1st March - Hill Head and Browndown South, Hampshire

With the weather still forecast to be sunny and and warm, Ian and I decided to have another go at Browndown for the Adders, but as it would take a time to warm up we were meeting at Hill Head.  I had missed the report of the Long-tailed Duck around the Darling Buoy, so it was a surprise when I arrived. 

It required a telescope and this view was very much a record shot of the Long-tailed Duck alongside two Velvet Scoter.

Unlike the Long-tailed Duck there were a couple of Great Crested Grebes close to the sea wall.

The Rainbow Bar was still visible, but the tide was rising and the Sanderling and Ringed Plover, we struggling to find dry land to stand on.

We went into the reserve and to the Meon Shore hide.  The water levels were still very high and there was very little about.  What did catch my eye were the two main predators of the gull and tern nests in the summer.  Great Black-backed and Lesser Black-backed Gulls, the lessers having the stand out yellow legs.

We walked along the sea wall but there wasn't any sign of the Sanderling and plover, so decided to move on and try once again at Browndown South.  Despite the warnings that the area was closed, it was very much open.  Once again we did the loop around the usual sites and bracken and once again there wasn't any sign of the Adders.  We did two loops before deciding to go and find the Dartford Warblers.

The warblers were not singing, but after a good search of the gorse bushes we found one that showed briefly.

As we waited for the Dartford Warbler to show a sizeable flock of Sanderling flew past.  It looked like they had settled on the beach so we decided to go and have a look.  After passing some raised shingle we found the flock on the beach.

One or two were away from the main group.  Shortly after I took this, two Sanderling just barged into it and knocked it over.

As we walked back towards the main footpath we noticed this Dartford Warbler was hopping around on the ground.

At first we thought it was gathering nesting material, but as it moved around the base of the gorse it was clear it was looking for food.

Then from the ground and up into the Gorse.

It then flew across the path and over to the gorse on the bank alongside the main path.

It then flew up and had the blue sky behind it.

So we drew another blank regarding the Adders, but it was nice to catch up with the Dartford Warblers again.  Another lovely day and a great start to the month of March.