5th December - Titchfield Haven, Fordingbridge and Redbridge Wharf, Hampshire

Overcast, dull and still cold, I decided on visiting Titchfield Haven this morning.  Pulling up on the sea wall the tide was out and the beach visible.  I walked to the visitor centre, but took some time to check the beach behind the harbour, at this time of year there is always the chance, slim, though it may be these days, of finding a Snow Bunting.  I wasn't surprised to see nothing, but offshore there was a large gathering of Brent Geese and a little further out a group of about thirty plus Eider on one of the exposed sand banks.

I decided to check the east side first, a look in the Suffern hide revealed nothing other than a group of Gadwall displaying. Walking on I decided to head straight to the Knight's Bank Hide.

Looking out across the Meadow a Marsh Harrier was perched in a tree at the back of the Frying Pan, it clearly wasn't a day for birds of prey flying high.

Of interest was the fact that the reserve were starting to install a platform on which to put road kill and responsibly source meat with the hope of attracting the Isle of Wight White-tailed Eagles.

It was nice to see a Curlew on the meadow, they used to be here in good numbers but recently disappeared, but with the grass cut it seems they are starting to return, two birds have been around, but this morning I could only find one.

I could hear the calls of Fieldfare and eventually found a few in the tops of the trees on the other side of the valley.

I was beginning to wonder what to do next when my phone went off with a report of Waxwings at Fordingbridge, I didn't hesitate and packed up and headed for the car.  The journey took around 45 minutes.  The Co-Op is on the high street in Fordingbridge, and the car park at the back.  There was a turn for the car park around the corner and as I pulled in we could see a collection of birders looking into the trees.  True to form there was no sign of any Waxwings.

The only tree with berries was a Rowan standing on its own and the number of berries was quite sparse.  Others had walked around the town in search of more berries but without much luck.  We stood around and talked, Red Kite flew over and a Sparrowhawk upset a flock of "waxwing" looking Starlings.  In the trees, excitement was raised when a male Chaffinch appeared and then was joined by Goldfinches and Greenfinches.  Conversations then turned to discussing the validity of the report, was twenty plus too many for Hampshire?  They were probably Redwing!  The fact was though there was no sign of any Waxwing.  After an hour and a half in a car park that was busy with locals we decided to call it a day.

From Fordingbridge we decided to drop into Redbridge Wharf once again to see if the divers were performing, both Great Northern and Black-throated had been reported regularly and there was always hope of turning up a Red-throated Diver.

Rather than walk from The Salmon Leap once again, I chanced the small car park at the station and there was space.  Walking to the wharf the Great Northern was midway in the channel straight ahead.

After a scan around the water, the Black-throated Diver was in the north east corner of the river and quite close to the wharf.

There is something primordial about divers, maybe it is there snake like neck and the way they sit so low in the water that creates the image of a sea monster, but very small.

It was interesting to compare the diving technique of both divers, with a cormorant or shag and between the two species.  Cormorants and specially Shags tend to leap out of the water, showing the tail and feet as they head under water.  The divers are more silky, the Great Northern will slip it's head into the water and the neck and body follow.  The Black-throated, while not leaping does make a movement of the neck, taking the head and neck back as in this photo and then leading with the bill into the water.

The body following.

The Black-throated seemed to prefer the area close to the wharf, it would not be so deep here, plus you never saw the Black-throated bring any catch to the surface and did not appear to be eating crabs like the Great Northern.

Some nice reflections in the still water close to the wharf.

Both divers would also operate a circular fishing regime so that when one was distant the other would be within range.  Here the Great Northern Diver with the more substantial bill with the dark culmen and the bulky, steep forehead.

Preening is essential to these birds, keeping the feather oiled keeps them waterproofed and in many pictures you will see water droplets gathering on the feathers, as sign of how oiled the feathers are.

When they did preen they did this together, coming close for a comparison of the two species, a bit darker here, but enough to show the features.

And after a good preen and oiling there is always the wing flap and complete twist and shake of the body.  The Black-throated Diver.

And the Great Northern Diver.

Then it was back to fishing circling the area and alternating between close and distant.

And at last the Black-throated Diver was seen to bring a fish to the surface, after turning it around in the beak it was finally swallowed.

At times the Great Northern attracted the attention of Black-headed Gulls looking to steal and easy meal.

With the sun falling breaks in the cloud on the horizon would light certain areas of the water which would change the scene for the divers.  Here the Black-throated Diver

Really lucky to be able to get this head on view of the Black-throated Diver.

While concentrating on the divers I was completely taken by surprise when this Harbour or Common Seal swam past so close to the wharf.

It was swimming upstream and after it passed it was lost to view.  They have been seen as far up river as the area around The Salmon Leap, which does not make them popular with the fishermen.

The Great Northern was now in the sunlit water.

Then it was preening time once again, and a coming together with the Black-throat looking to stretch the legs as well!

And of course the obligatory wing flap.  The Great Northern first.

Then the Black-throated Diver.

The Black-throated Diver having the honour of the last photograph again with some lovely reflections in the water.

A strange day with things not working out as hoped, but sort of rescued with some great diver action.  Hopefully these two will still be around in the New Year so that the pressure of year ticking these two species is made a lot easier.