Back from the sunshine and the warmth and back on the A32 heading towards the south coast and Titchfield Haven. It was a cold start after clear skies overnight. It required a hat, coat and gloves when I arrived. A report had come in that the Yellow-browed Warbler seen the day before was still calling in the area of Hammond's Bridge on the canal path. I headed straight there, ignoring the sign that said the path was closed. There was a group of Stonechats fly catching and chasing each other in the bushes at the start of the footpath.
There were plenty of tit flocks along the canal path and I wondered how mobile the Yellow-browed Warbler might be. I reached the area of the the cleared trees and bushes about twenty metres south of the bridge and joined another birder who had seen the warbler and heard it, if only briefly.
There were plenty of Chiffchaffs around and they would show well at the bottom of the Willow Trees close to the canal. But the views wee brief and you had to be quick.
The Yellow-browed Warble showed but was so quick as it flitted amongst the Willow Trees, hovering under the branches. If only the Yellow-browed Warbler showed as well as the Chiffchaffs did.
I stayed for just under two hours getting short glimpses but nothing that allowed me to get the photograph. There would be activity, then the trees would go quiet only for the Chiffchaffs to return after about twenty minutes. The Yellow-browed Warbler though did not seem to associate with the Chiffchaffs. Early on there was also a couple of Willow Warblers amongst the Chiffchaffs and long-tailed Tits. There was also two fly pasts by possibly two different Kingfishers.
Then I managed to get a longer view of the yellow-browed and was able to get images. This is the Yellow-browed Warbler please believe me!
Then once again it all went quiet and I decided to leave and come back a little later. I walked back to the sea wall and headed for the reserve. The tide was high, but with hardly any wind the sea was like a mill pond.
The water levels were high on the south scrape still and there was not much bird life close to the hide. Gadwall and Shoveler were the most numerous duck, with many of the drake Shoveler now almost in full breeding plumage. Many of the drake Teal were in full breeding plumage. Redshank and Black-tailed Godwits could be seen around the island along with several Snipe and Lapwing.
The Oystercatchers that were seeing out the high tide started to head out to the beach as they must have sensed the tide was starting to turn. Flying low over the water of the scrape they reflected in the still conditions.
Whether there wasn't sufficient beach exposed, or, more likely, there were too many people on the beach, but the Oystercatchers returned to the islands on the scrape about ten minutes later.
With little going on I decided to move on, I was heading for the Spurgin Hide, but dropped in to see if there was anything better to see from there. Well there wasn't aside from this Goldfinch feeding on the Teasel seed heads.
It was much the same in the Spurgin Hide, the Kingfishers seem to have gone quiet. There was though several Gadwall. An overlooked duck due probably to the grey colour, but look closely and there is hidden beauty.
Duck and Drake side by side.
I was beginning to get itchy feet when the female type Marsh Harrier appeared. It was clearly interested in something in the reeds and circled above the same spot for awhile.
Then eventually it dropped into the reeds and stayed there not showing before I left the hide.
After lunch I walked back to the Canal Path, met Ian and returned to the spot where the Yellow-browed Warbler was. The Chiffchaffs were still present and were still going through the periods of activity, then quiet. There were four of us present so plenty of eyes and it was picked up, but still so brief views. It was selective to reacting to the call, but at one point it flew to the top of a Hawthorn bush, showing ridiculously well for all of a second and calling with the distinctive "tsoeest". It also flew to the bush on the other side of the footpath above our heads this time for say two seconds.
The good thing was that were getting views, but I was desperately hoping for a photograph. I have seen several of these little gems, but have never got a clear photograph. The yellow supercilium and wing bar stand out so clearly and they are smaller than the Chiffchaffs, with a stubbier bill.
Then I got on it once again and it decided to sit on a branch in the open. Even then it had its back to me, but it showed the yellow supercillium and the wing bar. Not a stunning photograph, but you can clearly see this is a Yellow-browed Warbler. After four hours of searching and hoping for this little gem to play ball I was happy with the outcome.
I did stay on in hope for a little while after, but decided that I had the best view and set off back to the car. It was lovely to catch up with this warbler, one that is becoming increasingly more common at this time of year.
No comments:
Post a Comment