14th October - Titchfield Haven NNR, Hampshire

Another grey, calm day and I was interested to see whether the work that was conducted last week at Titchfield Haven had disturbed the birds on the reserve.  There was still a bit of drizzle in the air when I arrived, but this has stopped as I walked around the sea wall.

Low tide was around midday but the tide was falling rapidly and out on the mud was a group of gulls and some Brent Geese.

Walking around the road there was quite a bit of activity in the vegetation, Long-tailed Tits, Stone chat and several Chiffchaff.

After the events of last week, I cautiously entered the Meon Shore hide, the water level had been raised last week to allow boats on the scrape, but fortunately this had dropped, but there were no waders on the scrape other than these Snipe on the island.

With the Snipe on the island were several Teal.

There was very little going on so I decide to walk up to the Spurgin, there was always the chance of Kingfisher and Marsh Harrier.

As I passed Darter's Dip I heard the call of a Firecrest and I walked around the stream to get a better view and found two in the trees.

In the Spurgin hide it was very quiet, a couple of Mallard and single Grey Heron the only birds present.

A Little Grebe put in a brief appearance at the back of the mere.  A Buzzard called and flew over.

Then came back.

And then settled in a tree before becoming as bored as me and flew off.

It was only 11:00 am and I had eaten my lunch, that was how interesting my stay had been.  I decided to head back and try the Pumfrett Hide.  This wasn't much better but there were seven Wigeon on one of the islands on the north scrape.

With the tide low the edges of the reeds in the bay were exposed and a Water Rail was having a bath.

There was a report of a Black-throated Diver offshore.  Unfortunately it was quite distant, but clearly a Black-throated Diver showing the white patch on the flank.

It teased sometimes looking like it would come closer, but then swimming away once again.

Also out on the water was a raft of at least nineteen Eider.  They were diving so I feel that this was the maximum count.  The males looking splendid in their breeding plumage.

Some wing flaps.

The Brent Geese were flushed by a low helicopter, so it was nice to watch them fly back to the shallow water on the beach.

A Little Egret flew past as I watched the diver.

I wanted to look on the east side of the reserve, but decided to have a look from the viewing area.  With the water low another Water Rail was walking around the edge of the mud, avoiding the Coot.

Below me amongst the bramble and reeds were several Chiffchaff.  There was a clear difference in plumage colour, this one being of a brown hue.

While this individual was more lemony green, probably a first year bird.

From the bridge a drake Gadwall was roosting close to the reeds casting a lovely reflection.

I walked to the Knight's Bank hide where again it was very quiet.  However at one point everything went up.  I couldn't see any predator, but there were two of the Glossy Ibis flushed from the back of the Frying Pan.

After the Ibis a Sparrowhawk being mobbed by a crow and three Stonechat on the hedge to the right of the hide were the only birds of note.  It didn't look like it was going to clear up so I decided to head home.  How much more of this weather are we going to have, surely it will break soon, or at least have the sun come out.