5th September - Oxey Marsh to Normandy Marsh, Hampshire

Before we walked around to Normandy we decided to check the lagoons on Oxey, but stopped on the south side of the Oxey Lake where the low water was providing ideal feeding for waders.  There were good numbers of Redshank and at first two Greenshank.  There was exposed algae and sea weed and the Greenshank were feeding around the edge of the green weed.

A Greenshank and the Redshank, showing off the difference primarily the leg colour between the two.

A nice reflection in the water.

Once again the two waders together.

Some nice reflections in the shallow water.

Then two became three, not sure where the third bird arrived from.

Some symmetry from the Greenshanks while feeding.

Note the difference in plumage, the right hand bird showing the silver grey winter plumage, which is an adult bird.  The left hand bird has white fringes to the feathers and a darker plumage and this is a juvenile bird from this year.

Then a fourth bird flew in to join the three.

Satisfied we had enough photographs of the Greenshank we walked back around to Salterns and Eight Acre Pond.  This Redshank had us hoping it was something else, but it was a Common Redshank.

The Little Egrets were still feeding in the water and the dark water was providing some nice backgrounds and some reflections.

We had seen a few Clouded Yellows and strangely the majority of these were of the 'helice' sub species, but they never stopped for a photograph.

Walking on to Normandy it was quiet and as we approached Normandy Marsh the lagoon looked empty.  There were a few Greenshank at the far side of the marsh, and a few Redshank.  We walked around the sea wall to the south side and amongst two Redshank was a single Curlew Sandpiper.  This one a juvenile bird.

It came across the water and then fed just below us close to the shore.

The peachy flush on the breast indicative of the juvenile plumage.

The Curlew Sandpiper then decided to hide form us so we decided to walk to the east side of the lagoon and to use the bench for lunch.  The marsh on the east side was covered in the reddish Glasswort and in amongst tit were a Lapwing.

And a juvenile Ringed Plover.

As we walked back along the southern side of the marsh Ian picked up a wader that dropped down into the same area as the Curlew Sandpiper was seen in earlier.  As we got closer we could see that it was a Knot.

Slightly larger than a Dunlin and just the Curlew Sandpiper, they are grey at this time of year and appear a quite plain, medium sized wader with a rather dumpy appearance.

It moved around the vegetation and when it came back into view the one had become two!

The Curlew Sandpiper was still present, but this time feeding around the rocks and pebbles of the spit in the lagoon.

It looks a very delicate looking wader.

The Knot were then relocated, this time snoozing amongst the rocks.  Knot number one.

Knot number two.

Both Knot together.

Walking back the only wader seen was a Ringed Plover.  It was quite remarkable that on a lagoon that appeared to be completely devoid of birds we managed to see a Curlew Sandpiper and Knot.  A great day, there wasn't the quantity of birds that you would expect to see around the reserve, but the quality for the day was really up there with some other big days here.  Well worth the visit.

1st September - Farlington Marshes, Hampshire - Part Two

Part two of my visit to Farlington and a slightly different experience to that first thing but in no way lacking in the quality of part one

The Lake at Farlington at this time of year can provide some very good conditions for autumn waders and this was definitely the case today  There was visible mud and some shallow water, the waders were roosting in the shallow water with a lot of duck occupying the deep water to the middle of the lake.

The one problem is the distance from the sea wall not being that conducive to photography and today matters were made worse by the heat haze.  It was a case of viewing with the telescope, so I settled down in the grass on the bank of sea wall and scanned through the flocks.

There were large flocks of Black-tailed Godwit and Redshank and in amongst them were Dunlin.  The most recent attraction though were the Curlew Sandpiper, but as I scanned through the flocks in search I came across thee two Little Stint, here feeding with a lone Dunlin for size comparisons.  This unfortunately is just a record shot.

I found the Curlew Sandpipers, at one point I counted 15, but there may well have been many more.  Once again they were distant and difficult to get a decent shot.  This flight image was the best I could get of one, again with Dunlin.

At one point the waders were spooked and flew around the scrape, here Redshank, Black-tailed Godwits, Dunlin and a few Knot in amongst them.

A large flock of Black-tailed Godwits lew around the scrape looking smart against some of the darker grey clouds that had appeared.

I had seen Grey Plover out in the harbour, but a flock of just over sixty dropped on to the Lake, many of them still in their silver and black summer plumage.

One broke ranks and came a little closer.

As the tide was almost at its highest the duck started to move.  I had seen Teal and Gadwall on the water, but not really scanned for anything else.  Flying around the Lake were the first Wigeon of the year and about thirty Pintail.  Here Wigeon and a single Pintail.

The Pintail came head on before breaking away and splitting up.

As everything settled down to see out the high tide I decided to walk back down to the stream.  There was a herd of cattle by the water and I had been told that there were Yellow Wagtail amongst them.  Last year I had my best views of Yellow Wagtail here and by the stream, so I was hoping I would get similar views today.

As I approached the cattle quite a sizeable flock of Yellow Wagtail flew up into the nearby bush that had quite a few dead branches.

A female type.

They soon returned to the ground and started to forage amongst the grass and the cattle.

I was kneeling down and concentrating on the wagtails when I noticed that one cow had become quite inquisitive about my presence.  As I turned to watch where the cow was a Yellow Wagtail flew to the cow nand stopped on the grass on the other side to me, very close.  I could see it through the cow's legs.  This gave me some of the closest views I have ever had of what is normally a very shy bird and normally flies off with any approach.

The Yellow Wagtail finally flew off but almost immediately afterwards a Cattle Egret appeared.  The black bill and lack of any orange brown on the breast and crest show this to be a immature, probably one of this year's fledglings.

So it was back to the Yellow Wagtails and I decided the best way was to kneel down and wait and they would come to me, which they did, through the grass.

Feeding around the muzzle of a cow.

Here a smart yellow male.

They all flew into the bushes once again and as I approached many flew out, back to the cattle, but one or two stayed showing well and sat nicely for me.

There was one below on an ant hill in that lunging pose the Yellow Wagtail uses when hunting for flies.

The last one in the bushes sat at the top of the tree and after preening sat nicely for me.

Once again the cattle at Farlington had brought about a wonderful Yellow Wagtail experience and they were not finished as the Cattle Egret returned.

It made its way to another cow that was close to me and like the Yellow Wagtail earlier appeared between the cows legs.

The binocular set of the eyes give them a comical look.

Inspecting the cows.

And finally my favourite, the egret appearing around the muzzle of the cow, again with that quizzical and comical appearance.

I hadn't been to Farlington for some while and did not know what to expect.  It was a brilliant day with some quality birds and some great encounters.