18th August - Northney Paddocks, Hampshire

Northney Paddocks at this time of year appears to be a magnet for small passerines at this time of year.  I had never been, so with reports of Pied Flycatcher over the last few days and the fact that I had yet to see one in the county, decided to go first thing this morning.

Before walking around to the paddocks I decided to check the scrub along the Billy path to the entrance to the Oyster Beds. As I walked along the path there were good numbers of Great, Blue and Long-tailed Tits, with a few Chiffchaffs in the bushes.  The tide was falling and a Little Egret fished just off the first oyster bed.

Oystercatcher and a couple of Curlew were on the exposed sea weed.

On the shallow pool alongside the path were five Redshank and a Kingfisher flew towards, perched on the fence then immediately flew off as I went to raise the camera.  There was a lot of activity at the back of the pool in the bramble and hawthorn bushes.  A group of Whitethroats, several Chiffchaffs and a nice Lesser Whitethroat.

I then set off to area I had initially come for, crossing the road and walking around the garage onto the footpath heading south.  I stopped at the left turn off the south path where it was possible to view the bushes around a concrete building.  There were plenty of Spotted Flycatchers, maybe five or six, it was difficult to count properly.  They would flycatching from the bushes.

Try as I might I couldn't find a Pied Flycatcher amongst them.  After a good search I moved on along the west east path.  A Wryneck was reported yesterday from the east end of the path, but it was almost birdless this morning with just a couple of Chiffchaffs in the trees.

Walking back the Swallows alerted me to a Sparrowhawk above.

It looks like an immature bird.

The Swallows actively mobbing the Sparrowhawk.

Walking back there was a footpath that came off the cross path heading south, this allowed a view of the bushes that couldn't be seen from else where.  A Green Woodpecker flew across and the Sparrowhawk returned, alerting once again the Swallows to attack.

A female or juvenile Redstart was showing in one of the Hawthorn bushes and there were Spotted Flycatchers once again.  Viewing the trees alongside the west east path a Flycatcher looked different.

Lacks any streaking and there is the brown area on the throat, I could also see a small amount of wing stripe.  Was this the Pied Flycatcher?

It moved and I could then see that it was, a rounder head, the wing stripe and a flash of white around the primaries and in the last photo the darker area beside the throat  I was happy it was a Pied Flycatcher.

Job done I decided to head home, I have work to do.