7th October - Titchfield Haven Canal Path and Reserve, Hampshire

Survey work is taking place this week on the scrapes at Titchfield, preparation for some "replenishment" work sometime next year.  As a result I would imagine the scrapes are empty.  So I decided to walk down the canal path and then around to the east side of the reserve.

As I set off it was very noticeable that there was a definite movement of hirundine, with many Swallows zipping around the trees that lined the path

The path itself is beginning to show some signs of autumn colour.

the so called Posbrook Floods looking very dry at the moment.

Joining the Swallows were several House Martins.

Some more Swallows, not pristine but not too bad.

Reaching the mid way of the path two Crossbills flew over heading west and even more unusual I could hear Bearded Tits calling from the reeds across the field.  A Sparrowhawk put up a large flock of Goldfinches, but drifted away over the trees to the east.

Just past Hammonds Bridge there were several more Chiffchaff about in flocks of Long-tailed Tits and Goldcrests.  A little further along the Goldcrest turned into a very confiding Firecrest.

It remained in the dark, making it difficult to photograph.

But the light and the dark background played its part in some atmospheric photographs.

Has a bit of a scratch.

A Great Spotted Woodpecker called above, but kept out of sight, but a Nuthatch calling did show much better.

I walked around the sea wall where the tide was now up.  This week sees spring tides so they will be very high for the remained of the week.  I had hoped to see some waders on the spit behind the sailing club, but it seems the fishermen have decided to take this over.  So the Solent Bird Aware's ban on dogs on the beach is meaningless if these fishermen use it.

After checking in I walked up to the Knight's Bank hide.  Here I hd my lunch and watched the meadow and the Frying Pan.  A Great Egret fed alongside a Little Egret at the back of the Frying Pan.

The Marsh Harrier appeared over the water flushing at least fourteen Wigeon that headed down river only to return a little later, probably flushed by the work on the scrapes.

To the right of the hide there is a fence line and gate and along here were at least two Whinchat and several Stonechat.  At first they stayed distant, but gradually came a little closer for some acceptable photographs.

One of the Whinchats.

And a nice male Stonechat.

From the Knights Bank I walked to the Meadow Hide, where one of the Glossy Ibis could be seen on the edge of Duck Bay.

It would seem there has been some "replenishment" work in front of the Meadow Hide, with a gully cleared and opened up on the left hand side.

While to the right there are some pools that will probably fill nicely over the winter and attract Snipe and maybe even some visible Jack Snipe.

From the Meadow Hide I  started the walk back to the car at Bridge Street.  Passing through the visitor centre there was a smart Red Admiral enjoying the sunshine of the trunk of a tree.

And passing the view point on the river a Common Gull was roosting on one of the posts.

I headed up the Canal Path, stopping in the area around Hammond's Bridge to watch Great Spotted Woodpecker and a large flock of Chiffchaff, Blue, Great and Long-tailed Tits and a few Goldcrests in the canopy.

I watched a male Sparrowhawk fly low across the open meadow and down into a ditch by the reeds.

As I approached Posbrook Floods a female Kestrel was hunting in the field close to the footpath, hovering close to me I watched as she dropped lower and lower before dropping into the grass.

The hunt was not successful and she soon came up and flew past me before starting the process all over again.

There was little else of interest as I walked the final few metres back to the car.  The surveying work had clearly changed the chances of much else, but it had been a lovely walk in beautiful weather and when you look back I had seen despite the work some good birds today.