20th July - Titchfield Haven, Hampshire

Back to Titchfield today.  Much cooler with the fresh northerly breeze.  I headed around to the west side of the reserve, pausing to take a look at the male Goosander that was in the harbour.  Heavily in moult the spring's bottle green head was now a reddish brown and the wings were without and primaries or secondaries feathers.  It is separated from the female redhead at this time of year by the white panel on the wings.

The tide was at it's lowest and the terns were fishing in the shallow water and carrying their catch on to the scrape to feed the young terns.

There were four Common Scoter out on the Solent, much too far away to photograph.  As I watched them a message came in announcing a Little Stint on the south scrape.  Rather than go straight to the Meon Shore hide I walked around to the Pumfrett where you can view both scrapes.  The stint was showing but ironically closer to the Meon Shore hide.

So I walked back and it was still showing, but insisted on feeding around the legs of Black-tailed Godwits.

Here with a Dunlin for size comparison.

This is quite an early Little Stint for the Haven and shows that the wader passage is now well under way.

There were four Dunlin, all in summer plumage feeding around the island.

Over the last few weeks there has been a Common Tern on its nest on what was an island, but is now part of the mud.  I was beginning to think the eggs were not going to hatch, but today there was a glimpse of a chick and I was told that there are two.

The Black-tailed Godwits are still looking very smart in their brick red plumage.

Other notable birds on the scrape were the Tufted Duck still with her three ducklings and two Little Stint on an island on the far right hand side

There had been a Brown Hairstreak reported on Sunday on the east side of the reserve so I was keen to try and find one.  Turnstone have been absent in the harbour, but today there were nine feeding along the edge of the water, all in their orange summer plumage.

And so the search began.  I am sure I had one fly past me in the typical Brown Hairstreak manner as if a little tipsy.  It didn't stop though and the search continued and while it didn't turn up a photographable Brown Hairstreak there was plenty to see.

Two Jersey Tiger Moths, one high up in the security and shade ot the tree leaves.

And another on the Hemp Acrimony.

These moths are becoming commoner as the temperatures continue to rise.

The obligatory Painted Lady.

A Large White, there were also Small White and Green-veined White.

Then in amongst the wild flowers smaller butterflies.  A female Common Blue.

And a Brown Argus.

No Brown Hairstreak once again, but some interesting sightings, with Little Stint a welcome year tick.