5th December - Farlington Marshes, Hampshire.

I have been laid up with a bug for the most part of the week courtesy of my Grandson.  Last night there was a lot of media noise about the last super moon of the year, the Cold December Moon.  For once the skies were clear and I was able to get a photograph of the moon.  The moon is close to the earth, hence the size and it will be at its highest point in the night sky

I felt better this morning so decided to head out.  I could only get out late morning and with weather due early afternoon, I opted for Farlington.  I knew it would be high spring tide when I arrived, but what I didn't appreciate was the strength of the wind.  It hadn't been so evident inland, but it was really blowing in from the south west as I sorted my gear out.

I walked through the bushes and then alongside the stream.  There were big gulls bathing and a few Shelduck, but nowhere near the amount of duck I would have expected at high tide.  On the field at the back of the stream was a large Shelduck roost and Curlew were calling as the flew across the marsh.

I walked around to the information hut, but still very few birds, as I walked towards the sea wall the sky away to the south was very impressive, a storm was approaching.

Coming up on to the sea wall, the tide was extremely high, a result of the super moon.

With very little roost sites in the harbour the Curlew were coming on to the marsh to feed and roost.  They were in amongst the Brent.

There were Brent Geese out on the water, this side of the Farlington peninsula sheltered from the strong wind.  There were also Brent Geese on the Deeps, but as I approached they took off and flew over heading to the marshes.

A Stonechat sheltered from the wind behind the bushes in the ditch.  On the Deeps there was a large roost of Oystercatcher.

There were plenty of duck around the pools at the Deeps, Shoveler, Gadwall and Teal on the water and Wigeon grazing on the surrounding grass.  Pintail were mostly at the back of the pools, but there was a pair close to the path, showing well in the choppy water.

Walking around the southern tip of Point Field you could really feel the strength and temperature of the wind.  In places the tide was lapping over the sea wall and creating puddles on the path.

As I approached the Lake, once again the water was not as busy as I expected it to be, there were Lapwing and godwits on the south side and Pintail to the north.  In the middle of the Lake were seven Avocet, the highest count I have seen in the last few weeks.

I sat at the view point watching and had lunch, nothing much happened aside from the wind getting stronger and the sky a lot darker.  After my lunch I decided to walk back to the car but as I did a lot of the duck and godwits took off along with of course the Lapwing.  I could see any predator reason for spook.

Of the duck, the Teal were the most flighty but a few of the Pintail were also moving about.

And of course the Lapwing were circling around almost all the time.

I made my way back tot he car and headed home.  As I came through Steep and out onto the road past The Poacher public house I noticed a car parked on the side of the road.  The driver was taking something out of the boot, It looked like a dead Hare, so I turned around and came back, by which time the car had gone.  The Hare had just been thrown over the gate so I climbed into the field and carried it further into the field.  Above me were a flock of fifteen or more Red Kite.

I went back to the car, got my camera and settled in to watch the Red Kite as they circled around.  They never came down to the Hare, but did come close and I was able to get some acceptable shots in the gloom.

They were scanning the sky, probably to keep an eye on the other Red Kites.

The Red Kites drifted away, the Hare probably not yet ripe enough.  Not the most productive day, but nice to get out in the fresh, windy, cold air.