A little bit of information o this blog, since the last post I have now exceeded two hundred thousand views, which is quite amazing, so thank you to all those that take the time to read about my exploits and to see my photography.
My last local outing for a while, and I decided to head down to Titchfield for some specialties that were reported over the weekend. After the storm on Sunday night the morning was sunny, but with a freshening breeze, but mild compared to the conditions we had last week. I was intending to start at the Bridge Street car park, but as I turned into Titchfield village a report came in of a Bittern at Hill Head., For me the Bittern trumped all, so I carried on to Posbrook Lane and down to the sea front at Hill Head.
Quickly tooling up I left the car on the sea wall and ran to the bridge by the harbour. The Bittern had been seen dropping into the reeds that jut out alongside the Titchfield Haven sign, but initially I was looking in the wrong place. The water levels were high once again and it was amazing how the bird was managing to stay in the reeds. It was a case of stand around and wait to see if it either showed or flew again from the reeds.
The reed bed looked wonderful in the morning sunshine and it was possible to see across to the South Scrape where a single adult Spoonbill was asleep. A female Marsh Harrier appeared quartering the reeds, the hope was that maybe it would flush the Bittern, but it didn't manage to come close to where it was.
Birders would come and go and some of the public would ask what we were looking at, which to be truthful was the reeds as nothing was happening. The tide was dropping in the harbour and a single Sanderling had joined the Turnstone milling around the mud below the path. This presented a different view for a change and the Sanderling contrasting with black of the bladder wrack exposed by the falling water.
The light enhancing the silver grey plumage.
It seemed to be wanting to settle down amongst the turnstone.
I also had the opportunity to get in close for a couple of nice portraits.
When somebody came to feed the Turnstones, chaos reigned with the Turnstone and the Black-headed Gulls looking to feed on the scraps thrown, the Sanderling disappeared, leaving a lone Dunlin amongst the Turnstone.
Back at the bridge the vigil continued, then at 11.00 am the Bitterns suddenly appeared and flew across the water, seemingly struggling in the wind and then it dived into the reeds on the far side and out of sight. Some saw it like me, I didn't reach for the camera as it seemed pointless but Mark Francis did and managed this shot as the Bittern crossed the water.
What could have proved a difficult year tick in 2024 was now in the bag, and a Hampshire one at that. We waited a little more but there was no more movement and it now had the opportunity to go anywhere along the reeds as there was dry land. So it was back to Bridge Street and the original plan.
I had a lift to the car park and we crossed the road north of the car park and waded along the footpath, the canal once more having burst its bank. There were two sightings wanted here, a Water Pipit and a Siberian Chiffchaff. The Chiffchaff had been hanging out with several Common Chiffchaff, so it was a case of searching and listening out for anything in the willows along the bank.
Initially we couldn't find the Water Pipit or the Sibe Chiffchaff, but this Grey Wagtail was a welcome year tick out on the flooded field.
I then found the Water Pipit walking around the edge of the larger flooded area. The light was that brilliant and the pipit quite distant.
It was though good enough to make out the greyish head and brown back, while the belly appears almost streak less compared to the Rock Pipit and Meadow Pipit.
We searched the trees but there wasn't even any calls to alert you to common Chiffchaff. I wanted to go to Posbrook Floods for the drake Ferruginous Duck, so set of back through the churchyard and to the flooded path. As we did so the three Glossy Ibis flew in and began to forage around the flooded field, coming quite close to the path.
The light was perfect, standing out all the colours in the plumage.
How the colours vary, the Ibis at the back showing the russet brown with the pink and green tinges, while the closer Ibis just appears dark.
All three birds are still in their winter plumage, with the streaks on the head.
Not sure what it has found here, looks a bit like a large Leatherjacket.
The call then came in that the Chiffchaff had been seen along with a group of Common Chiffchaff, so we headed back to the churchyard.
When we arrived it wasn't immediately showing, but there was a very tame Goldcrest that would come very close as it looked for food along the brick wall.
After searching through several Common Chiffchaffs the Siberian was found. It was a very striking bird, appearing paler and greyer than the accompanying collybita.
Chiffchaffs show a reduction in the yellow and olive colouration towards the east of their range. The Siberian race is know as "collybita tristis" and is seen as a subspecies of the nominate Phylloscopus collybita. The Siberian Chiffchaff is virtually devoid of yellow and green and appears grey and pale in comparison with the nominate.
The underparts appear almost a white, maybe a dirty white, it can show a yellowish tinge at the bend of the wing and narrow green fringes to the tertials, secondaries and primaries and tail feathers all of which can be seen quite clearly here.
There is a lot of debate still about what constitutes an acceptable Siberian Chiffchaff, the western form is sometimes treated as a separate race, but there is considerable overlap and the arguments are on going about how the various sub species can be separated and as such they remain a subspecies of the nominate. Either way it is an extremely striking bird and one worth making the effort to see.
The last we saw of the Sibe was it flying across the field with Common Chiffchaffs to the trees on the other side. The Water Pipit though was showing well and the light was much better.
You rarely get a close encounter with a Water Pipit, they being a lot more timid than the Rock or Meadow Pipit, any disturbance sees them fly up and rise high into the air and look to drop down into similar habitat further away.
The Water Pipit appears smarter and more contrasting than the Rock, browner above and whiter below, the white supercilium stands out, the wing bars, tertial fringes and the outer tail feathers appear much whiter than in the Rock Pipit.
They acquire a distinct summer plumage, the moult starting in late February and becoming almost wagtail like with a pale blue grey head and a beautiful pale pink flush to the breast. Lets hope this one sticks around as I would like to see that transformation.
With the Chiffchaff gone for a while we decided to try and get to Posbrook once again. But once again the Glossy Ibis demanded attention along side the flooded path.
Posbrook was still very flooded and there was a good selection of ducks, Wigeon, Teal, Shoveler and Gadwall, while in the deeper water Pintail. Also out in the deep areas were four Pochard, quite a rarity here now. Tufted Duck were diving amongst the vegetation and it was with them we finally located the Ferruginous Duck.
A smaller duck than the accompanying Tufted Duck, it has quite a steep forehead and a central pronounce peak to the crown.
It shows a beautiful reddish-chestnut tone in all plumages, the reason for the name Ferruginous which means of a rusty colour. What is distinctive is the white undertail patch that is just visible in this shot. It was difficult to see as the bird was sitting low in the water and diving.
Another conspicuous feature is the strikingly white eye, while the bill is a blue-grey colour.
It stayed in the vegetation, diving frequently, but eventually came into an open patch and showed all those feature well.
This was my first in the county, I was never able to catch up with the long staying duck at Kingfisher Lake, Blashford, mainly because I couldn't get a step ladder there!
From Posbrook, I had a lift back to my car, but before I left I couldn't resist the Sanderling feeding on the exposed beach and tide line.
The red shell stands out.
And so that was the end of a successful day, a few year ticks a new bird, albeit a sub species and a first for Hampshire. Now for another adventure.
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