So it was back home in Hampshire and I had arranged to meet Ian at the Haven for my first trip out after the jewels of Costa Rica. I must admit to suffering from jet lag so we met around 9.00am and then walked to the visitor centre. The forecast was for a clear sunny day, but the morning had started off with a thick mist, the hope was that this would burn off soon.
After checking in, rather than head for the west side as is the usual case we decided to look for the reported Tawny Owl on the east side. A Thermal camera was essential and it picked out not one but two owls deep in the ivy. It was a case of. "I see it, there is a bit of wing and tail!" After several attempts to try different positions we agreed it wasn't going to get any better so we left and made the walk to the west side.
Brent geese were heading along the beach, I wonder how long they have left here in the present numbers before they head north once again?
The water levels on the south scrape were very high and all the islands were just about showing. The first bit of interest though was a Great Black-backed Gull that had caught a flat fish and was trying to work out how to eat it without having it stolen.
Looking across the South scrape into the north we could see a single Spoonbill and the drake Goosander.
The Spoonbill flew to the central causeway and we decoded to walk around to the Pumfrett Hide as there was little else happening on the south scrape.
A Song Thrush was singing in a tree close by to the West Hide, I love to hear these singing and this one was in full voice and wasn't distracted by us.
Rather than feed on the north scrape the Spoonbill had reverted to type, tucked it's head under the wing and gone to sleep. The only sign we had that this was an adult was from the n the breeze.
We had been hearing the mewing calls of Mediterranean Gulls all morning, without any clear views. They always like to use the sentral causeway at this time of year and there were at least six present.
Always a smart gull at any time, they are especially stunning in their breeding plumage, and also a year tick.
The cut down reed area in front of the hide was now flooded and there were Teal and Gadwall feeding amongst the vegetation. This drake Gadwall ahd just finished preening and had had a good shake.
In this shot it is like the female Gadwall is trying to point out something and the male isn't too interested.
There was a good sized flock of Black-tailed Godwits on the bank of the scrape and they were spooked by something.
The Avocet too, they always look elegant in flight.
They landed on the north scrape and some proceeded to feed in a line, and in time!
A female Stonechat in front of the hide.
A fly past from a female Marsh Harrier, was brief but close.
We headed back to the Meon Shore Hide, stopping to check the reeds in front of the West Hide with the thermal for snipe, but of course there was nothing.
From the Meon Shore hide a Marsh Harrier appeared over the reeds on the river side and flew towards the hide. It seemed to have a very strong orange colour in the front of both wings
As it came closer it was clear these were wing tags.
As it turned and flew past the tags were visible and we could read "Z9" . After some research it turned out this bird was tagged as a juvenile in Norfolk in 2022, it is a male and from it's sightings it travelled to Hampshire and Dorset after fledging, spending time at Needs Ore and Stanpit Marsh. It was recorded at Titchfield last year but seems to spend most of its time to the west. It also had one trip all the way up to Lincolnshire.
There was quite a bit of activity from the Shoveler, the males squabbling over the unattached females, this meant quite a few fights and the males chasing each other around the scrape.
One drake taking off to chase off another.
This drake was preening and in doing so showed the base of the spatulate bill and the filaments that filter out the small invertebrates and vegetation that the duck feeds on. The shoveler sieves the water while laying the bill just below the water
A closer look of the filaments.
A balanced photo of male and female.
A Common Gull made it six gull species for the day.
And a Common Redshank dropped on to the Snipe island.
Nice to be back but the birds just didn.t have the same appeal as those I have been seeing. At least the Mediterranean Gull was a year tick
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