26th October - Lepe Country Park and Fishlake Meadows, Hampshire

Lepe is a site Ian and I often talk about visiting more often, but never do.  The last time we were here was just under a year ago, so it with some hope we set off from the car park towards Stansore Point.  Despite a positive forecast it was a very grey morning, still with little wind and some drizzle in the air.

The Solent was very still, perfect for picking out any birds on the water, the problem was though, there were no birds, not even a gull.  Turnstone scattered from the edge of the as we walked along the beach, it was high tide, but there was sufficient sand to allow us to take the short cut to the point.  As well as the Turnstone, Pied Wagtail were catching flies amongst the bladder wrack washed up on the beach.

At the Pools there was a Kingfisher in the main channel that leads from the sluice and some Redshank in the shallow water.  Under guidance we walked to the dead willows at the end of the fence where there was a sizeable flock of finches, mostly Chaffinches, but also Goldfinches, Linnets and Reed Buntings.

Searching through the bushes Ian found a Brambling.  I took a photograph in the gloom and it is very grainy, but once home and lightening the image found there were in fact two Brambling in the bush.

The first Brambling.

Then one in the middle of the bush, that, maybe was the third bird?  I wasn't sure.

As well as the finches there were at least four Stonechats buzzing around.

Walking back past the pools and the gloom lifting a little there were two Greenshank.

We headed back to the main car park and after a stop for coffee made our way back to the cars.  The clouds were quite heavy now and the drizzle becoming a little heavier, so I need the assurance of a cover for my camera.  

We then set off towards Inchmery, walking along the beach.  A Rock Pipit sat on the roof of one of the coastal houses.

We took the path up on to the road as the tide was still up and the beach would be muddy.  The road winds around and then drops down to the beach once more.  The tide was falling and the saltmarsh revealed where there were distant Brent Geese and Wigeon and amongst the channels in the mud, Curlew, Oystercatchers and Redshank.

We followed the road around, one field was full of dead flowers and as a result plenty of seed that was an attraction to many finches.  We could see Linnets, Chaffinches, Goldfinches and Reed Buntings.  A Great Spotted Woodpecker called and flew over and settled at the top of a dead tree.

In the field on the other side a couple of Red-legged Partridge.

We walked to the gate into the field that overlooks the salt marsh and the east end of Needs Ore.  We were here last year looking for the White-tailed Eagles, and were hoping we might see them this morning.  The dead tree in the middle of the saltmarsh is a usual perch for either of the pair.  Today there was a bird of prey on the tree, but much smaller, a Peregrine Falcon.

We scanned the area looking for strange shapes on the marsh.  This shape was moving and turned out to be a seal.  From this distance I could not make out if it was a Common or Grey Seal, but definitely a seal.

Then another bird of prey appeared, a male Marsh Harrier and it wanted the perch the Peregrine was on.

there were several fly pasts with the legs and claws lowered. the Peregrine looking quite submissive.

Finally dislodged from the tree.

Both flew off, but they returned to the tree, but with the roles reversed, the harrier looking down on the Peregrine.

Walking back there was a group of four Red-legged Partridges in the field.

The tide was low, but the water still very calm.  There were several large rafts of Wigeons out in the middle of the Solent.

The drizzle of the morning was giving way to a more settled sky and at last some blue sky.

At the sluice there were Brent Geese feeding on the beach along with Curlew, Oystercatcher, Turnstone, Ringed Plover and a single Dunlin.  The light now was very atmospheric.

So it was time to decided what to do next.  We opted to drop into Fishlake Meadows.  There has been a good number of Hawfinch movements reported over the last few weeks so we walked from the car park to the recreation area along Mercer Way.  A well known spot for Hawfinch, although the last good numbers here was in the winter of 2018.  Apparently some of the trees have been removed and since then there have been few reports.  There were definitely none around today.  

Walking back five Redwing flew over, but that was to be the highlight of the visit here.  From the viewing place on the road there were the usual wildfowl, of note were the numbers of Pochard at least fifteen present.

It was also nice to see several Common Gulls, this one perched on the dead tree.

We walked the Canal Path where there were plenty of Cetti's Warblers singing and the Water Rails were screaming out in the reeds.  There was a Buzzard and Kestrel on the pylons and as we walked back a Kingfisher flew past us as it headed north along the canal.

An interesting day, not ideal for photography but nice to visit somewhere different.  The Brambling was a bonus, a bird that is not always easy to catch up with.  The last day of British summer time, maybe that will spark a change in fortune for the birds