11th March - Titchfield Haven Canal Path and Reserve, Hampshire

Finally the weather has changed, the warm air replaced with a northerly breeze that was definitely taking the edge off the morning sunshine.  Still hoping for some early migrants I decided to walk the Canal path and then on into the reserve.  

There was still a lot of water on the Bridge Street and Posbrook Floods, butI couldn't find the three Glossy Ibis that have been almost resident over the winter.  As I approached the mid way section the fields were covered with Crows and Rooks, this Crow watching from the surrounding trees.

A Chiffchaff was singing from the bare willow branches, but would alternate between the song and call.  It was hard to pin down to start with, keeping with in the branches and giving brief views.

But eventually came out on the open branches and showed very well.

I carried on down the path with not a lot else around,I did manage to see a male Marsh Harrier over  the reed beds.  Just beyond where the canal crosses the path there is an open space and on the far side there are two sawn tree boughs.  I had seen a Firecrest here the last time I was here and I found it again and it showed very well initially on my side of the canal path.

Then it returned to the other side amongst the holly.

And bracken.

Then came back over to my side and was very close.

Singing.

And a final portrait.

I walked around to the visitor centre to check in and as I walked back towards the west side a flock of six Eider flew past offshore.

Close in to the sea wall a Common Gull.

the view from the meon Shore Hide was disappointing, the water levels as high as they were two weeks ago despite there being no serious rain for the same amount of time.

I didn't spend long in the Meon Shore and walked to the Pumfrett Hide.  Here it was a little better with at least 25 Avocet and a couple of Mediterranean Gulls on the central causeway.

Next I walked to the Spurgin Hide, where I had lunch and waited for the Marsh Harriers, however the first raptor to appear was a Red Kite and for once it came very close to the hide.

It came over the hide and I went outside as it passed overhead.

There were a couple of Buzzards and a Sparrowhawk overhead, with a distant Kestrel hovering over the meadow.  The closest a Marsh Harrier came while I was in the hide was this male.

Then a male and female Shelduck and the male Goosander flew on to the pond, quite an event for this hide.  The male Goosander appears to have latched on to a female Shelduck and follows it around and even protecting it as it chased off a Canada Goose that came too close.

A wing flap after the exchange with the goose.

The Shelduck and the Goosander then flew off and I was able to watch them drop on to what looked like the north scrape.

I decided to walk down to the Pumfrett Hide where the Goosander was quite close to the hide, of course, following and shadowing the Shelduck, the male Shelduck seemingly abandoning her.

For some reason the Black-headed Gulls were not happy with the Goosander's presence and would dive bomb and mob it as it swam around.  The Goosander was prepared to have a go and bared the saw teeth as the gulls swooped over.

Avocet numbers are slowly increasing, today I counted 26on both scrapes.  They were spooked at one time and flew around the scrape.

Coming back to settle on the water.

The Goosander with his Shelduck "mate".

The Goosander is a very smart duck.

A Mediterranean Gull alongside the Black-headed Gull, but who really is the "black-headed" Gull?

Some watery sunshine highlighted the bottle green head plumage of the Goosander.

Along the cause way a sleeping Teal.

And Shoveler.

I decided to walk back to the car park along the canal path.  Out on the beach were Oystercatcher along the tide line as the tide fell, all of a sudden there were alarm calls and the Oystercatchers flew off and above the reason for this was a Peregrine Falcon, the sixth bird of prey of the day.

Looking across the fields from the canal path I noticed a bird in the trees around the Frying Pan.  

I thought it looked like a bird of prey and a closer look revealed a male Sparrowhawk.

Walking back there wasn't any sign of the Glossy Ibis and it was very much, more of the same on Posbrook and Bridge Street Floods. 

Still no spring migrants, but some great views of Firecrest and the Goosander.  It must start soon