I hadn't been to Farlington Marshes since the new sluice had been installed. Apparently the water levels had dropped with plenty of mud now on show. I arrived in overcast conditions and made my way to the Lake, the place that has suffered so much over the last months with the influx of brackish water.
This was the view now
Looking out over the sluice, there are ideal conditions for waders and the hope is that they are still with us when passage starts in April, a good wader here would be very welcome.
It was high tide with plenty of waders on the Lake. There was a large flock of Dunlin flying around looking for a suitable roost.
There were plenty of Redshank, amongst them a single Greenshank and Black-tailed Godwits. Dunlin were scattered around the mud and I found a single Greenshank on the edge of the water close to the reeds. A single Grey Plover was enough for a year tick.
Out in the harbour there were three Red-breasted Mergansers, two males and a female.
The head feathers blowing in the slight breeze.
A Ringed Plover flew around the Lake calling.
It was very nice to see a good gathering of Avocet, thirty five in total.
I watched a drake Pintail preening and eventually wing flapping, lifting the tail out of the water.
I left Farlington and headed to Titchfield. Walking around the Sailing Club I could see the high tide roost on the spit.
I walked to the Brownich Cliffs and scanned the sea. I counted seventy two Great Crested Grebes and two female Eider. Apparently there had been some divers early in the day, but I couldn't find any at all now.
I walked back to the MeonShore Hide. Water levels had dropped and there was a lot of activity on the scrape. A female Marsh Harrier hunted the reeds alongside the river scattering the Lapwing once again.
In front of the hide a drake Shoveler on the small island resting.
On the Snipe island I counted forty Snipe, a record, here four of them.
Plenty of male Shoveler were calling, it sounded like a guttural click, as they pursued a small number of females.
With so many Snipe on the island one or two were leaving and looking for somewhere else.
This one landing in the water.
Whilst this one sought out one of the measuring posts.
Views you don't often see,
The shoveler were still entertaining, bathing and wing flapping, followed by some earnest scratcbing.
Leaving the hide there were a couple of Common Gulls on the posts in Duck Lake.
A rewarding day in many ways.
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