Has the weather finally broken? This morning it was overcast, if still humid and warm. I headed to Titchfield Haven and arrived with the tide well out and plenty of beach exposed. I walked on to the Sailing Club spit and then down on to the beach through the pools of water.
Common Terns were together at the edge of the water, here and adult, immature and juvenile birds.
There were Redshank and Turnstone feeding on the mud and of course a good number of Sanderling.
Some of the Sanderling were still showing bits of summer plumage.
But it was interesting to watch the Common Terns once again and a similar behaviour to that of the terns on the scrape. One bird was carrying a fish and seemed again to want to feed the juveniles who seemed to ignore the bird.
Lots of calling here between adults and a single juvenile.
Not successful in feeding it flew around with the fish.
Again tried to offer the fish.
But then when it realised that there were no takers, it flew off.
I went on to the west side of the reserve and into the Meon Shore hide. I was greeted by the scrape full of water with the islands now hardly showing. The reason for this was to move birds from the botulism area, but it has totally ruined the scrape for passage waders. I didn't stay long and walked to the Pumfrett hide where the light was poor and the north scrape completely dry in the areas you can see, but much of the area is obscured by the reeds. The Spurgin hide was even worse so I walked back to the east side and the Meadow Hide.
Looking across to the Duck Bay a Great Egret was sat on a branch over the water.
A couple of Little Egrets were also present, but little else. There was a report of Cattle Egrets but I couldn't see them, so I walked to the Knight's Bank hide and the Cattle Egrets were sat in a tree at the back of the Frying Pan.
An Immature Marsh Harrier scattered everything from the Frying Pan, my first for some time here. Then came the rain and quite heavy, but very welcome.
In a break in the rain I headed back to the car, there was a report of Whinchat along the Canal Path at Posbrook. It was raining when I reached the car, but as I headed north the rain stopped, and the roads were dry and the sun came out.
I walked to the brick bridge, then climbed the gate and walked along the patch adjacent to the old Pony Field. At the far end there were two Whinchat, one initially showing well on a post.
The other Whinchat was in the bramble bushes and was then joined by the other bird, both sitting together.
As well as the Whinchat there was also a report of Spotted and Pied Flycatcher further down the Canal Path. I couldn't find the flycatchers, but there were several Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs 'fly catching' from an Ash tree.
Some photographs of the Willow Warblers
The floods looked dry, but above them there were good numbers of Swallows and House Martins. The Swallows stayed out over the dry floods while the House Martins were hawking around the side of the trees.
It looked like the majority of the House Martins were immature birds from this year and preparing for that long journey south.
A disappointing visit today, the water levels are not good for birds at the moment, but the reason is with the best intentions. Hopefully they will drop once again in time for the wader passage. Still there was a bonus of another year tick.
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