19th September - Keyhaven - Lymington Reserve, Hampshire

Back home from Corfu, it was back to Hampshire birding.  There has been a Pectoral Sandpiper on Butts Lagoon at Keyhaven all week so I was keen to try and catch up.  However the morning was overcast and with a very strong south westerly wind blowing, but I was hopeful that with the cloud and rain overnight it would still be about.

I managed to park along the ditch at Oxey Marsh and then walked out across the marsh towards Pennington Lagoon.  A Kestrel was hunting in the field as I passed through the gate.

There were plenty of Horses in the fields but a check around the hooves did not find any Yellow Wagtails.  Three Curlew flew up from the field and flew over my head calling.

I walked up on to the sea wall and immediately felt the full force of the wind, but the skies were clearing with a bit of watery sunshine.  There were good numbers of Meadow Pipits moving through and out over the water calling.  On the path were good numbers of Linnet and Goldfinches on the dead teasel seed heads

I headed towards the Jetty, the tide was falling and on the shingle just before the Jetty were a few waders.  Close in were Turnstone and three Dunlin.

Further out there were three Grey Plovers all in their winter plumage.

On reaching Butts I scanned for waders but couldn't find any at all.  It was good to see some water in the lagoon, on the last visit there a couple of weeks ago the lagoon was bone dry.

I walked on to Butts Bay where a Bar-tailed Godwit was flushed by a loose dog.  Not only did the godwit go but all the other waders and some from Butts which was frustrating.

Fishtail too had some water and with it waders.  I scanned through them in an effort to turn Dunlin into a Pectoral Sandpiper, but it didn't work, they were all Dunlin.

There were also three Ringed Plover, all immature birds with the light fringes on the feathers.

I walked as far as Keyhaven Lagoon, but it was devoid of birds.  Walking back past Fishtail there were Pied Wagtails onb the mud and the same waders, still Dunlin.

I walked all the way around to Moses Dock and didn't lift the camera. As I approached the dock a Curlew was in the water with about a dozen Redshank.  It slowly walked away from me.

There was a Greenshank on the other side.

And the Curlew had made its way to the sea weed on the rocks.

I walked on towards Normandy, eight acre pond was full of water once more with the sailing boats out.  As I reached the corner near to Normandy there was another Greenshank close to the sea wall.

A feather was dislodged as a result of the preening.

Feeding on the mud.

A little Egret was battling in the strong wind and as it turned its back to the wind its crest was blown up.

Normandy was the same as all the other locations, devoid of birds.  I walked around to the southern side and found a Redshank.  I decided to settle down to have an early lunch and as I munched a Greenshank came close to the fence.

It came out of the water and stood on the mud.

The Redshank flew off and called in alarm, the Greenshank straightened, but stayed in place, providing a nice pose along with the red glasswort.

Nothing else showed so I decided the wind was ruining the day so I made my way back to the car.  There were More Dunlin on Oxey Lake.

While on Salterns a couple of adult winter plumaged Black-tailed Godwits.

A Kingfisher called and then flew all around Salterns before disappearing out of sight.  That was the last bird action of the day.  I headed back to the car and drove home listening to the misery that is Tottenham Hotspur.

My last day out was here, two weeks ago and the two visits could not be s o different.  I believe the wind ruined the day today, but why couldn't there have been a Grey Phalarope sheltering from the wind?

1st September - Farlington Marshes, Hampshire - Part One

It has been a while since I have visited Farlington.  This time of year can prove to be quite fruitful, so where better to spend the day on the first of September and the start of the meteorological autumn.

There is work going on around the ditches to open them for better breeding conditions next spring.  This meant that the lower car park was closed.  The work though did not have any impact on the birds around the reserve. 

I set off through the bushes and as I reached the open grass area there were plenty of Clouded Yellow about including this 'Helice' variation, a paler female.

Here the clean clouded Yellow, with a much fuller yellow colour.

There were Clouded Yellow everywhere, as I walked they would take off from the grass and were in numbers I have never experienced before, more than at Fishlake last Saturday.

As I came onto the white post path there was an immature Kestrel perched at the top of a bush.

Ity soon became clear that there was a lot of activity in the bushes with Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Blackcap and Whitethroats calling and buzzing around the bushes.

Here one of the Willow Warblers.

This warbler had me thinking and maybe hoping as it moved through the hawthorn bush, the colour and size of the bill much different from the Chiffchaff and Willow Warblers.  

Here eating blackberries I settled on a Reed Warbler, completely out of the habitat you would expect to see them in.

Several Whitethroat were about, this adult having a bit of a fight with a couple of Robins.

Another surprise was a few Spotted Flycatchers.  They showed very well catching insects from the hawthorn bushes.  At first hiding in the middle of the bush.

But then coming out into the open and perching from a prominent perch.

A lovely background and some great shots.

They moved around the bushes and would fly around the grass in a similar style to that used by the Bee-eaters.

It seems to have been a good autumn passage through the county this year, birds that are always welcome to see.

Finally some views from behind showing the white fringes to the flight feathers.

Leaving the flycatchers I chased another Clouded Yellow 'helice'.

I was trying to catch the butterfly in flight and this was the best I could manage.

As well as the Clouded Yellows there were plenty of Common Blues, this a smart male.

Leaving the bushes I heard a Lesser Whitethroat calling but was not able to find it.

From the Information hut this Common Sandpiper flew across the stream.

Passing the Hay field there were quite a few cattle, but I could only find one Cattle Egret and it was very distant and in a strong heat haze.

There were lots of flowers by the side of the path, mainly yellow daisies and in amongst them and the grasses were more butterflies.  A female Common Blue.

A Small Copper.

Small Heath

And another Common Blue perched on the seed had of a grass stem.

Walking along the east side of the sea wall, more warblers in the bushes.  This a Willow Warbler.  The wing projection isn't clear here

But in these two photographs you can see the long wings and flesh coloured legs.

Here you can clearly see the longer wing projection and the pale legs.

I followed this Kestrel uniting along the edge of the bramble bushes the other side of the sea wall.  There were two drops but both were unsuccessful.

A Whinchat was perched om a distant post and was joined later by another in the brambles close to the sluice at the Lake.

The tide was rising and a Little Egret was fishing in a chanel alongs side the sea wall.

I had my timing just right, I wanted to be at the Lake as the tide was about a couple of hours from being at its height.  I was hoping that there would be some good waders on the Lake, the conditions were looking perfect.  But I will save the details of that for part two of this post.

So far it was a very rewarding visit with some quality birds and some great photographic opportunities.