20th July - Titchfield Haven NNR, Hampshire

Two things resolved today, the first meeting up with Ian after several weeks when we were doing other things, the second being able to get into the Meon Shore Hide at Titchfield, open for the weekend while they continue with the various bridge repairs on the west side, that has closed that side since the start of the month.

I met up with Ian at Cliff Road, where I had some time watching the sea as the tide rose.  Common Terns zipped back and forth and could be seen offshore.  This Sandwich Tern called as it flew past.

Then heard, before being seen, a flock of five Oystercatchers, probably a family group, flew past heading west.

We made our way around to the visitor centre to check in, but stopped to watch the red head Goosander that has been around the harbour for several weeks.  In the week I photographed it preening, showing the lack of flight feathers as it goes through a moult.  It was associating with Mallard in a similar state.

A yawn or just a stretch, it opened its bill and showed off well the serrations on the bill, used to catch and hold the fish it feeds on and what gives it a family name along with mergansers of "saw bill".

From the small bit of shingle it swam off with the Mallard.

Then it swam to the mud below the road along with the Mallard.

Although not seen by us, it was reportedly taking bread along with the Mallard!

An opportunity to get a nice portrait.

Entering the west side a Gatekeeper showed well on the reeds.

And so to the Meon Shore Hide, where we witnessed a similar event o that I had seen the last time I was here.  A Lesser Black-backed Gull came over the scrape, not all the gulls went up, but the Lesser Black-backed seemed to know exactly what it was after, it dropped low between the first islands and then in a flash snatched a Black-headed Gull chick from one of the small wooden platforms.  Probably the last Black-headed Gull chick of the year, gone despite the chase given by its parents.

It didn't get to me at the time, but it did when I reviewed the photographs, nature is cruel and kind at the same time.

There were three Common Sandpipers on the scrape, all quite distant, but after the commotion caused by the Lesser Black-backed Gull, one appeared on the island in front of the hide.

It would appear there was a good movement of Common Sandpipers, with large counts around the county.  When we left the three had become four.

Whilst the Avocets had a significant breeding failure on the reserve, there was a high count on the south scrape of 98 birds, a mixture of adults and juveniles.  Some were close to the hide and as ever they were photogenic.

And of course I had to convert to black and white images.

An finally a colour image next to the vegetation.

There were juvenile Mediterranean Gulls on the islands amongst the juvenile Black-headed Gulls on the islands, while above there was  the mewing of adults.

And a very smart looking juvenile Mediterranean Gull on the island in front of the hide.

There had been a Green Sandpiper in front of the hide before we arrived but had flown off.  Ian found it though, but of cause on the causeway at the back of the scrape.

The view from the hide, a dreary day but quite humid.

As well as the large number of Avocet there were good numbers of Black-tailed Godwits most of them in summer plumage still and you could hear their chatter as one got too close to another while feeding.  

They were coming closer to the hide but finding it hard to get through the mud, having to flap their wings as they started to sink in the mud.

The Lesser Black-backed Gull was still patrolling but never made another attempt to take anything.

A Common Tern close to the hide.

The scrape went up with no sign of the reason, we couldn't see any predators that might have caused it.  At the time the only birds that didn't go were the godwits, but they would look alert.  They all went up again and again the godwits stayed, but they had the expression of should we be concerned, should we go up?

Other bits and pieces around the hide.  Common Tern with a large fish.

Redshank dropping in.

An Adult Sandwich Tern dropping in to one of the islands.

The Mediterranean Gulls were still around, the adults looking splendid in the all white plumage, but some losing that dark black hood.

But others still hanging on to it.

And an angelic landing admired by another gull.

The Black-tailed Godwits, settled at last.

It was lunch time so back to the car for something to eat, then back to the east side where we had been told there was a Broad-leaved Helleborine in flower.  We had seen several this summer, but none of them were in flower.  However the problem was that to protect the flower it had a wire fence around it!  We did manage to get some images of quite a spectacular flower.

We walked to the Knights Bank Hide.  A Spoonbill had been reported on the Frying Pan.  We expected a sleeping Spoonbill, but it was quite active, if not a little distant.

So quite an interesting morning with the usual July birds.  Great to be in the Meon Shore Hide though if only for this weekend, hopefully the work will be completed quickly as we go into August wader time.