8th September - Farlington Marshes, Hampshire

At this time of year, Farlington Marshes always seems to bring the birds and recent reports showed that this was the case this year, so it was down the A3 I drove, to try my luck.  I walked around the bushes and trees and out towards the stream.  It was a lovely morning with plenty of sunshine and some impressive high clouds.

With the sunshine came the butterflies and Small Heath and Meadow Brown passed me and plenty of Common Blue, here a male and female Common Blue.

There were cattle both feeding and lying down and around them were six Cattle Egret picking off the insects and bugs around the legs and muzzle of the cattle.  This one has the rusty brown head feathers and also on the breast.

This one has lost the breeding plumage.

As the cattle moved away the Cattle Egret followed them.

As all the Cattle Egret went up,they flushed three Glossy Ibis.  Two flew high, while the third bird stayed low and was the first to drop into the reed stubble.

There has been an influx of Glossy Ibis this September, with the three here, four seen at Posbrook a couple of days ago and two between Hook and Titchfield.

I walked toward the Information Hut and caught up with the Cattle Egret again.

I had mentioned earlier that the clouds were looking impressive, this was the view from the Information Hut, looking across the Stream.

A little further along the path towards the sea wall this cloud loomed over the marshes and just after taking this it produced a short sharp shower.

The tide was rising and the area where the cross footpath meets the eastern side of the sea wall Grey Plover always to congregate on the saltmarsh, also at this time of year there are still a good number still in their silver grey and black breeding plumage.

I rounded Point Field and headed towards the Lake, once again some impressive clouds over the Portsmouth sky line.

As I reached the Lake there was a good number of waders on the water and mud.  Black-tailed Godwits and Grey Plover and the Grey Plover spooked and took off around the Lake and out over the harbour.

I was looking for a Little Stint, but there was a distinct lack of small waders.  As I scanned I noticed a small wader, that was at first alongside a Lapwing which helped gauge the size and was happy this was a Little Stint, which was confirmed when it woke up and walked away.

Oystercatcher coming in as they lose their roosting island aout in the harbour.

The Grey Plover took off once again.

There were 23 Knot on the mud, here a few of them.

And just before I left the Lake an almost puka Grey Plover.

I decided to walk back along the Lake and almost immediately I could hear and see above me Yellow Wagtail.  The cattle were near the water edge and in amongst was a huge flock of Yellow Wagtail, buy far the largest I have ever seen.  The challenge now was to see if I could get some acceptable images, something I haven't been able to do in the past.

They seemed to just appear amongst the grass, when you saw one others would just magically appear.

The duller birds are this year's juveniles, while the duller but well marked birds the females.

Its the males though that stand out, bright canary yellow.

They breed on marshlands and water meadows across the country and gather at this time of year before their migration south to the southern mediterranean and Africa.

Most definitely the best Yellow Wagtail photographs I have taken.

The cattle moved on and the Yellow Wagtails went with them, their distinctive calls filling the air as they flew after the cattle that provides the food.

Scanning along the edge of the water I found a small wader, getting a closer look it was a Little Stint.  A juvenile bird showing the distinctive "split supercillium"

I walked towards the hut once again, following the cattle and I wasn't alone as the Cattle Egret appeared once again, flying in.

Showing off the breeding plumage nicely.

I stood by the gate watching the egrets and the Yellow Wagtails and the cows, ever inquisitive came over to me, bring with them the Yellow Wagtails.

Here evidence as to why the wagtails follow th ecows, they attract the insects.

I went back along the stream and joined a few birders who had been looking for the Wood Sandpiper.  Three Little Stints flew down stream and two Glossy Ibis showed again.  On the water there were quite a few Wigeon, all in eclipse, a Tufted Duck and a pair of Pintail, again in eclipse.

The Wood Sandpiper showed briefly in the dad reed stubble and was a fitting end to a great day at Farlington.