19th November - Southsea Castle, Hampshire

A change in the weather, heavy rain overnight and this morning temperatures around three degrees.  I waited for the rain to ease before setting off to Southsea once again.  My efforts last Thursday were not rewarded and decided then that I need to be there on a rising tide.  High tide today was around 13:30, so arriving at 10:00, I had three and a half hours.  Walking to the esplanade it was cold, the coldest I have been this end of the year, maybe all year.  There was a drizzle and it was quite gloomy, not ideal conditions but I was hopeful.

I walked east along the esplanade after joining just west of the castle, scanning the rocks that were already covered with water.  There was still quite a bit of sea weed visible on the rocks though.  I scanned both with a thermal imager and the binoculars, but it was my ears that found the Purple Sandpipers, I heard them call then picked up a group close to the edge of the water.  Yesterday a group of five were reported I was interested to see how many were about today.  The first group I saw was of five birds.

I love the Limpets already bedded down on the new rocks.

The number then increased to nine.

At this time there was some of the sandpipers taking time out.

Then some more calls to my right, west of the castle and a flock of seven more Purple Sandpiper flew in and settled on the rocks.  I wish I had seen where they had come from, but think maybe the rocks where the work is taking place.

I then followed the birds as they gradually moved east in between the rocks stopping to feed on the algae on the rocks and anything in the bladder wrack.

I resisted trying to get closer by walking on to the rocks, they were wet and probably slippery and there are some nasty drops between them.  So I stood on the sea wall and looked down, the sandpipers seemed quite happy with that.

The tide was rising quite fast and at one point I lost all the birds, they must have got into or between the rocks, but I found then a little later further along the rocks heading towards the large rock groyne to the east.

This alert pose was as a result to a dog barking at me, it wasn't happy I was standing on the sea wall.

Settled back down.

When I was here Thursday it was high tide and there wasn't any visible sea weed.  However when it did appear there were no sandpipers.  Today the tide was rising and this was pushing them closer towards me.

Some would move away from the sea, but stuck to the areas were there was sea weed.

Working hard to get something to eat.

The tide was now making feeding hard and the flock would frequently fly out across the water.  I thought that they were flying away, but they did return.

I have not managed to get flight shots before so this was quite nice.

Settling back on the rocks.

Finally they all flew off across the water and towards the large groyne to the east.  It was now drizzling quite hard and was colder.  Other birds had been few and to be honest I wasn't too bothered.  I did see two Shags fly past and there were several Black-headed Gulls.  Around the car park there was a huge gathering of Crows.  It was a shame that the conditions were so gloomy, but it was very nice to finally catch up with the Purple Sandpipers and to know that they were more than happy with their ne winter home.  A flock of sixteen is probably one of the largest reported while the works have been taking place.

18th November - Up Marden, West Sussex

At the weekend there was a report of up to eight Hawfinch in St Michaels church yard in Up Marden a small village in the South Downs between Petersfield and Chichester.  There have been a lot of Hawfinch reports this winter with reports of an influx from the continent.  However the sightings have mostly been of flyover birds with very few hanging around.  The one place in Hampshire where they are well known is Mercer Way in Romsey, but as of yet no reported sightings there.

So, having seen some of the photographs from Up Marden I decided to give it a try today.  It was about a forty minute ride across the border into West Sussex, with a very narrow road as I approached the village.  I found the church, parked and then started to look for the birds.  There was another photographer present, but hadn't seen the Hawfinches so far.

From the photographs it seemed that hey were feeding on Yew berries.  There were plenty of Yew trees about, but I couldn't see any berries on any of them.  I walked around moving from the churchyard to the road, checking the tops of the Ash trees.  A Great Spotted Woodpecker was calling from the Ash trees.

There were plenty of smaller finches about, Chaffinches, Goldfinches and Greenfinches.  All looked big enough at the top of the trees but when you investigated closer, they were not the hoped for Hawfinch.

A Song Thrush put in an appearance, raising the heart beat a little.

There was also a Mistle Thrush around the churchyard and several Redwing flew over.  Walking along the road there was a Goldcrest and Firecrest together in the Yew trees, both calling.

I walked back to the church once again and picked up a bird distantly at the top of an Ash.  Zooming in, at last, I had a Hawfinch if only a little way away.

I then picked up another two flying into the top of a tree that was slightly closer.

I walked back to the tree to try and get better views, but then lost them again.  I waited but nothing showed, so I walked back to the church once more.  A Nuthatch was calling in a Holly Tree and I played some of the "Chit Chit" call to get its attention.

This seemed to get the attention of other birds too, both Blue and Great Tits appeared as did a Marsh Tit, and then from nowhere a Hawfinch flew over my head and settled in a the top of a tree just behind the church.

An added bonus it was a male showing off the lovely black markings around the bill and throat.

Then it was gone.  Whilst I was happy I waited to see if any other s would show.  One did, but again it was distant in the Ash trees once again.

It was starting to rain so I decided to quit and head home.  Whilst I did not get the pictures in the Yew tree aI was more than happy with the ones I did manage to get, some of the best of Hawfinch for sometime

15th November - Titchfield Haven Canal Path, Hill Head and Reserve, Hampshire

Over the last two years there have been, four to start with, but now three, Glossy Ibis calling the area along the Meon as home throughout the winter.  It has been a while since I have seen them, so today I started at Bridge Street, walking across the road and then down the footpath past the stables and immediately I could see the Ibis feeding in the thick vegetation.

I edged closer and then settled in to watch them and of course photograph them.

They seemed to be feeding on earthworms, pushing their curved bills into the soft earth to pull them out.

Unfortunately I didn't have the sunshine to emphasise the colour in the plumage, but there was enough to showcase it.

One was feeding well away from the other two who would happily feed together.

Despite the number of dogs passing by not on leads the Ibis were quite comfortable.

I left the Ibis and headed down the canal path towards Hill Head.  There was a good amount of duck on Posbrook Floods including at least four Pintail.

The tide was high at Hill Head, these Gadwall at the base of reeds, seen from the bridge.

After checking in, I walked around onto the spit to check the high tide roost.  First though a very confiding Pied Wagtail on the groyne.

The roost was present with good numbers of Ringed Plover, I counted 98 in total.  In amongst them were a couple of Dunlin and there was of course the Sanderling, today I counted 63.

A paddle boarder came close and the whole roost was spooked and flew out over the water, but gradually returned.  A Ringed Plover.

Sanderling.

The Ringed Plovers.

A Ringed Plover on the beach.

The Sanderling roost.

Nice flight formation.

Ringed Plover coming back to the beach.

Immature Ringed Plover on the beach.

The colour of the wood on the groyne providing a nice background to the silver grey of the Sanderling.

A watchful Sanderling.

I left the spit and headed into the reserve.  Looking out of the Meon Shore Hide the water on the scrape was very still.

On the right hand side Lapwing standing in the dark water.

I settled in to wait, watch and eat my lunch.  The female Marsh Harrier coming in low over the reeds.

It kept on coming and then turned out over the scrape.

Lovely reflection on this Teal feeding in the shallow water in front of the hide.

Then a familiar whistle and a Kingfisher arrived.  There are plenty of perches in front of the hide, but some are now over mud and the goal posts were occupied by Black-headed Gulls.  After one or two fly arounds it settled on a post in front of the hide.

A female bird,she took some time to look around.

Then off, she flew around again but realised that the available posts were over mud and eventually flew off and out over the reeds.

There had been a Pied Wagtail around and then it was joined by a Grey Wagtail.  From the plumage it was the same bird present a couple of weeks ago and was feeding on the island before being chased off by the Pied Wagtail.

A fox appeared in the north east corner of the scrape, probably the same fox I had seen a few weeks ago.

Shelduck a little wary of the fox behind the reeds.

There are always plenty of Lapwing on the scrape.  They are constantly calling and will also fly around the scrape, either chasing each other or sometimes, for some reason, being chased by Black-headed Gulls.  They are a challenge to photograph, showing off the big broad wings.

Sometimes they chase each other as well.

Everything went up on the scrape and again coming over the reeds was the female Marsh Harrier once more.

The sun was finally out and I decided to walk back up the Canal Path, to hopefully find the Ibis in the afternoon sunshine.  However I picked up three birds over the river heading south and when they turned the curved bills were visible, I wasn't going to get the chance as they dropped down on to the Frying Pan.

A Marsh Harrier was also hunting over the reed bed.

In the open grassland about a halfway along there was a Stonechat on a perch.

Very little else was about, but in the afternoon sunshine there were some nice views around Posbrook.

The footpath past he Floods.

Some nice photography opportunities today despite the overcast conditions.  Interestingly the forecast ids for some wilder and colder weather over the next week, hopefully this will stir things up a bit.