28th February - Acres Down, New Forest and Browndown South, Hampshire

We had planned to meet at Acres Down car park around 9.00am, not expecting it to be busy, but when I arrived the car park was full and spaces elsewhere were at a premium, I got one but it was touch and go for Ian.  Thankfully there was space.  It turned out everyone was here for one bird.  The Lesser Spotted Woodpecker.  There were more people here for this woodpecker than were at the Black-throated Thrush earlier in the week.

Fortunately Ian and I had seen the woodpecker well in January, so we were not under any pressure.  The woodpecker drums on a dead tree a short walk from the car park and as we approached the tree we could hear it drumming.  We walked up and there it was.  On its usual side to start.

But then flew to the other side.

Then to the disappointment of the many watching it flew off.  It is a bird of habit and would return, but everyone walked away.  Having seen it well earlier in the year we walked away.  Checking the owl tree there was no sign of any Tawny.  We carried on up the traill and as the pat would around to the left a Crossbill called above us and I picked it up as it flew across the path and settled in the top of the pines.  It was a case of take photos and then shuffle forward to try and get a better view.

It was a male in its wonderful red plumage.

Walking on there was an oldish Lion's Mane Fungus on the stump branch of an Oak tree.

It was a wonderful day, a little fresh but out of the breeze the sun was warm.  Despite the sun though there wasn't that much bird song, so this Song Thrush singing from a tree stood out.

The plan was to walk around this area and then head up on to the down to find the Woodlarks.  However as we made our way back to the main path we flushed a bird from the path that turned out to be a Woodlark, we were then treated to song and views of a pair of Woodlark, settled in the trees.

There is a crest that is raised and lowered.  Overall the bird has a stubby tail and will fly around singing on the wing.

It was nice to get views of this passerine away from walking on the ground.

Here a chance to appreciate the beautiful song in this video.

Not having to go up on to the down we were able to make our way to our second destination, Browndown South.  This reserve opening is restricted by the MOD and today it was open and with the warm sun there was a chance of Adders.  Every year we search this site, it has become a regular event.

We walked through the Gorse to start with, hoping to find Dartford Warblers.  We had heard them but they were now quiet.  But as we walked around the old branches we flushed the first butterfly of the year, a Peacock and it looked quite smart.

They hibernate over winter so this probably emerged back in October during a warm spell and then found somewhere safe to overwinter in hibernation.

There is a circuit we do to search for the adders and we did this loop twice without any luck, it can be quite difficult walking and looking down staring intot he bracken and gorse in the hope of seeing the black and brown markings.  After the second circuit we decided to go back and look for Dartford Warblers and this time were lucky.  A male showing very well amongst the gorse.

We decided to do one more circuit and our hopes were raised when Ian found this Common Lizard.

It sat in the sun, then slowly moved through bracken and twigs.

But the lizard was the only reptile we would find today.  Maybe it was the early morning frost that held the Adders back, but there would be time to try once more.

27th February - Titchfield Haven Canal Path and Hill Head, Hampshire

 After the mist of the weekend today was glorious with sunshine all the way, overnight though there had been a frost.  I decided to start from the Bridge Street car park and walk to the Haven.  First I checked the horse field for both Ibis and Water Pipit, but found only Pied Wagtail.

The river Meon had flooded the meadows all the way down the canal path, and the path was very muddy.  The view across Posbrook Floods.

There wasn't any sign of the Glossy Ibis, but amongst the Tufted Duck on Posbrook Floods was a drake Pochard, something that is becoming a rare bird here.  After Posbrook the next bird of note was a Firecrest just south of Hammond's Bridge.

I walked around to the east side to see if the Tawny Owls were showing and had a marginally better view.  Walking back around to the west side a Tufted Duck was sleeping within the reflection of the reeds.

As I walked up to the Meon Shore hide I came across this Fox, it was completely unfazed by me and stood watching me as much as I watched him.

Taking in the sunshine.

Not wanting to look at me.

A little wary as I got closer.

I walked on and it disappeared into the bushes.  I went into the hide and after the rain of the day before the scrape was almost completely flooded.  I could see the male Goosander on the north scrape so decided to walk around, somewhere to sit and have lunch.  Coming out of the hide the Fox ad returned.

According to others this fox has become aware that people here have lunch and will wait around to see if it can get fed.  It wasn't worried by me at all and it was lovely to get close to such a beautiful looking animal.  I can only assume it is a dog, the bush y tail and square head an indication.

It was tame enough for me to get some video.

From the Pumfrett Hide the Goosander was showing well.

A preen.

the Goosander would swi between the various Shelduck and seemed to want to pair up, but the Shelduck were having nothing of it and would be quite aggressive to the Goosander, who would then swim off to look for another.

An indication of how high the water was on both scrapes, this Snipe struggling to balance on this little bit of mud.

I made my way back along the canal path through the mud.  The only highlight being a very distant Marsh Harrier at about half way.

Going home I picked up the three Glossy Ibis as I turned off the A27 and onto Mill Lane.  I was than able to keep them in sight until I lost thema s I went under the M27 bridge.  Have to wonder where they were going, but there is a lot of water in the area that just isn't accessible.

25th February - Lindford, Hampshire - Black-throated Thrush.

On Sunday the 23rd a photograph of a Black-throated Thrush was posted on the Hampshire birding Facebook Page.  It was identified correctly, but was in the finders garden and he wasn't prepared to have lots of birders coming through the garden to view.  This was a first for Hampshire and it was expected many local birders and someother would want to come to see it.

There then followed some detective work and it became clear that there may be a way to observe and on Monday some negotiations took place with a neighbour allowing access to the bottom of her garden.  I was able to go on the Tuesday and I walked from parking the car in an industrial estate and crossed the river Wey.  I missed the gate to start but went through and followed the muddy track alongside the river to find a group of birders present.

The bird was feeding in the garden and would come and go, the problem this morning was the presence of a cat and it seemed to have spooked the thrush.  It wasn't around when I arrived.

Time past and eventually it was found in the top of a tree, after awhile it came down to the garden and perched in a Laurel bush.

It dropped down into the garden and then fed around the base of the feeders.  The views though were still quite distant.

This is a large and distinctive thrush, a little larger than a Song Thrush. The male has black from the chin to the breast with a greyish black tail. The upperparts are grey and the underparts are whitish with orange-red underwing coverts. Unfortunately I was never able to see the under wing.  Females and immatures are similar but the black on the throat and breast is replaced with dusky streaking.

The breeding range of the black-throated thrush extends from the extreme east of Europe to Western Siberia and north-west Mongolia. The wintering range extends from the Middle East, although uncommon in the Arabian Peninsula to eastern Myanmar. As a vagrant, it has occurred in Japan, Thailand, and Taiwan. It may also be occasionally found in most of Europe west of its normal range.

Black-throated thrushes breed along the edges of clearings in coniferous or mixed deciduous forest, often in the undergrowth of Siberian Pine Pinus sibirica or mixed spruce fir forest, especially along watercourses or in swampy areas.

It would move up the garden and out of sight for some time, coming back to the border, spending time foraging as you would expect from a thrush.

I spent two hours watching on and off and it was wonderful to at last catch up with one, not only was this a new Hampshire bird for me, but a lifer, my second of the year and a welcome bird after coming back from holiday.  Last year I missed the Red-breasted Goose, so this was good to see.

As well as the thrush there were Great Spotted Woodpecker, Siskins and Redpolls feeding on the feeders and around the base Stock Dove and Jackdaws, while in the bushes along the river a single Goldcrest.