8th April - Warsash, Magdalen Hill and Easton, Hampshire

After the gloom of Saturday and the not so acceptable photographs of the American Golden Plover I said I would return, yesterday was to be the day but the plover was only reported late in the day.  Today I decided to just go and see if it was still around, the previous day had been a clear night as was last night and it stayed, so there was a good chance it would still be around.

As I walked along the coastal path I scanned ahead checking the tide line for waders but could only see Black-tailed Godwits.  It was a stunning morning, the breeze of yesterday gone and replaced with some serious warmth.

The tide was just after low tide which was not ideal.  An Oystercatcher was on the mud close to the path.  It was showing some rings.

A couple of Black-headed Gulls were calling and dive bombing a Little Egret, it wasn't clear what the egret had done, and the gulls quickly left it alone.  The Little Egret stood out against the dark background of the mud in the gully.

I met up with another birder and while we were talking another birder indicated that there was something on the tide line.  On reaching him I looked through his scope and confirmed it was the American Golden Plover.  The light much better today and the bird maybe a little closer.

To give the plover the justice it deserves I will publish the portfolio in a seperate post.  So now it will be about the rest of the day.

As we watched the plover a male Wheatear flew along the shore line, settling first on the mud, but then returning to the path.

The Wheatear scurried across the path, stooping low as it focuses on a meal.

In this case a bee on the shingle.

Which it managed to catch.

As it moved to the edge of the path I was able to drop down a little.

But it was off again with a little spring in the air.

By going down the bank I was able to get to eye level with the bird creating a nice foregraound and blurred background.

It came to the grass on the edge of the path and again I was at eye level.

A lovely background in these two.

Then again back on the path, as I have said before the spring male Wheatear is a stunning bird.  Here I can appreciate the long legs of the bird.

I walked the path in search of the reported Spotted Redshank but this remained out of sight despite being seen earlier in the morning.  There was though a Greenshank in the pool close to the coastal path.

Despite the traffic along the path the Greenshank came quite close.

After spending some more time with the plover I had to head back to the car park as my time was running out.  I noticed a black capped bird on the mud that at first I thought was a Mediterranean Gull, but as it looked up I could see it was a Sandwich Tern. But it flew off before I could get a shot.  Close to the Pink Ferry house there were several Black-tailed Godwits close in feeding on the mud.

With the warmth I had always decided to go the Magdalen Hill and it was a 30 minute drive.  As I walked up the hill to the reserve there were several Holly Blues around the laurel bushes, but of course they didn't stop.

Walking out on to the down it was covered with cowslips.

The only butterflies present were Peacocks and Brimstones.  A Kestrel hunted over the top of the down and Chiffchaffs sang from the trees.

I took some time to get low and close with the Cowslips.

I walked around the chalk pits and heard the sub song of a Whitethroat.  It remained hidden in the middle of the bush and just gave brief views.

As I walked along the hill there were many Brimstones, one or two males and females would engage in the duelling where they spin around each other and spiral up into the sky.

Disappointingly there were no other butterflies, despite being told that there were Green Hairstreaks and Dingy Skippers at the bottom of the slopes.  As a result I had to make do with the views.

Looking south across the A31.

And a stunning display of Cowslips across the down towards Winchester.

Walking down to the lower part of the reserve, again no butterflies stopping but a glimpse of a male Orange Tip and several Brimstone and Peacocks.  What I did manage to get to though was a Dotted Bee-fly nectaring on the Cowslips.

As I walked back to the top of the reserve a Raven flew over calling.

More Holly Blues as I walked down to the cars and one did stop on a laurel leaf, but the views were not good!

With some time and the warmth I decided to try once again for the Little Owl at Easton.  I have tried twice before without any luck.  But this time I was greeted with one Little Owl sitting outside the nest box hole.

Zooming out to see the nest box.

So it was a case of third time lucky with the Little Owl, but the day was all about a male Wheatear and the American Golden Plover, more photos of which can be seen on the next post.

21st February - Elmley NNR, Kent

A weekend away in Kent and the chance to visit Elmley once more.  After overnight rain it was clearer as we drove into Kent, a drop off in Snodland and then the drive onto Sheppey and down the entrance track.  There was a lot more water around the reserve than on my last visit in December and as a result there were a lot of geese, duck and waders out on the marsh.

Where there are high numbers of birds then there is likely to be predators and we could see Marsh Harriers distantly on the marsh and on ethe fence posts several Buzzards.

The sun was trying to come out and as we drove the last part of the track two Brown Hare crossed the track and raced into the field.  After a short spa they then jogged across the field.

We learnt that there are leverets about and these two were probably females.

A last look back at the car before disappearing into the longer grass.

From the car park we headed down past the Old School where there wasn't any sign of the Little Owl.  Walking to the reed bed there were three Marsh Harriers quartering the reeds, here a male and a female.

They continued to fly over the reed bed, but frustratingly at some distance.

We walked to the Swale and with the tide low there was a gathering of Black-tailed Godwits on the mud.

A little further along was a small group pf Avocet.

We walked the sea wall path and were able to hear Bearded Tit, but frustratingly we were not able to see them.

At the end of the path you get a good view of the fields and marsh that is distant from the entrance track.  Another Brown Hare sat on the top of the ridge.

Marsh Harriers came low over the field probably looking for any sign of the leverets.  Large flocks of Wigeon were moving over the marsh.

Walking back a Marsh Harrier appeared to be interested in a particular area of the reeds, it wasn't clear what was there though.

The tide was much higher and the godwits were pushed closer together.

On the open water amongst the reeds were three Pochard, a male and two females.

A Reed Bunting on the path leading back to the car park.

And passing the Old School the sun had brought the Little Owl out on the bricks.

After lunch we headed east towards the hides.  There were huge flocks of duck, mostly Wigeon flushed from the marsh and heading out on to the Swale.

Four Gadwall flew past quite close and out on the marsh there were lots of Curlew and Lapwing.

We walked towards the Southfleet hide where there was a large group of Brent Geese, as we came close they took to the air, surprisingly silently.

They had been scarce so far but along the track there were now several Stonechat, the males looking smart right now.

The walk back was into the wind and we were left with the image of the Brent Geese flocks against the windmills.

The flocks of geese and duck was impressive once again, but it was a quiet day once again, apparently there are eight Short-eared Owls in the area around the car park, but they are more nocturnal now.  Driving out of the reserve there were more Marsh Harriers and large flocks of Lapwing and Godwits.  At the gate the two Kestrels were on duty, but by then we had packed the camera gear away.