27th December - Wicor Mill Lane and Titchfield Haven

On Christmas Eve, the presence of a male Cirl Bunting was confirmed in an area of paddocks just outside Portchester.  It was seen to be favouring an area of bushes around Wicor Pond an area that seems to have been created to support a new housing estate.  The first time I could get there was today.  It had been seen the previous day, but had also been seen flying away high, before a late report in the afternoon.

Cirl Bunting in Hampshire is very rare, the last report was of one in 1985, forty years ago.  They have been moving east over the last few years with breeding in Portland and closer in Durlston.  In fact Ian and I saw a pair back in April at Durlston.

We met just after nine and parked up, Starlings were singing in the tree tops, making the most of the sunshine.

We then walked around to where there was a collection of birders looking over the pond into some bushes.  The bad news though was that it hadn't been seen all morning.  We stuck around looking at Greenfinch and Goldfinches, but no Cirl Bunting.  

We decided to walk around the paddocks where there were House Sparrows and the odd Redwing.  A male Blackcap was seen feeding on crab apples and Linnets were singing in the bushes.

We went back to the pond, but still no sign of the Cirl Bunting.  A Redwing, curtsey of its eye stripe, had us hoping.

But by 11:00am we had decided it was gone.  Reports were coming in of nine White-fronted Geese on the East Meadows at Titchfield so we decided to head there.

We parked on Cliff Road and walked around to the visitor centre.  Out on the beach there were Brent Geese and a good sized Sanderling flock, while out to sea were six Eider.  We checked in and headed down the east side boardwalk.  The best views of the geese were apparently from the Knight's Bank hide and the number had increased from nine to forty two.

With the wind change to easterly and temperatures in Russia of minus 40 degrees there was a significant influx of wild geese along the south and south east coasts.  In Hampshire there were good numbers across the county and with them a few Bean Geese.  It seemed like the geese were now making there way back east.

The Geese were showing well in front of the hide.

There are two races of White-fronted Goose, these are the "Russian" White-fronted Goose, the bill is pink as opposed to that of the "Greenland" which has an orange bill, the Greenlands are also darker and have more bolder darker bars on the belly, with the Russians a little more variable.

There were also a good number of immature birds, these lacking the white at the base of the bill that gives the goose its name.

There was plenty of drinking by almost all the geese.

And plenty of stretching.

The White fronts were in amongst a large flock of Canada, but also a few Greylag, which is a similar looking goose, a little larger and with an orange bill.

There were also of course the Egyptian geese.

Also around the meadow was a Marsh Harrier that seemed to have caught something and was eating it in the grass.

And there was one of the Curlews.

Some more of the White fronts, before we left to walk around to the west side.

From the harbour bridge a drake Gadwall in the sunshine.

Very little from the Meon Shore hide, the north wind keeping everything at the far end of the scrape.  This drake Teal was an exception.

From the Pumfrett hide there were views of the Teal and Wigeon, but nothing close.  This Little Egret standing in the sunshine.

And on the north scrape a Grey Heron, doing much the same.

The Lapwing, as usual were jumpy with large flocks taking off all together before settling back down.

We walked up to the Spurgin hide where a distant Kingfisher raised some hope, while a Marsh Harrier flew up and down over the reed bed.

Another Grey Heron in the reeds.

There was plenty of time to admire the reeds against the dark background.

There were three Marsh Harriers up at one time, this female coming the closer to the hide.

A report of fifty plus White fronts heading east from Warsash had us checking the skies and we saw the group heading over the Posbrook area.  We popped intot he Meon Shore hide, these two drake shoveler on one of the islands.

Walking back to the car we passed the Turnstones, Ian checked through them and found this one Dunlin amongst them.

Disappointment with the Cirl Bunting, but good to get the White fronts and in good numbers and close.