7th April - Titchfield Haven, Hampshire

With no reports of the American Golden Plover at Warsash, Ian and I decided to head to the safety of Titchfield Haven following the morning at Browndown.  It was a clear bright day still, warm out of the moderate south easterly breeze, but if out in the open it was quite cool.

Surprisingly we were able to find a space along Cliff Road and then made our way around to the check in.  With the tide high and the breeze we decided to try the west side first.  The weather had brought out a lot of people to the beach and there wasn't any sign of the high tide roost, but below the bridge in the harbour a Great Crested Grebe was fishing and had once again caught a small flat fish.

After several shakes it was finally swallowed.

Not a lot of change from the Meon Shore hide, plenty of Black-headed Gulls, constant noise and colour.  A pair of Black-headed Gulls were standing in symmetry by the small island, that was now getting bigger, in front of the hide.

This Black-headed Gull was actually on the island.  It was a little different in that it had a white spot on the chin, have not seen that before, made it look a little distinctive.

With nothing out of the ordinary going on we decided to walk on.  Coming out of the hide there was a male Kestrel hunting over the reeds.

For those of you old enough to remember the YOC, the club set up by the RSPB to encourage young bird watchers this pose will be very familiar!

It was probably the male from the Knight's Bank hide and it frequently hunts around this reed bank and rough ground.

There had been a report of a Lesser Whitethroat singing near the hide, but when we arrived there wasn't any sign, but now as we walked by the cleared area on the track we heard the familiar rattle of the song.  It took a short search and we found the Lesser Whitethroat in a Willow tree where the leaves were just emerging.

I don't recall seeing Lesser Whitethroat before Common Whitethroat and this was my earliest ever sighting of Lesser Whitethroat.

After a quick (very quick) look in the West hide we stopped for a singing Blackcap around Darter's Dip.  Once again it was proving difficult to pin down.

We walked down to the Spurgin Hide, but it was dead, not even a Marsh Harrier showing.  It was time for the east side, leaving the west side a Linnet perched on a twig by the viewing platform.

PLenty of Brimstone along the boardwalk and at least one Comma.  The only butterfly to stop for me though was this Speckled Wood.

As we approached the Knight's Bank HIde a quick look through the fence revealed a Cattle Egret catching insects on the meadow.

Showing some signs of the orange-brown breeding plumages that appears on the crest and breast it was alone in that it wasn't following the cattle or ponies.  It seemed to be very successful as it was picking up a lot of bugs, maybe the flooding in February has improved the pasture.

The Kestrels hadn't appeared in the time I had, but on my walk back down the boardwalk I did manage to photograph my first Small White of the year.

So the end of a beautiful spring day, with the promise of it being even warmer tomorrow.

26th January - Ibsley Water, Blashford Lakes, Hampshire

After leaving Ripley I was intending to go into the forest to look for Brambling, but a message came in saying there was a Black-necked Grebe in front of the Goosander Hide at Blashford.  I was close so wanted to take the opportunity to get these elusive grebes close, so I changed plans and headed there.  I parked by the gate and walked around to the Lapwing hide, but looking out there was nothing in the bay except a pair of Gadwall.  I was then informed that all the duck and the grebe had been spooked and had flown away to the north.  I decided to wait to see if they drifted back.  Some did but never close and there wasn't any sign of the Black-necked Grebe, so I took some shots of the drake Gadwall below the hide before walking around to the Lapwing hide to chance my luck there.

Things were a lot better from the Lapwing hide, plenty of duck, Wigeon, Shoveler, Gadwall, Tufted Duck, Pochard and Teal out on the water and quite close once again were three female Goldeneye.

There were four in total, here three.

Then the one I had been wanting a drake Goldeneye and close.

It was diving with the female and coming up closer and closer to the hide.

Goldeneye are a frustrating duck to photograph, they are usually far away in deep water or the light is poor and the black and white plumage seems to affect the focus.  But today the light was good and for some reason they were staying close to the shore in front of the hide.

It was diving with the females, then decided it was a time for a preen.

The calm before the obligatory wing flap.

Then settling down once more.

Before a little bity of sky pointing, more of which later.

Moving from the Goldeneye the Shoveler were flying around a little further out over the water.

The Goldeneye moved away to the left of the hide and were replaced by a determined Black-necked Grebe, the bird I had hoped to see by coming here.  It swam towards the area the Goldeneye had been diving around so there must be an attraction.

Getting closer.

This was the closest I have been to this little Grebe, similar in size to the Slavonian Grebe it is larger than the Little Grebe but as a similar profile, the red eye, upturned bill and black cap with a white cheek stand it out.

Black-necked Grebe is a rare breeding species in Britain with around 55 pairs nesting, this small population largely restricted to central and eastern England. During the winter months the species may be found more widely on both inland and coastal sites.

The numbers of wintering Black-necked Grebes suggests that our breeding population is joined by individuals from elsewhere during the winter months.  The hope is that this one stays long enough to change to its breeding plumage of black and golden ear tufts, the ear tufts giving it the name of Eared Grebe in North America.

It hung around diving and at one point joined the Goldeneye to dive.

I am really please with these images, at last I can include close views of this grebe with the three others, only Red-necked Grebe remains to be included.

The Four female Goldeneyes started to drift towards the hide once more and with them came the male and it was quickly joined by another.

This my favourite photograph of the session.

The two males then started to display to each other and the females, sky pointing and stretching their necks.

The Sky pointing involves the duck throwing its head back and pointing the bill skywards.  At the same time they utter a gutteral call.

Their appeared to be a pairing with both pairs engaging in display.

Then one male broke away and started to display to the female in the other pair.

Then back to the lone female who didn't seem to be too interested.

They then drifted away together.  Here is a small video of the two males displaying.

The Goldeneye moved away once more and I found myself watching a flock of Long-tailed Tits that were feeding in front of the hide, spending time on the low bramble and even on the grass.

With my time beginning to run out I decided to try the Goosander hide once more and this time there were Goosander close to the hide.

The wooden platform providing an ideal place to preen and wing flap.

But not all wanted to get out of the water.

A nice view of a female "red head" Goosander.

Just as I was preparing to leave a Great Crested Grebe came close to the hide.

It started diving on the left hand side of the hide around the old trees that were lying in the water.  It came up with what looks like a nice sized Rudd, that was dispatched without any difficulty.

I was than left with some nice views of the grebe, it is showing breeding plumage so very soon will be displaying to a potential mate.

A quick shake of the wings.

I think I made the right decision to come here with some great opportunities to photograph water birds that have pretty much avoided me over the years.  A great day overall with the UK and county lifer in the Killdeer and the Goldeneye and Black-necked Grebe showing superbly.