31st May - Acres Down New Forest, Hampshire

After seeing the Honey Buzzards yesterday at Woolbeding I decided to go after a Hampshire Honey Buzzard and I decided on Acres Down as I hadn't been there for them yet this year.  The traffic was building up as I came off the motorway, but there was space in the car park.  I gathered up my equipment and lunch and walked up the hill and through th ecopse to the viewing point looking out over the forest towards the west.

I came across a Woodlark on the path and it allowed me to get close, but with all my stuff I couldn't reach the camera in time, and it flew across in front of me and over the back of the trees.  As I approached the viewing point I could hear Woodlark singing as well as Redstart and Tree Pipit.

First raptor to show not surprisingly was a Common Buzzard, quickly followed by several more.  There was cloud about, but it looked like it was breaking up as the sun started to warm things up.

Later the view was as spectacular as ever.

The first Honey Buzzard sighting cae from the south west area, appearing over the trees and immediately looking completely different from the Buzzards that you think are Honeys.  The first thing that hits you are the longer wings, then it is the length of the tail.  Finally the head appears to protrude more than a Buzzard.  As it turned you can see it gliding and soaring on flat wings, the Common Buzzard will hold them in more of a "V" shape, plus head on the Honey has a smooth down curving of the wings.

It was always too far to get a decent photograph once again, but I tried.

Another or possibly the same bird was picked up later and this came overhead but at an incredible height, turning out to be just a speck in the sky.

As well as the Goshawks there were at least two Goshawks, one coming into range of the camera, just.

After three hours and a quiet spell from the last Honey I decided to call it a day and walked back to the care.  A Painted Lady flew past me, never stopping.  

The view from the top of the slope that leads down to the car park.

In the car park there was a singing Firecrest, not something unusual these days.

So more Honey Buzzard sightings, but again all distant.  I am not sure if I will get another opportunity this year, although once their chicks have hatched and fledged apparently they show well then, we shall have to see.

30th May - Woolbeding Common, West Sussex

Today it was a trip outside Hampshire, heading west to the view point at Woolbeding Common just outside Midhurst.  Last year the Sussex birders released the news that there were Honey Buzzards showing well here, but when I visited they were distant and high in poor conditions.  The forecast today was much better with sunny intervals hopefully providing plenty of thermals.  The Honey Buzzards have been reported through the week and some coming very close.  This is one bird I would love to get an acceptable photograph of.

Getting there was difficult, the directions I had initially sending me to a large house!  I did manage to remember how I had found it last year and eventually arrived at the car park.  Walking out to the view point a Yellowhammer was singing.  At first it was overcast but gradually the clouds broke and the sun began to warm things up.  The view from here is quite beautiful, looking out over the tops of trees that cover the valley.

The cloud cover when I arrived.

The conditions then started to improve with the clouds breaking up and the sun coming through.

Birds of prey started to appear and you go through the process of "is it one?  No its a Common Buzzard".  There were plenty of these and a wonderful flying display from a Goshawk, swooping up and then diving almost vertically down.

Then a shout went up and a very distant Honey Buzzard was pointed out.  Getting the scope on it you could clearly see the shape of the head and the long tail and as it flew it was plainly a different bird to the Common Buzzard.  It was too far away to photograph and I was left with some views of Common Buzzard.

Another Honey Buzzard came overhead but was again very high and never came close enough for acceptable photographs.  After this the raptors dried up and after an hour without any sightings of any birds I decided to leave and head home. 

So no stunning photographs but at least I was able to get some lovely scope views of the the Honey Buzzards and Goshawks.  Maybe next year?

21st May - Keyhaven - Lymington Reserve and Pig Bush New Forest, Hampshire

Another midweek trip with Ian, this time to the Keyhaven - Lymington Reserve.  It was another sunny warm morning, but with the threat of cloud and rain in the afternoon.  For once we met up somewhere different, at the bottom of Lower Woodside.  We were heading off to Normandy Marsh to catch up once again with the pair of Roseate Terns, this time in more acceptable weather.

We walked along Oxey Creek and then on to the sea wall and past Salterns where an Avocet was feeding in the shallow water that is usually reserved for the Spotted Redshank.

On the bramble nearby a female Linnet sat, a bird that doesn't get photographed that much.

We walked around to the south side of Normandy Marsh and there was one Roseate Tern on the island amongst the black-headed Gulls and Common Terns.  Having taken plenty of the Roseates sitting on the island a  few days ago I opted to wait for the mate to return, it is still quite a distance to the island.

While we waited a Redshank appeared on the fence posts in front of us.

It didn't take long for a now, familiar call to announce the arrival of the other Roseate Tern, coming over the sea wall and low over the water towards the Tern Island.  It was the ringed bird that I am convinced is the male bird.

As it came onto the island there was a tussle with a Common Tern, this looking like it was a clash of bills.

banking showing off the tail streamers.

Continuing to circle around the island.

This is probably my favourite shot so far.

The ringed bird was off again, the mate staying put on the island surrounded by the Common Terns.  While waiting the Redshank appeared on the post once more, this time with a better background.

The Little Terns were flying around once more.

The Roseate Tern reappeared.

This time landing on the island meant having to avoid the attention of the Common Terns, which involved some hovering and open bill brandishing.

It did not stay long and was soon off again, so attention turned to a pair of Little Terns on the exposed beach quite close to the sea wall.

Its mate bringing in a small fish for the bird sitting on the beach.

The Roseate was then back, this time carrying what looks like a Sand Eel.

As it tried to drop down to its mate the sand Eel became of interest to the Black-headed Gulls and Common Terns and they then chased the Roseate off.  It carried the eel across the lagoon water and eventually over the sea wall to get away from the pursuers.

It did come back again, but caught us by surprise and settled with its mate.  We decided though that we had seen enough, so we headed back, passing a Lapwing with three youngsters on the mud.

We walked through to Pennington and Fishtail.  We were looking for the Garganey, but there wasn't any sign of them.  However there was a Spoonbill on the main causeway of Fishtail.

While there five Black-tailed Godwits flew around the lagoon.

Out on the shore of Butts Bay the male Eider seen on the last visit was hauled out and preening.

Once again a Reed Warbler was showing well at the top of the reeds, this time on Butts Lagoon close to the path.

If you recall a Chiffchaff has a small primary projection indicating short wings and given as the reason for there rather short migration route, rarely beyond the Sahara.  Here on the Reed Warbler you can see a long primary projection in a bird that migrates to the sub Saharan countries of Africa during the winter.

My favourite so far of what is a difficult bird to see, let alone photograph.

A male Stonechat posing nicely.

On the beach at the path at Pennington Marsh there were several Dunlin feeding, showing the summer plumage nicely.

Lovely rusty brown colouring.

With them a single summer plumaged Turnstone.

After some lunch we decided to give Pig Bush a go, in the hope that, despite the cloudy conditions the Honey Buzzards reported recently would still be showing.  From the car park we walked out on to the heath, scanning the distant trees.  The best place to do this was at the top of the ridge and it was from there that Ian picked out a raptor soaring.

It took some photographs to be able to get a better view.  It this cropped shot you can clearly see the elongated head, the long wings and til, all of which match a Honey Buzzard Identification.

The Honey Buzzard has many forms known as polymorphic and the overall jizz of the bird is as important.  Honeys glide and soar on flat wings as opposed to the "V" of a Common Buzzard.  They also very different fluid wing beats which we saw repeatedly with this bird.  As they turn in the air they can show a slight droop at the carpal, which can been seen here as the bird flew over the tree tops.

The Honey Buzzard gained height and slowly disappeared from sight.  We waited for something to appear, but it didn't so we walked back to the car park to the song of Stonechats and Dartford Warblers in the gorse.  Another successful day.