The settled weather conditions continued, but today with ashen grey skies and no wind to speak of. I had been hoping to try Butser Hill for the Ring Ouzels, but there have not been any reports and the conditions we currently have are not ideal for them. So I headed to Farlington Marshes, somewhere I haven't been for a while.
I walked through the bushes and around past the hut, with very little about. The tide was low and had only now started to rise. I was told that there was an Osprey on North Binness Island, but when I got there I found nothing, later it transpired the Osprey was in fact a Peregrine.
A pair of Raven flew over honking as they went were the first birds of note.
There were plenty of Chiffchaff in the bushes around th editch, launching from the bramble bushes to fly catch in the still conditions.
Cattle were grazing in the field and in amongst them was just one Cattle Egret.
As well as the Chiffchaffs there were quite a few singing Robins and also Linnet in the bushes. On the Deeps there were Shoveler, the drakes almost completing their moult to the breeding plumage.
As I reached Point Field I noticed something moving on th epath, it crossed from the concrete of the sea wall and stopped in the grass. It was a Field Vole.
I am more used to seeing this little bundle of fluff in the claws of an owl or Kestrel, or being ripped apart, so it was a very nice experience to watch this small mammal who didn't seem to be worried about my presence.
It seemed to be digging in the grass looking for food.
The Field Vole is the UK's most abundant mammal, hence the animal being a key food for the birds of prey. The colour of their fur can vary, but it is the hairy ears and short tail that distinguish it from the similar Bank Vole. With the ears being covered in fur it makes them almost invisible on the side of the head.
As it disappeared into the longer grass I realised that there was another in the grass as well. I managed to kneel down to get a lower aspect.
I then was able to put the camera on the ground to gt an even better view.
Eventually both ran off into the long grass and I moved on. Rounding Point Field the tide was rising in the harbour, but hauled out on the mud were two distant Harbour or Common Seals.
The streams were filling up and as I approached the Lake I noticed a dark bird in one, a closer look showed it to be the Glossy Ibis that has made Farlington home, adding to the Hampshire population.
Walkers coming from opposite me eventually flushed it and it flew around me and out towards Point Field.
It left behind a Pintail on the mud. Most of the Pintail are currently in Eclipse plumage, but I think this is a female.
There was already a good sized wader roost on the Lake and this was continually being added to. Here Black-tailed Godwits dropping in.
I had been alerted to the fact that there was a showy Kingfisher on the Lake and sure enough one turned up on one of the old posts opposite the viewing area.
This is a female, with the pink flush on the lower mandible and I also think this maybe a first year bird from this year's brood somewhere as there is a light tip to the bill.
It dived several times into the water below only catching one small fish.
This looked like it was going to throw up a pellet, but I didn't see anything.
Then it flew off crossing the sea wall and out across the dead clam water.
It dropped onto the bladder wrack where it seemed to have caught something.
Dispatched it sat and watched.
Then off again and low over the water throwing a nice reflection on the mirror like water.
It then settled on the wrack again before flying north away from me.
Two Grey Herons flew past me this one against the dead reed stems and Glasswort.
One or two Black-tailed Godwits were leaving the roost and flying past me.
Pintail were beginning to drop in to join the Wigeon.
More waders coming on to the Lake to join the godwits, here Grey Plover, Dunlin and Knot.
A Sparrowhawk came low from the south but was picked up by a Crow and did not have the chance to worry the waders as it was shepherded away the crow. It sat on a post for sometime before heading off towards the bushes.
Black-tailed Godwits roosting.
The Kingfisher returned, different post this time.
The tide was now covering most of the mud and getting deep. The Pintail were flying in to roost on either the Lake or the Stream.
A drake with about half of its breeding plumage.
The Kingfisher back and on another different post. I like the shape and grain of this worn post so zoomed out to incorporate this with the colours of the Kingfisher.
As I left the Lake I stopped to take in the view, this time last year it was a lifeless flooded area with dead vegetation, to day there were reeds, colourful vegetation and plenty of birds.
Just before I reached the car park a female Kestrel flew up into one of the Hawthorns close to the path.
About half waya round the marshes I thought today was going to be a complete waste, but then the Field Voles, The Ibis and of course the Kingfisher made the visit all worth while.
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