28th October - Titchfield Haven, Hampshire

My last outing in October saw me heading to Titchfield Haven.  On the way a report of a Yellow-legged Gull on the beach saw me walking down to the area behind the Sailing Club.  There were quite a few gulls on the beach, but apparently they had been disturbed a few minutes earlier and there wasn't any sign of it.  All we had were Black-headed Gulls, a Great Black-backed Gull and a Common Gull.  At the water's edge were a couple of Sanderling and six Black-tailed Godwits.  The morning light made for an interesting view of the godwits.

Colour images wasn't up to much so I converted to black and white.

Walking around to the sea wall by the west end of the reserve four Eider flew past heading west.

A Yellow-browed Warbler had been seen along the canal path, so I decided to give it a go.  It was quiet for most of the walk but at Hammond's Bridge there was a flock of Long-tailed Tits and Blue Tits, but there was no sight or sound of a Yellow-browed Warbler.  

I did though manage to see a distant Clouded Yellow flying around the adjacent field.

While I stood around listening I was taken by the sunshine on the reed stem.

Back at the reserve it was very quiet, hardly anything on the south scrape besides a single Snipe on the island and Oystercatchers gathering on the islands as the tide started to rise.

I walked on to the Spurgin hide where it wasn't much better, no duck on the water and no Kingfisher.  One of the immature Marsh Harriers cruised over the reeds.

And attracted attention from the Crows that didn't want it around.

After avoiding the Crows mobbing it flew towards the scrapes, but didn't stay long coming back past the hide.

The Little Grebe lon the water in front of the hide.

The Marsh Harriers continued to show and were continually mobbed.  This time an interesting crow, showing partial leucism in the wings.

This crow has been around for a few years so even with the moult it retains the white pigment in the wing feathers.

An indication of how quiet it was I photographed these Mallard flying past.

The redd seed heads in the weak sunshine and breeze.

Another fly past, this time Black-tailed Godwits.

But it was a lovely day with some impressive white clouds away to the east.

Again I think better in black and white.

I walked back to the Meon Shore Hide where it was a little better, with several Shoveler and the appearance of a Kingfisher that flew back and forth in front of the hide.  Another Marsh Harrier came over the north scrape and then down the east side of the scrape.

One of the several male Shoveler flying around the scrape.

On my way back to the car I stopped at the gate to the spit behind the Sailing club.  While there were fishermen at the end of the spit, the usual spot for the high tide roost, the Sanderling and Ringed Plover were in the middle moving between the groynes.  This Sanderling was feeding on the tide line.

A Ringed Plover.

And as you can see the Ringed Plover has a ring, which reads AYC.  What I can't see is if there are any colour rings on the left leg, so it is not possible to find out where it was ringed.

Ringed Plover and Sanderling at roost.

With the tide high there were plenty of Turnstone taking advantage of half term and picking up food given by the visitors.

Not one of the better days here, when it is bad its bad here, but when it is good its great.