1st October - Hill Head and Titchfield Haven, Hampshire

October, it doesn't seem like yesterday I was starting a new list for the year, oh well.  It was back to Titchfield this morning, indifferent weather and the chance of catching up with the Osprey reported the day before.

I parked in Cliff Road and then walked around to the visitor centre to check in.  Walking around to the sea wall I checked the beach behind the sailing club.  I could see plenty of Turnstone by the edge of the water and on the groynes and in amongst them were three Sanderling.  Not one to resist a Sanderling and with no one about to stop me, I walked along the beach to get a good view.  

The tide was rolling in on to the beach and sea weed.

Moving around to the groyne there was a lone Ringed Plover.

And of course the Turnstone.

The Ringed Plover dropped to the beach.

A couple of lovely views of the Sanderling.

And for once the chance to get close to the Ringed Plover.

I left the beach and walked around to the west entrance and first stop once again was the Meon Shore Hide.  The water levels were still higher and there was very little about, but there was a Greenshank in the far left corner of the south scrape.  Greenshank are not that common here at Titchfield so it was nice to see one this morning.

As expected there were Snipe on the island, but only two.

I left the hide and set off for the Spurgin Hide, but stopped off at the Pumfrett to see if the Greenshank was close to the hide.  It was although the light wasn't good.

Settled in at the Spurgin we all waited for the Kingfisher, however today there was not to be a Kingfisher show.

A Little Grebe stayed close to the hide.

But as always, no Kingfisher so something else steps in to take over and today it was an Osprey.  It appeared in the area over the meadow and put up all the gulls, but it also was chased after by a Buzzard.

Not the best photograph, but it does provide a good opportunity to compare the sizes of these two birds of prey.

It eluded the attention of the Buzzard and drifted away towards the east.

It then became obvious this was not the same bird that had been around over the last few weeks.  It had a blue ring on the left leg.

A cropped photo to show the leg and the blue ring.

An Osprey was reported at Lepe about twenty minutes before ours arrived so was likely the same bird.  It drifted east and gained height before disappearing out of view.

So it was back to the view out of the hide.  Jays are very visible at this time, flying to and fro with acorns to cache somewhere.

The Great Egret has been regular both on the south scrape and the eleven acre mere over the last few weeks and it arrived again, landing in the water close to the reed islands.

It started to wade down the channel between the two islands with the head held high.

As it walked it looked at the reeds and then caught in mid air a pair of Common Darter that were locked together, mating.  A case of "coitus interruptus"

another Jay flying past the hide.

But more of a surprise was this Green Woodpecker, that at first I thought was another Jay.

The female / immature Marsh Harrier then appeared over the bushes.

I lost it as it dropped down amongst the bushes and reeds to the left of the hide.  I thought I had found it again, but then realised it was an Osprey.

It flew over the area of the river and frying pan and started to hover above the area and in doing so you could clearly see the legs, this bird was not ringed, more than likely the bird seen over the last few weeks and the second Osprey seen today.

The Osprey then dropped as if to fish and was never seen again.

But the Marsh Harrier then appeared once again and flew towards the hide.

Flying past the hide and checking us all out.

Then turning away and heading off towards the scrape.

The harrier did come back but high above the reed bed.  

Other birds of prey seen from the hide but not photographed were Sparrowhawk and Kestrel and a very special sighting of a Goshawk that flew across and over the Canal path.  There was a good passage of hirundine, all three throughout the day

The Kingfisher only appeared briefly at the back of the mere, the first time I haven't had great views for some time.  However it did not spoil the day as this was more than compensated by the appearance of two Osprey.