19th November - Southsea Castle, Hampshire

A change in the weather, heavy rain overnight and this morning temperatures around three degrees.  I waited for the rain to ease before setting off to Southsea once again.  My efforts last Thursday were not rewarded and decided then that I need to be there on a rising tide.  High tide today was around 13:30, so arriving at 10:00, I had three and a half hours.  Walking to the esplanade it was cold, the coldest I have been this end of the year, maybe all year.  There was a drizzle and it was quite gloomy, not ideal conditions but I was hopeful.

I walked east along the esplanade after joining just west of the castle, scanning the rocks that were already covered with water.  There was still quite a bit of sea weed visible on the rocks though.  I scanned both with a thermal imager and the binoculars, but it was my ears that found the Purple Sandpipers, I heard them call then picked up a group close to the edge of the water.  Yesterday a group of five were reported I was interested to see how many were about today.  The first group I saw was of five birds.

I love the Limpets already bedded down on the new rocks.

The number then increased to nine.

At this time there was some of the sandpipers taking time out.

Then some more calls to my right, west of the castle and a flock of seven more Purple Sandpiper flew in and settled on the rocks.  I wish I had seen where they had come from, but think maybe the rocks where the work is taking place.

I then followed the birds as they gradually moved east in between the rocks stopping to feed on the algae on the rocks and anything in the bladder wrack.

I resisted trying to get closer by walking on to the rocks, they were wet and probably slippery and there are some nasty drops between them.  So I stood on the sea wall and looked down, the sandpipers seemed quite happy with that.

The tide was rising quite fast and at one point I lost all the birds, they must have got into or between the rocks, but I found then a little later further along the rocks heading towards the large rock groyne to the east.

This alert pose was as a result to a dog barking at me, it wasn't happy I was standing on the sea wall.

Settled back down.

When I was here Thursday it was high tide and there wasn't any visible sea weed.  However when it did appear there were no sandpipers.  Today the tide was rising and this was pushing them closer towards me.

Some would move away from the sea, but stuck to the areas were there was sea weed.

Working hard to get something to eat.

The tide was now making feeding hard and the flock would frequently fly out across the water.  I thought that they were flying away, but they did return.

I have not managed to get flight shots before so this was quite nice.

Settling back on the rocks.

Finally they all flew off across the water and towards the large groyne to the east.  It was now drizzling quite hard and was colder.  Other birds had been few and to be honest I wasn't too bothered.  I did see two Shags fly past and there were several Black-headed Gulls.  Around the car park there was a huge gathering of Crows.  It was a shame that the conditions were so gloomy, but it was very nice to finally catch up with the Purple Sandpipers and to know that they were more than happy with their ne winter home.  A flock of sixteen is probably one of the largest reported while the works have been taking place.