16th August - Titchfield Haven, TLC for Horses and Hooks Links, Hampshire

Back home, it was a start at Titchfield to meet Ian at the sea wall.  The original forecast was for a warm sunny day, but it was overcast with a chilly north east wind.  Off shore the terns were feeding and as the tide dropped the Common Terns were fishing in the shallow water.

This Common Tern silhouetted against the morning light, the light waves coming out as a dark foam.

A little later in better light hovering to fish, still in the shallow water.

From the sea wall we could see seven Cattle Egrets in the bushes, with the cattle close by.

Two Green Sandpipers flew around the scrapes and over towards Brownwich and as we walked back from the office a Greenshank circled the scrapes calling and then headed out across the Solent.  We went on to the reserve and checked the Meon Shore Hide.  For the first time in a long while it was almost silent, there were no Black-headed Gulls and Common Terns.  The Black-tailed Godwits were out on the beach leaving only the Avocet on the scrape.

We didn't stay long and soon left and decided to head to Warsash in the hope the Whinchats and Yellow Wagtails were still around the TLC for Horses field.

It didn't take long to find the Whinchat, but they were quite distant along the fence, this was the best image I could get.

Scanning across the field at the horses we could see wagtails flying up and around the horses, so we walked around the field to get a better view.

Still distant you can see they are all immature birds.

Keeping close to the horse.

Five Yellow Wagtails now.

The highest count on the ground, seven.

But when they flew up we counted 13, but they flew away and out of sight.

Walking back to the donkey field, there were more birds in the field.  A family party of Stonechat with this juvenile on the ground.

A Whinchat on the ground.

And finally an acceptable image of a Whinchat on a post.

From the TLC Field we walked down to the beach.  Walking towards the scrapes and pools I noticed a familiar shape on the foreshore, a Glossy Ibis.  It has been reported for just over a week now, but only one.  The question is:  Where are the others or is this a different bird?

Despite the overcast conditions, there was enough brightness to bring out the colours that give the Ibis it's name.

As we tried to get a little closer it looked up.

But was soon back to the work of foraging and feeding.

This looks like an adult bird, although there are some speckles on the neck.

Unfortunately there were people on the beach that didn't appreciate the Ibis and they came to close and it took off.  However this gave us the chance to see the colours in the wings.

It flew behind us and headed for the Meander Pools where it dropped out of sight.

Walking on we reached the gorse, fenced off with barbed wire and substantial posts.  

A nice looking juvenile Wheatear.

Then there were three juvenile Wheatears.

As well as the Wheatear, there was also a couple of Whinchat.  These though were a little closer than those at the TLC.

Some of my best Whinchat photographs.

Then the Wheatear returned and conveniently perched on the fence posts

Adult male and female and the juveniles the wheatear is always an elegant passerine to photograph.

More views of the Whinchat.

Once again the birds were all flushed by walkers.  I find it hard to understand how they can't see what we are looking at and show some caution, but no, they just walked past.

We decided to head back to the cars.  Offshore a Sandwich Tern headed up Southampton Water calling.  We flushed the Glossy Ibis and it flew around us once again before heading off to the scrape where there were a couple of juvenile Avocet.  We walked along the cliff path with Black-tailed Godwits on the mud and a single Curlew, while overhead a Kestrel.

From Hook we headed back to Titchfield Haven, the weather had not improved with a heavy cloud cover, but it was warm so we were hoping we could find the Willow Emerald Damselfly along the east side of the reserve.

Walking past the harbour there were plenty of Turnstones on the mud and amongst the summer plumaged adults was a juvenile, I don't recall seeing one in this plumage before.

Along the boardwalk were a few butterflies.  Mostly Speckled Wood and this Red Admiral.

And a Comma.

We headed to the Meadow Hide, with views across the meadow to the Frying Pan.  The Cattle Egret were around the water's edge, and I counted eleven, a maximum count being thirteen from a few days earlier.  Also on the Frying Pan were five sleeping Spoonbills, again hidden by the tall reeds and I had to stand on the seats to be able to count them.

A Great Egret flew up, showing briefly, we decided to try from the Knight's Bank Hide, but there the view was worse.  We walked back discussing and listening to music.  On reaching the start of the boardwalk, I found the Willow Emerald Damselfly, perched on a branch.

A dark metallic damselfly with white wing spots.  Only a recent colonist with it first being reported in East Anglia in 2009, but has spread rapidly, as far north now as North Yorkshire, west as far as Warwickshire and along the south coast.  It has become regular over the last three years here at Titchfield.

As side view.

And some close ups of the head and thorax.

We didn't get the weather forecast, but it didn't ruin the day, some great views of Whinchat and Wheatear, good numbers of Yellow Wagtail and the Willow Emerald at last.  Oh and of course the Glossy Ibis is back, well at least one of them.