2nd December - Southsea Castle and Farlington Marshes, Hampshire

Forecasts for Saturday through the week were promising cold, but with wall to wall sunshine.  Well it was half right, the cold continued with it well below zero but the wall to wall sunshine was replaced by freezing fog.  It wasn't a pea souper, but it was enough to be annoying, and definitely worse than the promised sunshine.  I met Ian at Southsea Castle, fortunately I had taken away the pressure of trying to find Purple Sandpiper yesterday, but the main target was a striking Black Redstart that has been present for quite a while now.

The sea front and promenade around the castle is basically a construction site, the promenade and sea defences are being improved and what was a sloping sea wall ahs now been replaced with a lot of huge rocks, making the area look much like the groynes at Barton yesterday.  It means that there are lots of places for Purple Sandpiper to hide at low tide.  The project has taken into account the fact that the sandpipers over winter here, and part of the work has included forty tidal pools, but this morning there was no sign of any.

It was very misty and there was the constant sound of a fog horn from Portsmouth Harbour.  The only thing of interest on the sea was a passing Shag.  It was bitterly cold and the standing around waiting for the Black Redstart to show was turning my feet cold, we walked about to warm up a bit and as we reached the west end of the castle we realised that we were being watched.

It wasn't bothered by us or any of the dogs that were walked past.  Eventually it turned away and jumped up onto the new sea wall, where it continued to watch us.

The big thick brush and strong forehead suggested a male.  The coat looked very thick, essential I would say on this cold morning.

Change of position.

Not bothered with us anymore.

It then jumped down onto what there was of the beach and out of sight.  We realised then that we had attracted the attention of the Crows that hang around the castle too.

A nice portrait, the crows are quite happy for a close approach.

We returned to the main area to the east of the castle and the fox showed again, this time on the rocks where we would expect to find the Sandpipers at high tide, and yes it was a male.

Then I found, or saw the male Black Redstart, it was sitting on some of the construction work and despite the dull conditions it was possible to get some acceptable shots

From the wall, it dropped down into the grass and appeared to be looking at the cracks in the wall and the over hang, it then jumped up and hung on the wall, no doubt picking off any insects and spiders that were sheltering from the cold.

In doing so it showed off the white in the wings and the bright red tail, contrasting against the grey black plumage.

It patrolled the area around the wall and the building site, staying close to the walls and searching any crevice, then disappeared.  As we walked around once again we re-found it up close to where we could stand behind the "Praise You" sign amongst the benches.  It would not stay in one place very long, flitting around as we followed it.  I managed this one at ground level.

Then one on the back of a bench.

And then on the temporary fencing that seem to appear with lots of Black Redstart photographs.

The male black Redstart is a beautiful bird.

It then flew off and gave us the run around once more, never showing as well though.  Time was up on the car park so we decided to head off to Hayling Island, with hope that the fog would lift.  As we crossed the bridge onto the island there was a sign of the sun and it appeared to brighten up.  But on walking out to Sandy Point it became very thick once again and we could see nothing on the sea.

The only bird of note, or rather the only bird was a Sandwich Tern that flew past and then came back a little later.

We gave it our best but soon realised we were wasting our time.  As we walked back the sun made an appearance once again.

We decided to go to Farlington, where we hoped at least we could see some birds, but as we came off Hayling the skies cleared and arriving at Farlington it was clear, there was a window, with the cloud still over the far south of Hayling and to the north on the hills of Portsdown.

The tide was almost at its height but there were some patches of land that waders were still able to use to roost.  This Grey Plover one of them.

With the very calm conditions it was ideal for the Bearded Tits and as we reached the Lake we heard the familiar "pings".  We could see the reeds moving and every so often get a glimpse of one, but they never showed well enough for clear photographs.  It was a case of waiting to see what happens and eventually the views came along.

We thought there were at least two males and we concentrated on following them, while never providing a clear view being seen amongst the reed seed heads added to the scene.

In the end a very successful outcome.

They then dropped out of sight in amongst the seed heads at the back of the reeds.  Sometimes while feeding they would drop with their weight, pulling the reed and bird down and out of sight.

We moved on, Ian was desperate for some Short-eared Owl action and who was I to deny him, I haven't been to Farlington for over a month so I was more than happy.  As we reached Point Field we did not expect to see them straight away, but there they were sitting in the bramble enjoying the afternoon sunshine.  It wasn't clear if they were sitting on a raised ant hill or on a branch.

As you can see there are two birds, but they look very different, the bird on the left much darker than that on the right.  Here is a good reason as why the HIWT has posted notices asking people to not walk through the field,, there have been many reports of photographers trying to flush the birds.

The darker bird was the first to leave the roost, flying up and over the bramble and into the field beyond.  The lighter bird looked around, stretched and then took off and joined it.  We could see owls flying around the Deeps and were willing them to return, which the darker on did, coming back to Point Field.

It choose to fly around the bramble at the back of the field making it quite distant.  It then disappeared again and while waiting for either to return we were entertained by a Kestrel hunting over Point Field.

Dropping to almost eye level.

The owl soon returned, the darker one again and this time put on a show.

The afternoon sun golden on the owls plumage.

It flew around the field, twisting and turning and every so often dropping into the grass, sitting there for a while, looking around and then returning to the air to fly around again.

The round facial disc pointed to the ground as it listens for any movement of possible prey.

Settled on one of the posts in Point Field that lay out the pathway that has now been closed.

Coming in over the sea wall.

We had another break as the owl disappeared once again, looking around the fog was beginning to drift in once more, being seen over Portsmouth and the hills.

The owl was back again and beginning to hunt the area in front of us, we had debated moving around to the west side of the field, but were glad we had stayed where we were.

A different view, from behind, again the head looking down.

You can see the talons tucked in and curled ready when needed

The attack was not successful so it was back to the search.

Here you can see the gorgeous dark colour of the plumage in the winter sunshine.

A sense of the size of the wings that allows the owl to fly at such slow speeds and to hang in the air while searching.

The yellow eyes that give it it's Latin name.

More gorgeous sunlight.

A brief rest on another post.

Back on the hunt.

Twisting and turning and the dive, that was again unsuccessful.

Our closest fly past.

The light was coming and going and we knew that we would not have sufficient to be able to get acceptable photographs.  So this was an amazing finish from the dark bird, which after this disappeared once more.

An almost vertical dive towards the grass.

Eyes fixed on a target or sound, as it drops the legs would come down and the talons out stretched and that would be the end for an unsuspecting vole.  As it was this like many of the other attacks was not successful.

With the fog coming back and the light going we decided to head back, the fog was bringing the cold, something that seemed to have gone while watching the owls.

Walking back along the sea wall we followed this Brown Rat, maybe a little too big for the Short-eared Owl.

Some idea of the scene that was developing across the sea, fog rolling in over Portsmouth.

Teal just off shore.

The sun now almost gone.

Passing The Lake there was still time and some light for a male Bearded Tit to put in a final appearance.

A day that started with some hope and then saw it dashed with the lingering fog, turned out to be a successful day in the end, a great show at Farlington from it's specialists, the Bearded Tits and of course the Short-eared Owls once again.