30th December - Testwood Lakes and Lower Test Marshes, Hampshire

Ian and I had arranged to meet today, but plans changed on Monday night as Ian had to take his van in for a service issue, this was near to Testwood Lakes so we agreed to meet there.  It was a lovely morning, cold but sunny.  In the car park Redwing flew over and we were surprised by a pair of Rose-ringed Parakeets that flew over calling and quickly disappeared from sight.

We walked around to the hides, stopping to watch the thrushes including Redwing and Fieldfare along the way.  A young buck Roe Deer appeared at the back of the field as well.

Opening the windows in the hide spooked the Wigeon feeding on the grass bank and they all took to the water, there was around a hundred present.

They quickly returned to the grass bank to feed.

The view wasn't brilliant with the low sun shining intot he hide.  Looking around the pools were Teal, Lapwing, Shoveler, Mallard and a few Gadwall.  Moving to view Meadow Lake there were quite a few Cormorant, the closest taking in the sunshine and drying wings on the posts.

Good numbers of Coot feeding around the Wigeon.

A Great Egret flew in from behind us and settled on the grass in front of the hide.

Once upon a time this was one of the places you would come to to see Great Egret, now they turn up almost everywhere there is water.

Then flew off with a lovely black background.

With little else around Ian and I decided to walk around the lakes.  Plenty of alder catkins were an attraction to a good sized flock of Siskin.

A Grey Heron standing high up in a willow tree.

As we picked up the main path towards the car park there were several Chiffchaff catching insects from the bramble bushes.

As we watched the Chiffchaff we heard the Rose-ringed Parakeets again, they appeared to be behind us and a dead Oak tree looked a likely candidate.  Once we eventually found them they flew into the bushes below which made it a little difficult to photograph them.

They were definitely a pair, the male, the one with the black chin markings appearing to be feeding the female.

The female, lacking the dark markings.

They then flew back up to the old oak, the female going to a suitable nest hole.  Eventually she went inside.

While the male sat close by.

The male then went to the nest hole, staying outside.

Rose-ringed Parakeets start nest building in January and will lay eggs early in the year.  The nest is lined with bark and chippings.

The male spent a lot of time like this and appeared to be chewing away at the wall of the hole inside and on the edges.

At last a chance to see the whole bird, body and beautiful tail streamers.

The male then flew off and the female appeared at the hole.

And eventually I got the money shot with a lovely shadow.

They both flew off and we walked back to the car park. After lunch, with Ian's van still under investigation we decided to walk around Lower Test Marshes.  we walked down the path and over the river.  We remarked that the few times we come here we usually see a Grey Wagtail at the start of the board walk and one duly appeared!

The boardwalk was officially closed but we walked as far as we could.  The bird life was almost non existent, a Kestrel the only highlight.  Looking across the reeds there was a stark contrast between the reeds of nature and the docks of man!

Coming back a male Stonechat was on the posts.

We decided to walk in the other direction towards Redbridge, this was probably even worse.  A few Meadow Pipits and Long-tailed Tits and closer to Redbridge groups of Canada Geese and Greylags.

Turning back we headed to the dealership where Ian's van was having to stay in overnight so I took him back home to Stubbington.  What could have been a dire day was brightened by the presence and plumage of the Parakeets.

6th December - Blashford Lakes, Hampshire

I can't seem to shake off this cold or virus and I had another bad night which resulted in me meeting Ian a little later than planned.  We were meeting at Blashford and I turned up at the Tern hide just after 9:30am.  There was some sunshine, but quite a bit of cloud around and a chance of heavy showers through the day.

Ian was the only person in the hide, although I had missed a large party that were quite loud, probably a good thing.  There were birds in front of the hide, mostly Coot, but also a couple of  male Pochard, which was nice.

Once upon a time this smart diving duck was quite common here, but like everywhere in the south there numbers have dwindled through the winter.

It took the time for a preen and bathe.

A Great Crested Grebe also came quite close.

The duck were spread out across the lake with Pintail and Shoveler to the west of the hide and Wigeon on the far bank.  I was able to make out a couple of pairs of Goldeneye and there was a group of ten Goosander, eight males and two redheads.  The duck numbers though were lower than usual, maybe a result of the visits by the White-tailed Eagles.

I picked up a raptor at the back of the lake, compared with the Crow that decided to mob it we were satisfied it was a Goshawk.  Then a Peregrine came over and was quickly joined by another.  They flew back and forth across the lake making the occasional dive towards the duck, but nothing serious.

What was assumed to be a female Peregrine due to the size landed on one of the islands and was then joined by a crow.  The Crow proceeded to walk around the falcon and could be seen to be calling, baiting the Peregrine.  Then the Crow took off and was quickly followed by the Peregrine and it looked to get its own back on the grow, chasing after it and making lunges.

The crow eventually got away and the Peregrine drifted away to the east.  Looking out across the water, when the sun came out the trees at the back of the lake were lit up.

A male Tufted Duck was now in front of the hide.

Just before we left the hide two Red head Goosander flew over.

We walked around to the Ivy Lake and above in the Alders was a good sized flock of Siskin.

We made our way to the north hide in the hope that the Bittern that has been around the last few weeks would show.  Settling in the view looked bleak, but fortunately that was about to change.

First, below the hide a Water Rail appeared and rather than dash across the open area it fed and gave some lovely views.

Its been quite awhile since I have been able to get such close views of this secretive bird.  It didn't seem concerned about the lens being poked out of the hide.

Here you can see the feet, the long tarsus are not webbed or lobed like the Coot and Moorhen.

Finally it crept away into the reeds, but we did see it briefly again, the more typical dash across the open and it remained quite vocal all the time we were in the hide.

A Kingfisher called but never showed, then it returned, this time flying to perch in amongst the reeds.

It was a male bird, probably a first winter due to the white spot on the tip of the bill.  It flew across the reeds from the left side and settled on the seed head of a reed mace in the channel opened up for the bittern!

Everybody loves a Kingfisher and on this dreary afternoon the bright colours were extremely welcome.

The change in posture indicated that it might have seen a fish.

Then just after this it dived into the water.

And came back with what looks like a small Stickleback.

The fish swallowed it changed perches once again, still on a Reedmace seed head though.

I don't think I ever tire of the amazing colours that are created by the refraction of the light on the feathers.

Back to the original seed head, it sat out the shower.

Then the whistled call and it flew off across the lake.

Last visit here I counted eleven Great Egret, there were numerous sightings today but the most together was three.  This individual flying away after spending sometime in the reed bed.

There were at least four Chiffchaff feeding around the Reedmace, but they were so mobile I couldn't get a photograph.  This Wren though came down originally to drink, but then spent time foraging amongst the vegetation.

We finally left the hide and walked around to the Goosander hide  where a count of twenty Goosander justified the hides name.  They were distant like they always are and there was little else about.  Just before we left a Little Egret flew in to stand alongside the Great Egret, providing a good comparison.

No Bittern, but an interesting day, Blashford can deliver, you just have to be patient.