15th March - Toyd Down and Martin Down, Hampshire

After failing to find either Corn Bunting or Yellowhammer around Cheesefoot Head yesterday I decided to try the chalk downs to the south west of the county.  Ian and I agreed to meet at the Sillen Lane car park at Martin Down first, but as I drove through Damerham I noticed his van behind me and as we came into Tidpit I indicated that maybe we should start at Toyd Down, which is what we did.

Whilst the sun was out the wind was from the north east and very cold, it was a case of wrapping up warm as we set off along the bridleway past the farm houses and into the open fields.

Redwing were feeding in a horse field and very quickly a pair of Grey Partridge flew across the bridleway and dropped into the adjacent field.  Scanning the field we couldn't see them, but Ian then located them with his thermal camera, they were low down in amongst the grass next to a patch of brassica.

We were told of the best place to see the "English" Partridge by a farmer.  They are known as English due to the fact that they are the natural partridge here in the UK.  The other commoner Partridge, the Red-legged, was introduced for game from France and has rapidly taken over.  Fortunately in places the Grey is beginning to set up strongholds.

In the tilled fields they were huge flocks of birds, the majority were Starlings and Fieldfare and they would move from the hedges out into the fields in a cloud of birds.

Fieldfare, flying over to the adjacent trees.

I was pleased to be able to capture this Fieldfare as it took off.

Big sky looking north from the bridleway.

Corn Bunting were singing on the fence posts and top of the bushes but were always too far away for a good photograph.

We followed the track until we reached a right hand turn and then started a circular walk around the fields.  This male Stonechat was calling from the top of the hedge.

The "French" Red-legged Partridge ran across in front of us.

We flushed another pair of Grey Partridge from the side of the path and then watched as they dropped into a field.  Fortunately the field was fallow and had a path going though it so we decided to go and see if we could find the partridges.

There was no immediate sign of the partridges, but there was a couple of Brown Hare in the field.

We did find the partridges with the help of the thermal camera once again and we were lmost on top of them when they flew off once again.  They were relying on the camouflage and the fact that they could flatten themselves in amongst the brassica.

Walking on we stopped to watch a group of Roe Deer.  The clouds above and stretching out across the fields was very dramatic.

And once again leant itself to a black and white image.

The deer in the middle of the field.

More black and white scenery.

We followed the path alongside another tilled field.  There were quite a few birds feeding in the field including Chaffinches and Yellowhammers, one Yellowhammer was singing.  I checked what I thought was a stick in the field and to my surprise it turned out to be a male Wheatear.

For me there is no better sight at this time of year that a newly arrived male Wheatear, it is a signal of things to come.  We settled down to photograph the Wheatear as it fed around the filed, however there was a heat haze that made getting a clear shot that did the bird justice.  Fortunately all the other birds were spooked and this spooked the Wheatear and it flew from the field to the hedge behind us.

But then flew to a different area of the field and the sun went in and the heat haze was gone.  We crept closer and finally managed to get some good shots.

They spend the winter in central Africa and are one of the earliest migrants to arrive here in the UK.  They then make their way north to breeding grounds around moorland and open land here, but also onward towards Iceland and Greenland.

It then flew from the field to the hedge once again, but showing a little better.

Eventually it flew off and we continued the walk, heading back towards where we had parked the cars.

This Brown Hare was sitting amongst a field of brassica.

The original Easter Bunny.

From Toyd we drove the short distance to Martin Down and set off along the path towards the Blagdon Plantation and the Jubilee Way.  I heard the song of a Grey Partridge and it then flew across the path and away into the long grass and ant hills.  A little further and another sang out and after a short search we managed to flush it and this time I got the photograph.

Once again some wonderful big skies and clouds.

Once again the dramatic black and white image.

We walked alongside the plantation and despite searching found nothing.  Coming out alongside the fields at Whitey Top Farm there were Fieldfare feeding in the field, but they flew off and into the nearby trees.

We walked to where the Jubilee trail meets the Hardy Way with more wonderful views away to the north across Martin Down.

Again in black and white.

We walked around and then back down to the Bokerly Ditch, after lunch we then decided to walk to the east and then a circuit down towards Grims Ditch and back to the car park.  The only thing of interest in the whole walk was this Oil Beetle.

Oil beetles are conspicuous, charismatic insects which are often encountered when walking and enjoying the countryside. Their habit of seeking out bare ground in which to dig nest burrows means that they are frequently seen on footpaths. The best time of year to look for oil beetles is March to July.

Oil beetles have one of the most extraordinary life cycles of any British insect - they are nest parasites of solitary mining bees. Female oil beetles dig nest burrows in the ground, into which they lay hundreds of eggs. Once hatched, the active, louse-like, larvae climb up on to flowers and lay in wait for a suitable bee. Their hooked feet enable a firm hold on an unwitting bee collecting pollen for its own nest. Once in a bee’s nest the larva disembarks and eats the bee’s eggs and the store of pollen and nectar. The larva develops in the bee burrow until it emerges as an oil beetle ready to mate and start the whole cycle again. 

So the first migrant of the year today and some nice views on Grey Partridge.  Four more year ticks to the total.  There are signs of warmer conditions and southerly winds next week, so hopefully things will start to move