21st September - Titchfield Haven, Hampshire

Right, a confession, this week or the next two days will be the last trips out I take birding for hopefully two to three weeks.  I am scheduled to have a cataract surgery on the 24th of this month.  So with a beautiful morning I decided to spend as much of the day as I could at Titchfield Haven.

I parked up at Cliff road and then walked down to the cabin to check in and then set off around the to the sea wall.  But I stopped at the bridge where below a smart looking drake Gadwall was feeding at the edge of the reeds.  It seems that the drake Gadwall are always the firs ducks to show the full winter breeding plumage.

The tide was falling, and there were not any waders on the high tide roost on the beach behind the sailing club.  The sea was like a mill pond and out in the middle was a group of Eider.  I could see nine, but there were thirteen counted earlier.

The Rainbow Bar was now showing and there was a large group of Mediterranean Gulls aof all ages present.  This just a selection of the gulls present.

Also flying around the bar were Sandwich Terns, these adults.

At the entrance to the west side of the reserve were at least twelve Clouded Yellows, maybe more.  Here are a couple.

The Meon Shore hide was rammed with people, but I managed to find a space and settled in.  Outside the scrape was covered in hundreds of Canada Geese, the most I have ever seen here.  In amongst the geese were Little Egrets, this one hunting in the open water along with a nice reflection.

A Couple of Whimbrel flew from the north scrape calling and headed out towards the beach.  I decided to go out to search for them, but there wasn't any sign on what was now a busy beach.  The Sandwich Terns were still about, one coming close to the sea wall.

Again adult birds, now in their non breeding plumage.

Back on the reserve I walked up to the Pumfrett hide, but other than sixty seven Lapwing on the north scrape it was quiet.  Back in the Meon Shore hide it was quieter.  A Redshank on the small island in front of the hide.

Oystercatchers heading out to the beach and shallow water at low tide/

In amongst the Canada Geese were a few Greylag and Egyptian Geese and this one Barnacle Goose.

Like the Rainbow Bar earlier there were a lot of Mediterranean Gulls on the scrape.  There were gulls of all ages, this one a first year bird going out of it's juvenile plumage.

There were more 'Med' Gulls than the usual Black-headed Gulls.  These adult bird leaving the scrape and heading out to the sea.

A quiet day for September, but a glorious day weather wise.  A good laugh in the hide as well.