8th April - Warsash, Magdalen Hill and Easton, Hampshire

After the gloom of Saturday and the not so acceptable photographs of the American Golden Plover I said I would return, yesterday was to be the day but the plover was only reported late in the day.  Today I decided to just go and see if it was still around, the previous day had been a clear night as was last night and it stayed, so there was a good chance it would still be around.

As I walked along the coastal path I scanned ahead checking the tide line for waders but could only see Black-tailed Godwits.  It was a stunning morning, the breeze of yesterday gone and replaced with some serious warmth.

The tide was just after low tide which was not ideal.  An Oystercatcher was on the mud close to the path.  It was showing some rings.

A couple of Black-headed Gulls were calling and dive bombing a Little Egret, it wasn't clear what the egret had done, and the gulls quickly left it alone.  The Little Egret stood out against the dark background of the mud in the gully.

I met up with another birder and while we were talking another birder indicated that there was something on the tide line.  On reaching him I looked through his scope and confirmed it was the American Golden Plover.  The light much better today and the bird maybe a little closer.

To give the plover the justice it deserves I will publish the portfolio in a seperate post.  So now it will be about the rest of the day.

As we watched the plover a male Wheatear flew along the shore line, settling first on the mud, but then returning to the path.

The Wheatear scurried across the path, stooping low as it focuses on a meal.

In this case a bee on the shingle.

Which it managed to catch.

As it moved to the edge of the path I was able to drop down a little.

But it was off again with a little spring in the air.

By going down the bank I was able to get to eye level with the bird creating a nice foregraound and blurred background.

It came to the grass on the edge of the path and again I was at eye level.

A lovely background in these two.

Then again back on the path, as I have said before the spring male Wheatear is a stunning bird.  Here I can appreciate the long legs of the bird.

I walked the path in search of the reported Spotted Redshank but this remained out of sight despite being seen earlier in the morning.  There was though a Greenshank in the pool close to the coastal path.

Despite the traffic along the path the Greenshank came quite close.

After spending some more time with the plover I had to head back to the car park as my time was running out.  I noticed a black capped bird on the mud that at first I thought was a Mediterranean Gull, but as it looked up I could see it was a Sandwich Tern. But it flew off before I could get a shot.  Close to the Pink Ferry house there were several Black-tailed Godwits close in feeding on the mud.

With the warmth I had always decided to go the Magdalen Hill and it was a 30 minute drive.  As I walked up the hill to the reserve there were several Holly Blues around the laurel bushes, but of course they didn't stop.

Walking out on to the down it was covered with cowslips.

The only butterflies present were Peacocks and Brimstones.  A Kestrel hunted over the top of the down and Chiffchaffs sang from the trees.

I took some time to get low and close with the Cowslips.

I walked around the chalk pits and heard the sub song of a Whitethroat.  It remained hidden in the middle of the bush and just gave brief views.

As I walked along the hill there were many Brimstones, one or two males and females would engage in the duelling where they spin around each other and spiral up into the sky.

Disappointingly there were no other butterflies, despite being told that there were Green Hairstreaks and Dingy Skippers at the bottom of the slopes.  As a result I had to make do with the views.

Looking south across the A31.

And a stunning display of Cowslips across the down towards Winchester.

Walking down to the lower part of the reserve, again no butterflies stopping but a glimpse of a male Orange Tip and several Brimstone and Peacocks.  What I did manage to get to though was a Dotted Bee-fly nectaring on the Cowslips.

As I walked back to the top of the reserve a Raven flew over calling.

More Holly Blues as I walked down to the cars and one did stop on a laurel leaf, but the views were not good!

With some time and the warmth I decided to try once again for the Little Owl at Easton.  I have tried twice before without any luck.  But this time I was greeted with one Little Owl sitting outside the nest box hole.

Zooming out to see the nest box.

So it was a case of third time lucky with the Little Owl, but the day was all about a male Wheatear and the American Golden Plover, more photos of which can be seen on the next post.

22nd April - Noar Hill, Hampshire

There was some nice sunshine early morning, but it wasn't supposed to last through out the day.  I decided to make the annual pilgrimage to Noar Hill to hopefully find the Dukes.  Our last trip at the start of the month had drawn a blank, but I think we were maybe too optimistic that the good weather we were having would bring them out early.

This morning's visit was on the back of reports of good numbers of Duke of Burgundy at the reserve.  I turned up quite early, just after 9.00am but intended to walk as much of the reserve as I could.  At this time of year the hollows and quarries along with most of the open areas are covered in the yellow Cowslips.

Another flower I was hoping to see was the Early Purple Orchid.  I had to walk well into the reserve before I managed to find some.  They were though in very good condition.

A close up of the petals, much orchid like and distinguished from the other purple orchid that is out at this time, the Green-veined.  The Green-veined has green veins through the petals, the Early Purple is plain.

I walked to the far pits and was taken by these fresh Beech leaves hanging in the sunshine with a dark background.

I almost stepped on the this delicate fungi.  About three inches tall it is a Pleated Inkcap, the gills fringed with black.  I was able to get down low to appreciate this little beauty.

A view of the gills.

Like the dew drop on the grass stem close by.

Walking into the far pit the first butterfly was a Speckled Wood and then in the warmth of the quarry there were at least two Green-veined Whites.

Looking out across the surrounding fields the flowers of the rape were emerging.

And in the hazel coppice the Ransome's was in flower.

A Goldcrest was singing along the bridleway.  It lacks the white supercillium found in it cousin the Firecrest.

It was now just after 10:30 and more butterflies were emerging and one of the spring butterflies you always want to photograph but never stops, a male Orange Tip.  This one though eventually paused as the sun went in behind the clouds.

On the move once again, but then settled on a dandelion and showed the beautiful pattern of the underwing.

Another insect inspecting the Cowslips, this time a Dark-edged Bee-Fly.

At a small clump of Yew trees a Firecrest was singing and this gave the opportunity to see the difference with the Goldcrest.  The crest is more defined and a deeper orange, while the black on the crown and the white supercillium make the bird appear, in my opinion, more striking.

Backout intot he open from the coppiced hazel there were singing Yellowhammer and several Whitethroat that were difficult to see, but you could hear them.

A lovely scene looking across the fields towards the Selbourne Hanger.

Having made once circuit of the reserve I started to make the second.  It was quite warm now despite the breeze, the pits and quarries providing the shelter.  At the first pit from the main gate I came across the other Bee-Fly species, the Dotted Bee-fly.  It was nectaring on the cowslips so I decided to try and catch the wings with a very high shutter speed, 1/8000!

But as you can see, this wasn't fast enough.

Not bad on this one.

But some strange patterns with these two.

On the second circuit I was surprised to find a lot more Early Purple Orchids, surely they haven't just emerged.

The perfect back and fore ground for this Cowslips.

With the warmth now, if the Dukes were here surely they would show and they did.  Not one but two in the same area meant that they kept chasing each other away.

One of the earliest butterflies to emerge and to go away so it is easy to forget how beautiful their markings are.  Once upon a time thought to be a Fritillary, but now recognised as being related to the metal mark family.  They also surprise watchers by being so small, but that doesn't stop them supplying a punch.

A little further along I found another, this one was a little paler.

But was another male, the butterfly only having four legs.

In another pit there were two more, this one showing very well on this small branch.

I searched the far pits but couldn't find anymore Dukes, I did though come across this Marsh Tit.

I walked back to the main gate and checked the first chalk pit.  I couldn't find anymore Dukes but did come across these two Dingy Skippers.  Their name doesn't really do this little butterfly justice.  Look closely, freshly emerged they have some exquisite markings.

 

I walked out of the pit, but as I looked down I decided to return as an Orange Tip was flying around the bramble.  When I got back though the sun went in and the butterfly settled on a leaf with wings closed.  No problem the underwing is made up of lovely green and white markings.

I had a short walk around the early pits but the clouds were gathering and my time was running out.  There was one more Duke in the first chalk pit, making a total of six for me today.  The pilgrimage is over for yet another year, not sure if I will return again this spring, maybe in the summer.