25th November - Lower Test Marshes and Redbridge Wharf, Hampshire

I had agreed to meet Ian at about 30 minutes before sun rise, and when I got to the car I was pleased that I had bothered to cover the windscreen up.  The first real frost of the winter saw the temperature drop to minus 4.5 centigrade.  Clear skies and frost on the surrounding trees and grass accompanied me as I drove to meet Ian at Lower Test Marshes.  Not a site we visit very often, in fact the last time was way back in January and we intended to follow the same route as then, crossing the marshes and heading to Redbridge Wharf.

Ian's reasoning for the early start was to take the opportunity to get some sun rise photographs around the industrial scenes close to the marshes.  Lower Test Marshes sit close to the Southampton Container Port and also is criss-crossed with many power lines and huge pylons towering over it.

Before we reached the marsh we past one of the streams that flow through the marsh, all part of the River Test that heads to Southampton Water.  The air and surround grassland was cold, below freezing, while the water was relatively warm.  This resulted in a mist hanging over the water.

The was still below the horizon and was turning the morning sky a lovely orange which produced the first industrial scene.

There had been quite a cold hoar frost with much of the grass on the marsh covered in frost.

And the boardwalk.

Patterns created by the pylons and backed up with the orange morning sky.

Combining the natural setting of the marsh and the man made additions to the landscape.

Emerging over the top of the reed bed the dock cranes at Southampton Container Port.

It is a large reed bed on these marshes and it was no surprise to see an early morning Marsh Harrier patrolling the reeds.

The calmness of the various stretches of open water.  Wigeon were disturbed from the bank while Cetti's Warblers were quite busy working their way through the grass and reeds.

We had to leave the marsh and follow the road to get to Redbridge Wharf, this involved crossing the railway at the station and then along the path to an open area park that lies alongside the Test.  As mentioned the last visit was in January for an Iceland Gull.  Today we were here for the divers.  Over the week there had been reports of Great Northern and then the previous day a report of Black-throated Diver.  I had seen the Black-throated Diver on Thursday, but here was an opportunity to photograph both in sunshine, and Ian had not seen Black-throated this year.

Coming around the park to the wharf the Great Northern was out in the middle of the channel.  Fortunately the tide was high and the water very still.

You immediately saw the difference with the Black-throated Diver I had seen on Thursday, the Great Northern a much more heavier stockier bird, with the large head with a steep forehead and large bill, the lower mandible curved.

Not something I had considered, I assumed the diver's feet were lobed like the Great Crested Grebe, but they are in fact webbed.  For some reason it decided to wave it's feet around and showed them off well.

With the still water the reflections from the surrounding trees and buildings provided some different coloured water.

The Black-throated had been around earlier but had appeared to disappear.  It was last seen in the north east corner and we walked over and met up with others.  It then did what these birds do well, it appeared from nowhere and quite close too.

I had described the differences with Great Northern in my post on the Itchen bird, but here was an opportunity to directly compare the two birds.  Here you can see the more rounded head, the bill held horizontally and the white flank patch.

There has been debate over the age of the birds, initially the Itchen bird was considered an adult with the feathers on the upper parts being almost plain.  With this birds there is more scaling produced by the pale fringes to the feathers.

The head held erect as if in alarm, usually they rest back snake like.

A good profile of the head, bill and forehead.

Both divers took a circular route around the area and as the Black-throated swam away, the Great Northern appeared closer once again, this time pausing to preen and waterproof the feathers, here rubbing the head feathers on the oil gland.

And if you wait you will get the wing flap!

The Great Northern is described as appearing more messier lacking the Black-throated's smart contrasts.  Here you can see the darker half collar on the neck and the blurring of the throat and breast.

The Black-throated returned.  Here you can see the clear lines between the neck and throat.

Alongside each other, the Black-throated Diver, not the white neck.

In this light the throat doesn't look so clean, but this is a Black-throated Diver

The Black-throated then disappeared, they can spend awhile under water and also travel some distances.  As we left we heard that it had been picked up down water close to the container port.

Aside from a few breaks to preen the Great Northern was constantly diving and feasting on small crabs.

It would thrash tem around breaking off the claws and feet before swallowing them.

The smoothness of a dive.

The head looking brown in this light.

Another Great Northern was picked up down water, and maybe it cam closer, this bird seemed to look different but it wasn't clear.

Finally it was a time to rest and digest all those crabs.

We had been with the divers for over four hours and stomachs were rumbling and we had still to walk back to the cars.  Reports of an almost summer plumaged bird seen at Hill Head were also a possibility so we set off back across the marshes.

Crossing the Red Bridge it was a lovely scene looking north across the marshes.

Feeding along the edges of the pools close to the path were at least three Common Sandpiper.

And there were plenty of Wigeon scatted across the marsh.

A group of twelve Little Egret and a Little Grebe was the highlight of the walk back.  A very successful morning with some great shots of birds that are normally a distant speck on the sea.

More was yet to come though.