5th October - Titchfield Haven, Hampshire

It was back to Titchfield Haven, this time I decided to park at Bridge Street car park and walk the Canal Path to the reserve, and then walking back later.  Leaving the car park there were Chiffchaff calls all along the canal, mostly coming from the willows.  I waited at a patch of sunlight and one showed very well.

I scanned the trees behind the canal and noticed a patch of white.  Photographing the patch and zooming in you can make out the wing and legs and talons of the Barn Owl.

As I approached Posbrook Floods I could see egrets and as I got closer I was able to identify them as Great Egrets, two were at the back of the floods, with two Little Egrets, one Great Egret flew into the deeper reeds and out of sight, but one showed well.

It was preening and several feathers flew off as it addressed it's breast.

Walking sedately through the reeds.

I zoomed out for this one to get the colours of the reeds around the egret.

A little further along I could hear the mewing calls of a Buzzard, scanning across I found it on a branch of a tree in the middle of the marsh.  With the light it was silhouetted producing a lovely scene.

Panning out to include the tree

Clouds were building and there was a risk of rain around the area.

For the rest of the walk it was more Chiffchaffs, a few Jays and in the fields around Hammonds Bridge a good number of Pied Wagtails.

I walked around the chalets and then down on to the beach.  A Common Gull was out on the mud.  Always a nice gull to photograph

Offshore what I thought was a buoy turned out to be a Grey Seal spy hopping.  Here tghe front of the seal.

Then the head looking at us to confirm a Grey Seal, the slopping forehead clearly visible.

I walked to the visitor centre, stopping at the bridge, not expecting to see a Kingfisher and flushed one from the perch!

I came back to the west side and went to the Meon Shore Hide.  The scene from the hide was not dissimilar to that from the last visits with most of the birds away to the north side.

A Water Rail call from the left side of the hide alerted the hide to a possible sighting and soon after one appeared.

It made its way through the cut reeds.

Then sped across in front or the hide to the reeds on the right hand side.

There were the usual waders on the scrape, Redshank, Lapwing, Black-tailed Godwits, Snipe and a good count of 26 Avocet, but the best wader was a Green Sandpiper that predictably could be seen on the far causeway of the south scrape.

The clouds started to thin out and we were treated to some autumn sunshine, the blue sky reflecting in the waters of the scrape.

As always there was a Lapwing around the small island in front of the hide and it was reflecting nicely in the blue still water.

Another feature of the Lapwing is that they continually spook themselves and take off at the slightest thing, sometimes the other birds join them, today the Avocet decided to go and they also took some Black-tailed Godwits with them.

The Avocet though soon returned to the scrape.

A Marsh Harrier appeared, dropping down behind the reeds at the back of the scrape, interestingly this did not spook the birds on scrape.  There was also a Sparrowhawk sat on the fence and this dropped on to the ground and wasn't seen again.

There were good numbers of Shoveler over the scrape, all in various stages of the ir moult, some nearly there while others had a way to go.  The were a little restless and would take off and fly around calling with their guttural croaks.

This drake showing off its colour in the wings.

But it was back to the Lapwing, Godwits and Avocet as they all went up once again.

The Avocet looking stunning against the pale background.

A couple of Black-tailed Godwits just about to pass over the roof of the hide.

All the letters have been removed from the islands around the scrape, the reason being cited is it makes things look more natural for photographers?  The islands today were constantly covered with Starling and every so often they would fly in and bathe on the edge of the island, this makes for an interesting spectacle as their ablutions send water everywhere.

Then they all take of in a whirr of wings.

A move to the other side of the island and much the same happens.

It was time to move so I left and headed back along the Canal Path to the car park at Bridge Street.  There were still quite a few calling Chiffchaffs and a group of 5 Mistle Thrush just past Hammonds Bridge was interesting, the first time I have had Mistle Thrush along the canal path.

About half way I came across this Kestrel hunting in the field.

A black and white study, mainly due to the colour distortion when trying to lighten the original.

The Red Admiral movement continued through the day and they were never seen stopping, however this Peacock settled on the path in front of me, quite stunning.

At Posbrook Floods the two Great Egret were still there.  I walked down the side path to see if I could get a better view but it wasn't possible.  Back on the tarmac path one of the Great Egrets flew to the north west corner of the floods and close by I could see at least two Little Egrets in the reeds.  I watched a Crow fly over as the egrets were wading through the reeds, then there was a mighty commotion and a black bird flew out of the reeds with a fish and the Little Egrets going mad.  On closer examination I realised that the black bird was in fact a Glossy Ibis.

While the Little Egrets kicked off, the great Egret just seemed to watch!

It struck me then how we have become so accepting of these wading birds now, only a few years ago to see these three species together would be a major event.

Leaving the Floods I made my way to the car.  A check of the owl tree revealed nothing.  On the journey home I nearly hit a Red Kite as it dropped to take road kill from the tarmac in front of my car.