10th January - The Fleet, Dorset

The south missed out on the weather that came with Storm Goretti, but it did keep me inside towards the end of the week.  The weekend though was all about Helen and her birthday.  We had arranged a weekend away with the family, a family friendly hotel on the shores of the Fleet just to the west of Weymouth in Dorset.  

After the winds of Thursday and Friday, the morning dawned clear and frosty, with no wind to speak of and calm waters on the Fleet.

Later it  was still clear and cold.

The grandchildren were having a wonderful time using all the facilities in the aptly named Play Barn and I was able to get out for a walk in the afternoon.  I set out from the hotel and headed west along the coastal path.  I didn't have any camera or binoculars, so was relying on my phone to capture the beauty of the area

The Fleet Lagoon is thought to have been formed some 5,000 to 7,000 years ago. Chesil Bank was driven slowly shoreward by rising sea levels and bolstered via longshore drift of gravels from east Devon’s crumbling cliffs. Chesil Beach made landfall and now the only remaining direct access to the sea from the Fleet is via the narrow channel at Ferry Bridge at the southern end.

I walked around the headland that is called Herbury, at first I thought there was an additional lake not realising that there was a headland.

With minimal freshwater input and percolation of seawater through the shingle bank, the lagoon remains saline for much of its length, although salinity becomes lower and more varied toward the northwestern end. Percolation is the process by which sea water seeps or is forced through the shingle bank of Chesil Beach at high water and during storm events. Occasionally seawater enters by waves over-topping the beach.

Much of the Fleet is very shallow with depths above ‘The Narrows’ no more than 2m, often less. The tidal range is only around 1.5m on a big tide – very small when compared to the tidal range over 4m in Chesil Cove for example. Being so shallow and with a narrow entrance to Portland Harbour at Ferry Bridge, the tidal range can be very unpredictable due to the greater influence of wind strength and direction and atmospheric pressure.

The tide was falling leaving quite a bit of mud around the edge of the lagoon.  A stunning sky above the water

And it suits some black and white images as well.

A slightly different angle of the same bay.

And again in black and white.

There were a few Redshank on the shore and Black-headed Gulls on the water.  However as we walked around the bay there was gun shot and we came across an organised shoot with beaters.  They were pushing the birds down towards the valley, you can't see the guns in this view they were hidden below the field, but the beaters walked through the stubble area.

There were birds flying everywhere and you could see them drop.  It looked like Red-legged Partridges that were taking the brunt of it, and many flew past us along with Skylark, Snipe and a couple of Brown Hare at speed away from the guns.

The shooting stopped and we watched the shooters with their dogs picking up the dead birds, confirming that they were mostly partridges.

The Fleet lagoon was a little calmer, with still water and literally hundreds of Mute Swan.

In amongst the swans were Brent Geese and you could hear their calls and I wondered if they were going to take flight and head to the fields.  There were gas guns in the fields so they are probably a nuisance.

It looked like family groups feeding together.

A Redshank feeding along the shore of the fleet, not one of my best photographs but you get the idea.

Walking back in better light a nice reflection of the sheep in the fields.

So it was back to the hotel and some time with the kids before diner and birthday celebrations.  Happy birthday to my my wonderful wife X

19th December - Titchfield Haven, Hill Head and Brownwich Pond, Hampshire

The gloom has lifted after the heavy rain of the day before and it was sunshine all the way to Titchfield.  The tide was high, even with still a couple of hours to go until high tide.  I checked in and decided to walk up the east side of the reserve.  It was my intention to use the thermal camera but I hadn't turned it off the last time I used it and the battery was dead.

I walked to the Knight's Bank hide where out on the meadow were Oystercatcher and two Curlew amongst the Canada and Egyptian Geese.  Looking across to the trees alongside the river there were four Fieldfare present.  There were three Marsh Harriers about, all female types.

I left the hide and walked back to the sea wall.  With the tide high the Sanderling were roosting on the beach behind the sailing club.  It looked like they had moved from the usual spot as a result of a fisherman.  They were then subjected to an attack by a dog that sent them out over the water.  After awhile, once the dog was gone they settled back on the beach.

I met up with Ian and we popped into the Meon Shore hide.  The water levels was very high with all the islands having shrunk in size.  The Lapwing were settled on the wooden bars and posts.

Snipe island was just about able to provide some dry land and there were a few Snipe on it.

A Marsh Harrier was along the right hand side and then drifted out across the scrape and away towards the fields at Brownwich.

We had always decided to walk to Brownwich across the cliffs.  As we walked up to the beach, the Sanderling had obviously been disturbed from their spot on the sailing club spit and had gathered at the edge of the water.

A chance for some Sanderling photos in the lovely winter light.

The reason for the walk to Brownwich was the report of a drake Ferruginous Duck on the pond along with the drake Goosander.  There was little about along the cliffs and absolutely nothing out on the sea.  On arriving at the pond, the Ferruginous Duck was at the back of the pond with some Tufted Duck.

With the Ferruginous Duck still distant on the far side of the pond we were distracted by a pair of Grey Wagtail that dropped on to the railings by the sluice.

With the pond surrounded by trees there was plenty of shade and dark water, this proved a lovely background for the white water fowl such as this Mute Swan.

The male Goosander that has been seen at Titchfield appears to commute between the two areas.  Here it to was showing off in the black water under the trees on the far side of the pond.

We left the sluice area and walked down the side of the pond.  The hope was we could get a little closer to the Ferruginous Duck.  It was closer but required some patience as we had to try and focus through the branches of the surrounding trees.

The Ferruginous Duck is also known as the Ferruginous Pochard, Common White-eye or White-eyed Pochard.  It is a medium-sized diving duck, the breeding male is a rich, dark chestnut on the head, breast and flanks with contrasting pure white undertail coverts. The females are duller and browner than the males. The male has a yellow eye and the females have a dark eye.

The Ferruginous Duck prefers quite shallow fresh waterbodies with rich submerged and floating vegetation with dense stands of emergent vegetation on the margins. In some areas it will use saline or brackish pools or wetlands. On passage and wintering will also frequent coastal waters, inland seas and large, open lagoons.

These are gregarious birds, but less social than other Aythya species but where common it can form large flocks in winter, often mixed with other diving ducks, such as Tufted Ducks as here and Common Pochards. 

Its always nice to get a wing flap following a preen.

The breeding range is from Iberia and the Maghreb east to western Mongolia, south to Arabia, although in the west is now scarce and localised and locally extirpated in some countries. The duck winters throughout the Mediterranean Basin and the Black Sea, smaller number migrate into sub-Saharan Africa via the Nile Valley.

After venturing into the middle of the pond it quickly returned to type and made its way back to the shore and the shelter of the low branches.  Satisfied with the images we had we walked back to the sluice area.  The Grey Wagtails were back on the fence around the weir and sluice.

The walk back was much like the walk to the pond, quiet aside from a large flock of Brent Geese that were originally on the sea, then flew to the fields.

The day wasn't done yet, but this seemed an appropriate place to stop for now, the Ferruginous Duck was a big bonus and a chance to get some better images than those from the start of the year. 

13th December - Elmley NNR, Kent

A weekend away at my daughter's place in Kent saw me with the opportunity to visit Elmley National Nature reserve.  Fortunately the weather was playing nice, but I did have to clear ice from my screen before I left.  As I crossed the Swale the marsh on the other side was swathed in mist.  I drove around to the entrance to the reserve and parked to wait for the opening time.  The rising sun and the mist made the marsh look special.

In a bush a short distance from where I was parked a Redwing was calling.

Starling were lined up on the telegraph wires just out of the mist.

This area is a mix of nature and industrial sites and with the mist it becomes quite scenic.

I drove the entrance track and it was very quiet, a single Marsh Harrier the only real sighting.  In the distance there were gun shots of the wild fowlers, apparently the harriers congregate there to pick up and mislaid bodies.

There are a lot of Pheasant around the marsh and as I pulled into the farm this female sat nicely in the morning sunshine.

I checked the bushes around the car park for the Long-eared Owls that have been reported, but once again no luck.  I set off down towards the Old School scanning the marsh.  I picked up a shape on a gate post.  On closer look it is a small falcon, possibly a Merlin, I will never know.

I was one of the first to the school house and struck lucky, one of the Little Owls sitting out in the sunshine.

Checking all the time.

The eyes partially open to shield from the low morning sunshine.

A final check on me.

With others walking down the path the Little Owl disappeared.  I decided to walk on down the path to the Bricklands, so called for the discarded bricks and concrete left alongside the Swale.  The reed bed was quiet, no sign or sound of the Bearded Tits.  On the pools were Gadwall, Teal and Mallard and this Little Egret fishing.

The tide was falling on the Swale, the water was dead calm, the industrial sites reflecting in the water.

On the shoreline were Shelduck, Redshank and a few Curlew, on the water a Little Grebe and two Great Crested Grebes, the closer of which was swimming in the reflection of the building.

Walking back up the path there wasn't any sign of the Little Owl, but there were a good number of Fieldfare, but they were extremely elusive.  Eventually I managed these two shots as one settled in an oak tree.

Moving on a pair of Raven flew over calling, this one coming over my head.

I headed out towards the hides, the marsh was still very dry and there was nowhere near the numbers of duck and geese I have seen here in past winters.  There were Wigeon whistling and groups of Brent, Canada and Greylag Geese.

The tide was out and there was plenty of mud.  Curlew were moving flying out to the mud flats.

Unfortunately these turned out to be Mute Swans and not the wild ones I hoped for.

There had been Reed Bunting in the reeds as I walked the path, but no sound of the hoped for Bearded Tits.  As I came to the double "S" bend I heard the familiar pings and a flock of about a dozen Beardies were in the reeds close to the path.

With the low light, once again it was not easy to see what I was shooting at and what the outcome was, but I was pleased with what I managed.

A classic gymnastic pose in amongst the reeds.

You are following all the movements in the reeds, this turned out to be a Redd Bunting female.

I was able to move down the path and view reeds over looking water.  This female appeared.

Spread eagles to get to the reed seeds.

Then a male on the edge of the reeds.

Some great poses.

Balancing once again.

Rather than walk on I decided to turn around, back down the track a male Reed Bunting posed nicely at the top of a hawthorn bush.

Back at the car park I learned something about the Short-eared Owls.  They think there are three to seven owls present.  They are very much nocturnal at the moment, coming out just before dusk.  This year all the owl species have had a bad year, a combination of the drought and the failure of the vole population.  It is thought at Elmley that the day flying owls are those that have arrived from Scandinavia where the days are short and they are happy to do so.  It doesn't seem like they have arrived this year.

I was going to stick around to see if any would come out of the roost, but with this news I decided to leave and drive the entrance track.  The light was low and I came across this group of Lapwing bathing before the roost.

The sun just catching the side of the bird as it fed.

I had two drives up and down the track, with little else of interest.  The marsh was dry, what water there was came from rain water which has little food for the waders such as Snipe and Black-tailed Godwits.  They have been pumping water from the pools to try and help.  It would seem this area has had very little rain.

As I left the reserve a Kestrel was sitting on a post.  I stopped reached for the camera and it flew of to land in the grass.  It sat there for a while and looked like it had caught something, but as it flew off there wasn't any sign of any prey.

Disappointing that I didn't get to see any Short-eared Owls, but once again the weather was lovely and there were plenty of other action to keep me busy.  This place though, needs a lot of rain.