After dropping Helen at the railway station I made my way south down the A3, there had been reports over the last few days of an Osprey in Langstone Harbour, and another Little Gull on the pools at Budds Sewerage Farm.
Getting out of the car in the car park I didn't realise how strong the wind was, and with the tide high the sea was quite choppy. I scanned the islands in the harbour for the Osprey but couldn't see anything.
I decided to walk around to the ponds, viewing them from the mound that hides the sewerage farm from the harbour. There were plenty of Black-headed Gulls on the water, but there was no sign of the Little Gull. I decided to re-check the message regarding the Osprey and saw that it was on Long Island, and this island does not have any trees. I walked to the edge of the mound and scanned once more and picked out a lump on a post and the lump had a white head, the Osprey. This is the best record shot I could get.
Another taken from a different angle.
I went back to the pools to check once more. Again plenty of gulls but not the hoped for Little Gull. There was a Redshank roost at the back of one of the pools.
A Chiffchaff singing either side of me and this Greenfinch on the top of an Elder branch.
On the water, Little Grebes, Shoveler, Teal, Gadwall and several Tufted Duck.
I went back to the sea wall, where it was harder to make out the Osprey, but you could see at the top of the the post the Osprey. On the water were Great Crested Grebes and a pair of Red-breasted Mergansers.
At the outflow there were a lot of gulls in the water and on the beach. A Common Gull was among the Black-headed, probably a third calendar bird still needing to go into the full adult plumage.
I walked back around the pools, hoping, but not successful. I then headed out to the sea wall breach to scan the lagoon. There were five Avocet present and two Greenshank.
Walking back the tide was finally falling and there were Oystercatcher on the shore feeding with Turnstone amongst the sea weed.
I carried on, back to the outflow, Mediterranean Gulls called as they flew overhead, the white plumage looking so special against the blue sky.
With the heavy rain overnight it would seem the outflow was deposited some nasty stuff into the harbour and the gulls were attracted. All five commoner British gulls could be seen, the Black-headed being the majority.
The gulls though that stood out though were the adult Mediterranean Gulls and these were pattering across the water as they dipped to pick out food they wanted in the water.
Before I left, one more Mediterranean Gull against the blue sky.
I decided to visit Alresford Pond before going home. A trip to the watercress beds though proved fruitless with no Green Sandpiper or Water Pipit. With plenty of showers about I then opted to walk down to the viewing area of the Pond. There were Tufted Duck, Teal and Gadwall on the water, but it was in the air where the most interest was. My first Swallow of the year flew through, as di four House Martin a little later ahead of a short sharp shower.
However it was the birds of prey that were of most interest, with Buzzard, Red Kite and Marsh Harrier all showing very well. A Red Kite drifting over, later it was seen interacting with the Marsh Harrier.
The Buzzards stayed high and distant, but the Marsh Harriers put on a show, specially the male.
The male seen here with the female is much smaller as is normally the case with all birds of prey.
The male was putting on a show, flying high then diving and swooping back up, a display known amongst the harriers as "sky dancing".
This agile flying probably helps the female to know whether the potential partner has the ability to transfer prey in flight. The male rolling back and forth and on to it's back as it drops from height.
The male and female together.
A report of Waxwings in Shawford had me driving five miles to try and see them. An hour after the report, I arrived. There was plenty of mistletoe, the berries of which they were supposed to be eating, but there was no sign of any Waxwings.
Walking back to the car I passed two singing Firecrests, this beautiful bird appears to be everywhere these days.
It seemed to be a bad day, but I managed three year ticks and witnessed some great behaviour, can't have been all that bad.
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