12th January - Hill Head, Hampshire

There was a report of a Black-throated Diver at Hill Head in the morning, but while I needed a Black-throat to complete the diver set for the year I had made other plans for the morning so really couldn't go.  However when the diver was reported again at lunchtime I decided to go.  It was dull, overcast and very cold, not ideal conditions but I had taken endless photographs of the Black-throated Diver at the end of last year, this was all about seeing the bird in 2024. 

I pulled up at the sea wall just after one and there were several birders about, as I got out of the car the diver appeared quite close in, so I rushed to get the camera and binoculars out of the car.  It surfaced again, this time even closer.

A high peaked forehead could indicate Great Northern, but the distinctive white patch on the flank and the slight shape of the bill confirm this as a Black-throated Diver.

It dived, lifting the body out of the water.

Going a fair distance west under water, coming up close to where the Rainbow Bar would be when the tide falls.

It slowly made its way towards Brownwich and for a while I followed it, waiting for it to surface.

It was now much further away, but apparently it would go back and forth, so I decided to stay put and scan the sea.  A small group of Common Scoter heading into the bay, another year tick.

Then off shore from the sea wall a Great Northern appeared and drifted past.

Here you can see the more substantial bill of the Great Northern, with the lower mandible much thicker at the base.

And like all good Great Northern do, it caught a crab.

To complete the set a Red-throated Diver was found way out in the middle of the Solent, too far out for the camera though.  Then, it or maybe another was found flying east, again a long way off, but unmistakably a Red-throated as it could be seen swinging the head as it flew.  Here a poor record shot.

The Black-throated was then re-found, it looked like it was off the cliffs at Brownwich.  As we watched it, a Sandwich Tern flew up and down the sea wall, diving to fish in the surf.

Then finally, as the rainbow bar became exposed, the Sanderling arrived to complete four year ticks within the two hours I was there.

The cold was now hurting and it was getting gloomier, so I decided to head home.  This was the first time I have seen all three common divers in a day.