropped off over the last two years and this year I had only heard then.

As we came around the corner we could see a dove on the wires, but this was a Collared Dove.  Ian then found the Turtle Dove on the same wires a little further away.

An immature still has the same slim shape small head of the adult bird, but appears a dull and drabber version, lacking the familiar stripes on the neck.  The views were distant unfortunately and after these were taken it dropped from the wire and into the paddocks behind the trees.

We waited and hoped it would return, but it didn't.  So we decided to walk on and do a circuit around the area taking in Newlands Farm in the hope that the Little Owl was showing.  A Buzzard sat in the middle of a stubble field along with a flock of Black-headed Gulls, in which there were about half a dozen Mediterranean Gulls.

The Little Owl was not showing, probably due to the six Herring Gulls sitting on the roof.  We spent some time watching the bushes and had a good selection of warblers, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Whitethroat, Blackcap and a Garden Warbler.  A Spotted Flycatcher was a fly over.

We stopped a small pond to check the dragonflies.  Along with a few Common Darters were two Migrant Hawkers, one of which posed nicely on one of the Reedmace leaves.

We walked back to the Ark, but there was no sign of the dove.  We were told someone had seen it near the cemetery but our search turned up nothing.  It was now very hot and we decided to move on, however we did stop for a while in the shade of the trees in the Old Cemetery where we had good views of a pair of Goldcrests.

And Ian found a Spotted Flycatcher at the top of one of the tall pines trees.

We felt that the hides at Titchfield would be the coolest option, so drove the short distance to the reserve, the sea wall parking was not busy, a surprise considering the weather, and we checked in at the visitor centre.

Coming out I noticed a group of white blobs in distant trees up the valley, a closer look revealed them to be egrets and most probably Cattle Egrets as Little are not normally seen in larger numbers in trees at this time of day.

We opted for the Meon Shore Hide, looking north there would be a breeze and it would be out of direct sunshine.

The hide was quiet as was the Scrape although there was a Snipe feeding close in front of the hide.

And the first of two Little Ringed Plover seen.

We were talking about the possible sighting of Cattle Egret up the valley, when I noticed a flock of white birds heading towards us.  They could only be the same and we quickly realised that they were Cattle Egrets.  They flew over the river heading out to sea.

There were 12 in total and they appeared to be unsure of where to go circling over the hide a few times before finally heading off towards the east.

So it was back to the waders, unusually some Dunlin present and this one close to the hide.

The Grey Heron was clearly hot panting the throat with bill open.

Once again the Snipe were happy feeding out in the open.

Common Sandpiper are still around, once again this one feeding close to the hide.

A one of two Green Sandpipers came close enough for a record shot.

It seems that the Snipe were more than happy to show and with the shallow water there were some wonderful reflections as this one fed around the island in front of the hide.

A Lapwing then joined in with the reflections.

What colour is a Lapwing?

I picked up a Clouded Yellow as it flew past the hide, but unfortunately did not stop, my 46th butterfly of the year.  Another year tick came with three Whinchat on the perimeter fence.  Here a record shot, please believe me they are Whinchat!

We decided to walk around to the Spurgin Hide and as we left the hide we came across this Small Copper on the daisy like flowers.

Unfortunately this was the highlight of our walk to the Spurgin Hide and back.  It was hot and we decided to call it a day.  It felt like a frustrating day, however when you look back at what we had seen it couldn't be, it was just that the photography opportunities was not that brilliant