The forecast was for easterly winds, hoping these might go around to south easterly I was meeting Ian at the sea wall at Hill Head. I arrived first just before 7:30, joining to other birders, who disappointingly said there had not been much about. The one highlight though two Bar-tailed Godwits on the beach in front of us.
Two Little Terns were flying around the area feeding, while five Common Terns headed west. Three Whimbrel going west raised hopes of maybe some movement, but it wasn't to be. A reminder of winter were four Brent Geese heading west.
Mediterranean Gulls could be heard overhead, their mewing calls so distinctive.
The two Bar-tailed Godwits had disappeared but returned with a fly past that was chance to use the camera.
Just after 9:00, my phone buzzed in my pocket and a report of a Black Winged Stilt a short distance away at Hook. There was no decision to debate, Ian got in my car as he wasn't driving and we set off immediately. We parked at sub station and made our way down to the beach. A Whitethroat was singing in the bramble and we stopped to photograph.
So occupied with declaring its territory it wasn't bothered as we edged closer.
Very much in full voice.
We walked along the beach towards the scrape, passing the area of gorse that was burnt a few years ago there was a Wheatear amongst the burnt branches.
There were several birders looking across the scrape when we arrived and it did not take long to find the stilt at the back of the pool.
Whilst it remained at the back of the scrape it wasn't easy to photograph, we needed it to come closer. As such while waiting attention turned to a Wheatear on the beach.
And then it was back to the Black-winged Stilt.
I saw my first Black-winged Stilt in Essex back in 1987 and have seen many after that but always on my travels away from the United Kingdom. This was my first once again in the country and my first in the county.
It remained at the back of the pool until it flew to the left hand side to join an impressive number of five Common Sandpipers. From there it finally flew closer.
They are an elegant wader, with long red legs. They are found in a variety of wetlands, from marshes to coastal lagoons.
A vagrant to the United Kingdom, occasionally pairs arrive and breed, the last success in southern England being a pair at Medmerry in West Sussex.
It is considered a rare vagrant in Hampshire with around 30 records since the early sixties.
The males have fully glossy black backs, while females and the younger birds have more of a brown back. This bird showed brown on the back so is probably an immature bird or female.
The Black-headed Gulls were none to pleased when it came to close and would attack, this result in the stilt flying off around the scrape, but returning to the island on the right hand side.
You can appreciate the long red legs in flight as they hang behind the tail.
Now much closer and showing well.
Finally chased off by one of the Avocets.
This time it flew off and dropped down closer to us, but out of sight due to the tall reeds. We had seen enough and decided to go looking for the reported Whinchat on the beach. We didn't find those straight away but there were Sanderling on the water line.
A little further along we found the Wheatear, here a female close in.
There were six Wheatear in the area, with at least two males including this one amongst them.
The Whinchat made a very brief appearance on the fence at the back of the field, but not long enough to photograph, but nice to see one in spring.
We walked on and decided to check the TLC horse field and here there were even more Wheatear. We counted nine with this female quite close in.
Turning to head back to the car a Whimbrel dropped on to one of the flooded pools in the field. Interesting a rather dark individual.
Lunch was taken on the sea wall at Hill Head, mainly in the hope that something was moving. The tide was quite high and there were plenty of sailing boats out on the sea, but no birds. On the beach though there was the small flock of Sanderling and there having been three days since I last saw them I decided to see if the summer plumage had developed any further.
One broke away from the group, and this one was looking very smart as it walked along the tide line towards me.
In full summer plumage the neck and head is mottled a rusty brown a little bit more, maybe this will happen in the next week.
I then decided to lay down on the beach to get right down to eye level.
Maybe it was because I was lying down that the Sanderling came even closer to me.
A shake to show off the beautiful colours in the plumage.
I finally dragged myself away from the Sanderling and walked around to the visitor centre to check in. Outside the Turnstone were gathering on the harbour wall as the tide was high and several of these were in summer plumage.
You can understand why they are called Ruddy Turnstones.
One of the main predators of the gulls on the scrape is the Lesser Black-backed Gull, this one was amongst the Turnstones on the harbour wall.
I walked to the Spurgin Hide. After settling in all the gulls went up and I immediately saw the reason, the male Marsh Harrier gliding over the reeds at the back of the pools. It was chased off but very soon re-appeared, this time much closer to the hide
It circled around a large bush, actively scanning the ground below.
Then hovering above the reeds with the legs dangling.
It then dropped quickly and remained out of sight for about fifteen minutes. It eventually appeared and flew around the area, still quite close to the hide.
The yellow eyes, similar but maybe smaller to those of the Short-eared Owl.
And probably the best was saved for last as it flew past the hide and away to the north.
I checked the Pumfrett hide, but didn't stay long. From the Meon Shore there was a drake Shoveler just below the hide window, snoozing while keeping an eye on me.
A close up of the stunning plumage of the Shoveler.
Leaving the hide a Lesser Whitethroat was singing in the bushes, the song is different to the Whitethroat, more a rattle where the Whitethroat's is more buzzy and scratchy, they are though similar in behaviour skulking around in the bushes, but eventually showed very well for a short while.
As the name suggests the Lesser Whitethroat is small than its cousin the Whitethroat. It sports dark cheeks which contrasts with the white throat and this can give it a "masked" look.
Wintering in Africa, they arrive here in mid April. The return migration takes place in September, but they travel around the eastern Mediterranean and not through Gibraltar like many others.
At the reserve west gate there were several Sedge Warblers singing. This one was in a small bush in the middle of the reed bed, but was visible through the surrounding reeds which meant the focus would come and go.
After the early morning it was quite a successful day, a county tick, which was a quality bird and some great photo opportunities was not something I was expecting at 8:30 this morning.
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