Martin Down is not normally a location that we visit in the winter (I know it's technically spring, but its early March), but Ian had some luck while I was away with a Hen Harrier and several Short-eared Owl, so we were here to chance our luck and also pick up a few specialist year ticks.
On the way I had seen a Red-legged Partridge, I was hoping for the other partridge today. Turning on to Sillens Lane I thought I was driving up a stream bed, water was pouring off the surrounding fields and found the tarmac as a suitable water course. I don't recall ever seeing it like this here before. The spring weather I had been enjoying since we came home was now gone, it was dull, overcast with the threat of rain.
Getting out of the car a Yellowhammer was singing in a bush close by.
\thermal cameras were essential today, much of what we were looking for and we walked down the main path and scanned the hill in front of us. There was a heat source on the side of the hill, we were quite excited it was what we were hoping for. This record shot gives some idea what we were looking at with a normal camera.
The heat source was in the centre of the photograph, but turned out to be a Brown Hare.
We reached Bokerly Ditch where there was a Corn Bunting singing, but little else.
We walked along the ditch, with little about. A Raven flew over, but very little else. The grass was very short and it seemed strange to be here with no flowers. Another Corn Bunting showed a little better in the gloom.
Skylark were singing above us and there were also several in the small bushes and on the anthills.
Just before the Jubilee footpath that leads alongside a copse we searched an area of grassland. This was where Ian had the owls when he was last here. We very quickly found another heat source, but again this turned out to be a Brown Hare. We walked around the whole area without any luck at all.
We then walked the footpath where the only thing we saw of interest was a Roe Deer. Another heat source in the copse had us guessing once again, but it turned out to be a female pheasant, probably on the nest. There was no sign of any Brown Hares.
Coming off the Jubilee Path there was another Corn Bunting in the middle of a bush.
We made our way to the old ranges, flushing two Grey Partridge on the way. As we walked past the largest range another pair of Grey Partridge flushed from the scrub, but did not fly too far. We walked into the area where they seemed to have landed. There was no sign of the partridge and we turned our attention to a Skylark, then from next to us the pair flew up once again. We followed there flight and made our way there and once again they flushed.
Completely frustrated, we decided to check the ditch once again, but with the same results. The gloom had not lifted all morning so we decided to cut our losses and head back to the cars for lunch. As we walked back it started to rain and almost at the same time a Red Kite took off from alongside the path and soared around above us.
Back in the car park, another Corn Bunting singing.
Ian still needed Siskin for the year so we decided to visit Blashford Lakes, surely Siskin was guaranteed in the Woodland Hide. For once the hide was empty and we sat by the window. It was unusually quiet with very few birds about, but slowly they started to appear. A long-tailed Tit.
And then what Ian was hoping for, a male Siskin.
From the Ivy Lake South there was very little close to the hide, all the wildfowl were on the far side of the lake aside from this single drake Tufted Duck.
Then for some reason all the Wigeon flew across the lake.
We tried the north hide, but there was nothing and then walked to the Tern Hide on the other side. Two Red Kite were above us and on the Road Kill table were two Raven and a very dead Roe Deer. That was the end of what was a rather disappointing day.
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