My summary of the year has been split into four parts this year due to the quantity and quality of the wildlife this year. We start with the month of January:
January
My first outing of the day was out of Hampshire with good numbers of Waxwing showing well at Farnham. I was lucky in being able to have the whole flock to myself.
After that my first trip to Tice's Meadow (and its still the only one) at Badshot and a close encounter with a pair of Black-necked Grebes.
It was Titchfield Haven next for some year ticks, with the Barn Owl and Glossy Ibis and two Water Pipits.
On the 6th I spent a day at Keyhaven - Lymington Reserve, the highlight being eight Bar-tailed Godwits, Spoonbill, Slavonian Grebe Spotted Redshank and Golden Plover.
On the 9th I travelled out to the south east of the county and the Cattle Egrets at Warblington.
And after the Hayling Oyster Beds where there was the long staying Long-tailed Duck.
On the 11th it was Fishlake Meadows and fleeting glimpses of Water Rail in the frozen water around the reed bed. An afternoon visit to Hill Head on the 12th saw Great Northern, Black-throated and Red-throated Divers on the sea, cleaning the divers up early in the year.
On the 13th it was a cold visit to Acres Down where I had some brief glimpses of Lesser Spotted Woodpecker and Brambling. In the afternoon several Mandarin Duck and before sunset two male Hen Harrier in the New Forest.
There was a Black-necked Grebe on the sea off the Sailing Club at Hill Head on the 15th. Back in the New Forest on the 18th at Acres Down, the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker was drumming on its usual tree.
There was also Crossbill, Hawfinch, Firecrest and a Tawny Owl enjoying the January sunshine.
On the 20th I was in Kent, so made a visit to Elmley National Nature reserve. On a cold but windy day I managed to get Barn Owl, Little Owl, a pair of White-fronted Geese amongst the Greylags and a couple of Bearded Tits, unfortunately the wind kept the Short-eared Owls away.
There were two good birds amongst the regulars at Posbrook and Bridge Street in Titchfield on the 22nd. Along the path towards the church a Siberian Chiffchaff.
While on Posbrook Floods a drake Ferruginous Duck, a county tick for me.
On the 24th we set off on the adventure of a lifetime, first stop Auckland where it was mostly about recovering from the 24 hour journey and jet lag. However we managed a couple of trips one to the Hobbiton Movie set and then out to Waheke Island where the highlight was a Monarch butterfly, a bit of a surprise
An immature Red-billed Gull.
On the 29th we started our cruise around New Zealand, first stop was Tauranga on the 30th where we traveled in land to the Te Puia Thermals, the best birds though were on the sea with Flesh-footed Shearwater.
Hutton's Shearwater.
Fluttering Shearwater.
And Buller's Shearwater.
The last day of the month was at sea as we headed south along the east coast of New Zealand. No Albatrosses as yet.
February
We spent the whole month of February in New Zealand and Australia, on the 1st we reached the northern tip of the South Island at Picton, from there we travelled further south to the port of Kaikoura, one of the whale watch centres of New Zealand and it did not fail to deliver. Common and Hector's Dolphins and a pod of Orca.
And a bull Sperm Whale.
We also came across our first Albatrosses of the trip, a Shy or White-capped Albatross and a Southern Royal Albatross.
The 3rd we were in the French influenced town of Akaroa and we had a sailing trip around the Bank's Peninsula. Highlight was a pod of Hector's Dolphins that liked Enya.
The next day, the 4th we were at Port Chalmers, visiting the Otago Peninsula and the city of Dunedin. We started with a cruise along the peninsula, finding Little Blue Penguin.
We were here though for the nesting Northern Royal Albatross on the cliffs at the tip of the peninsula. Unfortunately there was little wind and the albatross were sitting on the cliffs.
We went out of the bay to the open sea where there were Shy Albatrosses.
On the rocks below the Northern Royals were New Zealand Fur Seals.
In the afternoon we went into Dunedin, the Edinburgh of the Southern Hemisphere, where the highlight was the Railway Station.
From Port Chalmers we set off to sail around the southern tip of the South Island for a late afternoon visit to Milford Sound. We encountered some very rough seas overnight and in the the following morning with waves five metres high. An opportunity for some sea watching and some new birds, Mottled Petrel
Sooty Shearwaters.
Northern Royal Albatross.
It was touch and go as to whether we would be able to go into Milford Sound due to the weather, but it eased as we arrived and we went in. Absolutely stunning scenery
We then had two days crossing the Tasman Sea and the weather and sea was marginally better, being out at sea there were very few birds to see. We arrived in Hobart, Australia on the 8th and after clearing customs we went ashore in the afternoon with Blue sky and water
We spent the evening at a wildlife park with Australian Species but I had my eyes on the birds around the zoo. A Sulphur-crested Cockatoo.
The next day we went back into Hobart and the Botanical Gardens which were a great source of local wildlife. For a change a butterfly, the Meadow Argus
Female Superb Fairy Wren.
Yellow-throated Honeyeater.
From Hobart we had a day at sea, then into Geelong, where we spent some time again walking around the Botanical Gardens and taking in the sunshine.
Another day at sea and then into Eden where we had a trip along the coast to some small villages by the sea, highlight was the Australian Pelicans.
The cruise ended in Sydney and this was the view we woke up to in the morning.
We spent two days around Sydney with of course a visit to the botanical gardens and the common Rainbow Lorikeets
On the 16th we travelled to the Blue Mountains, the wildlife was not easy to see but this Yellow Tailed Black Cockatoo was worth the trip.
As was the scenery, the iconic Three Sisters
Next stop was Melbourne, arriving on the Taylor Swift tour. Once again it was a trip to the Botanical Gardens which had some interesting birds. The Long-billed Corella
And Australasian Grebe.
Time for a road trip along the Great Ocean Road to Adelaide, stunning views and some interesting wildlife along the way. The first leg was Melbourne to Apollo Bay, the road wound around the cliffs and the sea
On arrival in Apollo Bay I had some time to explore the area by the dunes. A male Superb Fairy Wren, living up to its name.
And the rare Gang Gang Cockatoo.
From Apollo Bay we headed to Port Fairy. We had a walk around Maits Rest and went to Cape Otway where we encountered our first wallaby. The highlight on the road though was finding three sleeping wild Koala.
After that it was scenery as we reached the Twelve Apostles, a group of coastal sea stacks.
Port Fairy was wonderful and we arrived in plenty of time to be able to walk around the coast finding another wallaby.
On the 22nd we were back on the road and heading into the Grampians. We saw our one and only Emu here. It was very hot, temperatures in the forties, but again worth the visit for the views.
It was over night in Dunkeld and the next day the final leg of our road trip to Adelaide. The temperature dropped by around twenty degrees and we set off in overcast conditions. Along the way Helen was spotting and found some quality birds.
Black-shouldered Kite
Brown Falcon
As we drove into the outskirts of Adelaide we saw Grey Kangaroos for the first time. We had a couple of days in Adelaide before flying to Perth. Here I met up with an old school and University mate. In his garden a Tawny Frogmouth.
We had a day in the Kings Garden, highlight a Red-tailed Black Cockatoo.
A day on Rottnest Island where the Quokkas are found.
And a close encounter with an Eastern Osprey.
Our trip ended on the 29th February arriving back in a cold United Kingdom on the 1st March.
March
Back home my first trip out was on the 3rd, visiting Keyhaven - Lymington Reserve, fortunately the sun came out and there was some excellent views of Slavonian Grebes.
At Lee-on the Solent on the7th there was a nice male Black Redstart and in the afternoon a trip to Browndown South found the first Adders of the year and some displaying Dartford Warblers.
I caught up with Woodlark at Acres Down on the 8th, while at Martin Down on the 9th unusually managed to see both partridge species.
On the 14th a trip to Southmoor produced a Guillemot that somehow managed to evade the attention of two Great Black-backed Gulls
The same day the first Sand Martins of the year were at Posbrook Floods.
On the 21st I went out of the county to RSPB Winterbourne and saw at least four Stone Curlew. The Scaup was still present on Butts Lagoon on the 23rd.
The end of the month and a very busy quarter was at Old Winchester Hill in the morning and a wonderful Red Kite.
In the afternoon at Fishlake Meadows it was the first butterflies of note of the year, Orange Tip, Brimstone and Comma.
Full details of all of these trips can be found by looking back over my blog for this year, just choose from the contents on the right hand side
No comments:
Post a Comment