14th October - Titchfield Haven NNR, Hampshire

Another grey, calm day and I was interested to see whether the work that was conducted last week at Titchfield Haven had disturbed the birds on the reserve.  There was still a bit of drizzle in the air when I arrived, but this has stopped as I walked around the sea wall.

Low tide was around midday but the tide was falling rapidly and out on the mud was a group of gulls and some Brent Geese.

Walking around the road there was quite a bit of activity in the vegetation, Long-tailed Tits, Stone chat and several Chiffchaff.

After the events of last week, I cautiously entered the Meon Shore hide, the water level had been raised last week to allow boats on the scrape, but fortunately this had dropped, but there were no waders on the scrape other than these Snipe on the island.

With the Snipe on the island were several Teal.

There was very little going on so I decide to walk up to the Spurgin, there was always the chance of Kingfisher and Marsh Harrier.

As I passed Darter's Dip I heard the call of a Firecrest and I walked around the stream to get a better view and found two in the trees.

In the Spurgin hide it was very quiet, a couple of Mallard and single Grey Heron the only birds present.

A Little Grebe put in a brief appearance at the back of the mere.  A Buzzard called and flew over.

Then came back.

And then settled in a tree before becoming as bored as me and flew off.

It was only 11:00 am and I had eaten my lunch, that was how interesting my stay had been.  I decided to head back and try the Pumfrett Hide.  This wasn't much better but there were seven Wigeon on one of the islands on the north scrape.

With the tide low the edges of the reeds in the bay were exposed and a Water Rail was having a bath.

There was a report of a Black-throated Diver offshore.  Unfortunately it was quite distant, but clearly a Black-throated Diver showing the white patch on the flank.

It teased sometimes looking like it would come closer, but then swimming away once again.

Also out on the water was a raft of at least nineteen Eider.  They were diving so I feel that this was the maximum count.  The males looking splendid in their breeding plumage.

Some wing flaps.

The Brent Geese were flushed by a low helicopter, so it was nice to watch them fly back to the shallow water on the beach.

A Little Egret flew past as I watched the diver.

I wanted to look on the east side of the reserve, but decided to have a look from the viewing area.  With the water low another Water Rail was walking around the edge of the mud, avoiding the Coot.

Below me amongst the bramble and reeds were several Chiffchaff.  There was a clear difference in plumage colour, this one being of a brown hue.

While this individual was more lemony green, probably a first year bird.

From the bridge a drake Gadwall was roosting close to the reeds casting a lovely reflection.

I walked to the Knight's Bank hide where again it was very quiet.  However at one point everything went up.  I couldn't see any predator, but there were two of the Glossy Ibis flushed from the back of the Frying Pan.

After the Ibis a Sparrowhawk being mobbed by a crow and three Stonechat on the hedge to the right of the hide were the only birds of note.  It didn't look like it was going to clear up so I decided to head home.  How much more of this weather are we going to have, surely it will break soon, or at least have the sun come out.

20th December - Emsworth Mill Pond, Hampshire

Back in the eighties when I started birding once again, I used to drive from Kingston along the A27 and pass what I thought was Langstone Harbour, a small expanse of water just south of the A27.  These days I know better, the town was Emsworth and the water was the Mill Pond.  Fast forward to today and there were reports of a very confiding Black-throated Diver on the pond.  So with a bright morning and clam conditions I decided to go and visit.  At the start of this year there was a Black-throated Diver off shore at Hill Head, but with their relative scarcity along the south coast it wasn't something to be missed.  And so I found myself carefully driving alongside the pond and then searching for a parking space.  I walked out to the sea wall are behind the mill and sailing club and there on the pond was the Black-throated Diver.

I have seen them close at Redbridge and Blashford Lakes, but nothing like this, plus here this morning the water in the pond was dead still, producing reflections everywhere from the buildings that surround the pond.

It started off at the back of the pond as I stood on the east side with the low sun behind me.

So close there were plenty of chances for portraits.

Apparently the diver wasn't present first thing, but was seen to fly in from the harbour around 8:45.  As the Redbridge divers did it seemed to be swimming the circuit of the pond, frequently diving, the dive proceeded by a quick check from the surface.

I make no apology for the number of photographs, there is different behaviour and such a variation in reflections and colour in the water.  Here the diver low in the water.

Diagnostic is the white patch at the back of the side flank.

One of my favourites with the dark water providing the background.

The beads of water on the neck and body show how effective the waterproofing that the oils provide.

This means that the diver has to preen frequently to keep the feathers in tip top condition.

Then, of course, the obligatory wing flap.

After a preen the Black-throated Diver disappeared off to the far side of the pond, and was replaced by an equally showy Red-breasted Merganser male.  You can't see it in these photographs but this male's other eye was badly damaged, but it didn't seem to be a problem for the merganser.

The merganser is a diving duck, so like the diver has to ensure the feathers are in good condition.  This one paused to have a scratch and a preen of the feathers.  The effect of this was to perk up the head the spikey feathers on the head.

Some lovely reflections

And some great backgrounds curtesy of the buildings reflecting in the still water.

But the star of the show was back and showing as equally well once again.

The dive is smooth, the head raised and then slowly pushed into the water without any leap or splash.

It was quite busy on the path with people walking past the group of birders photographing the diver.  Inevitably, they ask what we are looking at and where did it come from, they look at you with a blank face when you explain what it is and the fact that you usually only ever see them as a spec on the sea or flying past at speed.  To see one like this is a privilege, the only downside is that it isn't in full summer plumage.

Now the diver's turn to find itself in the coloured water from the reflections.

More snorkelling.

Whilst it was diving all the time its ratio of catch to dive was poor, unless it consumed under water.  However in the north east corner of the pond it seemed to find more luck, here a nice sized crab that was consumed almost whole, a few legs did drop off.

Stunning background from the reflections of the buildings.

 Some nice portraits

Some more preening.

The bill working well to condition the feathers

Then back to diving with that smooth action.

Back in the north east corner the diver caught another crab.

It would frequently appear from diving very close to us, but always seemed to appearwith its back to me.

Whilst on another of its circuits a nice adult Common Gull appeared on the pond.

Then the diver was back and again a different behaviour, this time lying low on the water.

Then the conditions began to change, the sun disappeared as the clouds started to roll in and the wind picked up which resulted in a loss of the reflections and the water a battleship grey.

I concentrated on some close ups and portraits.

See the patch on the neck where it had just preened the feathers.

The feathers here on the back the subject of attention.

Another portrait showing the beads of water, plus the forehead, that while not as pronounced as in the Great Northern, more than seen in the Red-throated.

The darkening clouds threatened the forecast rain so I decided to call it a morning.  An incredible experience and I doubt I will get anything like it with this species once again.

Also seen around the pond was a Kingfisher, several Brent, Black-tailed Godwits and a Curlew.

Before I leave though here is some video of the Black-throated Diver, diving.