Another cold, but beautifully sunny morning and there was a male Blackcap on the feeders in the garden a nice year tick. I was though off to Titchfield once again. The tide was rising and there was a slight breeze over the sea. Unlike the last time I was here the sea appeared empty, despite the relatively calm conditions there was no sign of the large rafts of Great Crested Grebes in the Solent. I walked to the visitor centre to check in, then made my way around to the Sailing Club to see if the reported Black-necked Grebe was about. I couldn't find it, but felt that it would still be about, so decided to go onto the reserve.
The high water levels of the past weeks were dropping, but the view from the Meon Shore Hide was still one of mainly water, the islands only barely showing. With the tide rising the Oystercatchers that would normally use the islands on the scrape were roosting on the left hand bank.
I walked to all three hides on the west side, with pretty much the same outcome, no birds of interest. The highlight being a Buzzard from the Spurgin Hide.
I decided to leave the reserve and walk back to the sailing club to look for the grebe once again. Coming out of the reserve a birder was watching a White-tailed Eagle distantly over Fawley. I was allowed to look through the scope at a speck being mobbed by an even smaller speck. The high tide had the Turnstones searching for a dry place to roose, the groynes in the harbour being a good spot.
And they would line up in an orderly fashion, their orange boots all smart and shiny.
The Black-necked Grebe eventually appeared but a long way off shore.
The grebe drifted from east to west and back, but never came in close. I decided to walk back to the car to get my lunch, stopping to check the high tide roost behind the harbour. There were good numbers of Ringed Plover, including the colour ringed birds.
The groynes providing shelter from the cold north easterly wind.
Amongst the Ringed plover a few Sanderling taking in the sunshine.
A single Dunlin in amongst them.
A nice Ringed Plover hunkered down in the shingle.
Walking back to the car a Sandwich Tern flew past me, and on what beach was still exposed a single Sanderling was running up and down the beach.
Back at the Sailing Club the Black-necked Grebe was a little closer, just. Once again we waited and waited but it stayed pretty much at the same distant.
While I waited the chalets looked smart in the sunshine, the colours reflecting in the water.
I decided to walk back to the beach and when I got there a scan back to the Sailing Club revealed the grebe had now come closer, so I ran, yes, ran back to the Sailing Club.
The grebe was closer and as I arrived delivered a wing flap.
The classic upturned bill, white neck and red eye clearly viewable.
It was actively preening, ensuring the feathers were in tip top condition.
Bathing actively in the water.
It continued to drift on the water, preening and looking around.
It continued to drift away once again, the assumption being that maybe the number of people on the sea wall was keeping it away.
The Black-necked Grebe rescued a day that was very quiet,.
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