12th April - Fishlake Meadows and Titchfield Haven, Hampshire

I would be meeting Ian later in the morning and I think he was interested in looking for yesterday's Night Heron, so a meeting place was waiting on any news of the heron.  I decided to start early at Fishlake Meadows.  It was another glorious morning, although it was forecast to be the last of this incredible spell.  Normal service will be returned tomorrow.

On arrival I decided to walk along the canal path, rather than walk around to the viewing point.  As I turned on to the canal path I could hear Sedge Warbler singing in the reeds and as I headed north they seemed to be everywhere in the reeds, but there wasn't a single one showing.

As I passed the first viewing platform I could hear one singing from within a tree and I managed to get a clear (ish) view of it

But then the bird itself decided to move through the branches to give a clearer view.

Then it moved completely to the top, thank you.

The song is a mixture of scratches, clicks and whistles with a little bit of mimicry included.  The other reed dwelling warbler to arrive at this time is the Reed Warbler, it's song is not so varied, maintaining constant sound.

The other bird that was very vocal along the canal path was the Cetti's Warbler.  However they are even more skulking than the Sedge Warbler and getting a glimpse isn't easy, you either see movement through the branches, or the bird flies across the path in front of you.  I had to take this shot through the branches.

On reaching the cross path gate I heard a Whitethroat singing from the bramble near the sub station.  It was more interested in singing at stating it's arrival than me and I was sable to get some great views.

Face on the Whitethroat can look quite intimidating.

When they first arrive the white throat stands out more.

I took the path that leads to the screens.  At last the path is water free for the first time since last summer!  As I walked, I heard the song I had hoped I would hear this morning, that of a Cuckoo.  I stopped to see if it would call again and give away its position.  It didn't but I did see it flying away and managed a record shot.

More Cetti's Warbler singing from both sides of the path and many Sedge Warbler.  A Reed Bunting was singing from a willow.

At the screens there were a couple of Reed Warbler singing, but they didn't show.  On the water, Teal, Tufted Duck and Greylag were the stand outs.

Walking back along the path I decided to give some time to trying to get a good view of a  Cetti's Warbler.  Again it required looking through the branches as the bird hid itself away.

There is a debate around how the name is pronounced, is it "Chetty" of "Ketty" with the "K" hard.  The bird was named after Francesco Cetti and in Italian a single "C" is pronounced "Ch", so it is Chettys.  Interestingly the Italian name for the bird is L'usignolo di fiume, which means River Nightingale.

After its skulking in the middle of the bush it came out and finally showed itself.

I walked along the cross path with a very good number of Orange Tip flying, however they didn't settle, but this Peacock did, taking the sunshine in.

Rather than make my way back to the car I turned and continued north along the canal path.  There were more butterflies, mostly whites.  This was my first Small White of the year.

As I watched the Small White this Large Red Damselfly dropped on to a leaf next to it.

A well marked Green-veined White.

Then what I had been waiting for, an Orange Tip settled on a leaf in the sunshine.  It settled with its hind wing dropped down showing the lovely green pattern and the orange tip of the fore wing.

The new oak leaves looking a lovely fresh green at this time of year.

At the bridge there were three male Blackcaps singing and chasing each other around.

And this was what they were contesting over, a female Blackcap and she was keeping well away.

There had been a report that the Night Heron had been seen so I arranged to meet Ian at Bridge Street car park.  However as I drove along the motorway a message came in that the heron had actually been seen on the reserve close to the canal path and the Spurgin Hide.  We changed our plans and met at Hill Head.

We decided to set off along the Canal Path.  There were plenty of Speckled Wood about, this one showing well.

We checked the area that we considered would be suitable for the heron, but with no luck.  News also came in that it hadn't been seen up at Posbrook either.  We decided to walk back and to go on to the reserve.  We had lunch in the Meon Shore hide where everything is dominated by the Black-headed Gulls, but there were Black-tailed Godwits, Avocet and this Coot bringing more nest material to its partner who was sitting on a nest in front of the hide.

A male Marsh Harrier came close to the hide.

But as usual didn't stay long and could be seen showing well in front of the Spurgin Hide.  With this in mind we walked to th e hide and settled in.  It didn't take long for the male to show and started to fly over the reeds and go through a hover and drop and then move on.

A close fly past by the male.

More of the hovering with legs down.

It appeared to be hunting, maybe for two who knows.

It was giving some lovely fly-bys the hide.

While the harrier was away for awhile a male Sparrowhawk came into view, initially raising hopes of possibly a Hobby, but quickly identified as a Sparrowhawk.

Then the Marsh Harrier was back.

This was interesting, the harrier twisting the head and then scratching the back of the head while on the wing.

To finish some lovely shots of the hunting technique, the long legs dangling down as the eyes scan for prey below.

So no Night Heron for Ian but an interesting day nonetheless.  Good to get the first Cuckoo of the year and some great shots on Marsh Harrier, plus good numbers of butterflies on the wing.