6th January - Old Down Wood, Four Marks, Hampshire

At the start of 2012 I started my first blog titled "A Year Around Four Marks", a study of the natural world around my village of Four Marks.  I stopped writing the blog in detail in 2017 and have added a few new posts up to 2022, but nothing since.  If you haven't read the blog there is a link on the right hand side of this post.

I had spent the morning getting new tyres and once home I decided to go for a walk once more around home, specifically Old Down Wood, a part of ancient woodland that is still in place just outside the village.  I was interested to see what had changed if anything.

I walked from home and passing the church there was a gathering of Rooks on the wires and some drinking from the gutters where the snow has melted.

Walking along Brislands Lane there were Redwing in the bushes feeding on the berries.

At the junction of Gradwell with Brislands there were Chaffinches and a couple of Goldcrest in the tree branches.  They are always a challenge to photograph as they rarely sit still.  Differing from the Firecrest by the lack of white supercillium and a more bland body plumage.

The footpath leading north at the junction with Gradwell has always been a good spot for Firecrest and sure enough there was one showing well, providing the opportunity to see the differences from the Goldcrest.

A deeper orange crest with the black either side, bit the white contrasting around the eye.  There is also an orange wash around the neck and the back is an olive green.

Looking very rotund with the feather plumped out to ward off the cold.

A little further along the lane were more small birds, a group of Blue and Great Tits plus a large flock of Long-tailed Tits.

Not sure if this one had a bath or was just wet from foraging around the frost and snow.

The tit flocks attract other species and there were a pair of Nuthatches amongst them.  They were foraging around the lichen on the branches.

Up close and personal.

I walked on, the dusting of snow this morning having lined the road and hedgerow along Brislands Lane.

Looking across the field towards Kitwood.

The thin cloud was watering the sunshine and silhouetting the trees.

I turned into Old Down, there has been quite a bit of forestry work taking place and there were cut logs with the customary signs warning to not climb them.  Also there were the green tubes used to protect sapling trees from deer and other animals, a good sign that what was being removed would be replaced, hopefully with some variation in species and not conifers.  The path into the wood was open where the timber was removed.

At the crossroads I turned west and came across a Marsh Tit calling.  It was difficult to photograph as it was constantly moving, this was the best I could get.

Leaving the Marsh Tit I walked towards the west end.  This area had been subject to the main forestry action and I must admit I was pleased to see what they had done.  This area was a dead part of the wood with conifers planted tightly together.  It was dark and there wasn't any life in there at all.  Now it was all gone.

I just hope the new planting is with deciduous trees that can let light in and nature thrive, we shall see.  This could be a bonus for the butterflies.

A winter view from the west end, a sinking winter sun, snow covered fields and watery clouds against the blue sky.

Looking across the fields to the south a Mistle Thrush was perched on one of the fence posts by the water tank.  I watched it drop onto the water which must be frozen.  It stayed close so I can only assume that it was guarding the water form others, a thrush trait.

I walked back to the centre of the woods and then around to where for ten years there had been a Tawny Owl in a conifer.  I hadn't seen it last year, and today it wasn't going to be there as the tree was now gone, how sad!

Walking out of the wood across the field there was still a view that I photographed a lot for the blog.  I called them the "Five Trees".  I am not sure why as there appear to be at least six along the lane.

I converted the photo to black and white, not sure if it improves it.

The sun was just above the tree tops and was now sending some lovely golden light.  I stopped at the edge of the hedgerow, where the tractor tracks and the snow helped create a lovely scene.

Again in black and white.

I walked towards Gradwell Lane, but paused to watch the trees.  There was one Crab Apple tree covered in yellow apples.  There were Blackbirds and Redwing about and I thought this was attracting them, but it turned out, they were feeding on the hawthorn berries.  I was able to get the sun behind me and able to watch the Redwing feeding.

The Fieldfare and Redwing are very shy birds and difficult to get close to for photography.  But in weather conditions like we have been experiencing they feed on the berries and it is possible to catch tem.

Red nose day?

Sitting in the winter sunshine.

The sun was just dropping behind Old Down Wood and signalling the time to make my way home.

It was icy walking down Brislands, with the setting sun being seen through the trees the light reflected on the icy road.

This made a nice change, a chance to catch up with old haunts and to see that things are changing but hopefully for the good.  I was also able to get some year ticks of the woodland birds.

18th March - Titchfield Haven. Hampshire

Another fine sunny morning, but cold, the early morning frost giving way to a brisk cold east south east wind.  I started at Bridge Street once again and walked down the almost completely dry canal path once again.  The sky was a deep azure blue and the white blossom of the blackthorn and the pussy willow stood out.

Just before Posbrook I could hear a Nuth hatch calling and it showed very well amongst the empty branches and lichen.  Not an overly common bird here.

A classic Nuthatch pose.

Last time the fields were full of Carrion Crows, this morning the corvid that stood out were the Rooks, these two taking in the sunshine by the thatched cottage.

There was a bit of activity in the bushes alongside the canal and while there wasn't that much song it was nice to watch these two Long-tailed Tits, it looked as if they were starting to build a nest amongst the bramble.

Always a joy to watch as they perform their acrobatics amongst the branches.

On reaching the end of the canal path there was a Great Spotted Woodpecker calling from the top of a dead tree.

I walked around to the visitor centre and paused at the bridge, the tide was rising and a pair of Gadwall beat a hasty retreat as I peered over the side of the bridge.

A little Grebe in full breeding plumage was a little more confiding as it dived amongst the colour reflected water.

For once I decided to walk around to the east side, stopping to see if there was a chance of seeing any of the two Tawny Owls.  I was in luck and had my best view yet, a bit of breast.

I flushed a Peacock butterfly from the boardwalk leading up to the Meadow Hide, but unfortunately it didn't stop.  Looking out across the meadow there was the male Goosander on the Frying Pan with its female Shelduck companion, while a little closer to the hide was a single Curlew.

Once a regular sighting here on the meadow over the last few years they have been absent, so it is nice to see them coming back.

Walking back along the boardwalk there was a nice clump of Marsh Marigolds in the marshy water.

I made my way to the west side but stopped off to check the high tide roost.  The Sanderling were flying around, but there was nothing to have disturbed them, so I can only assume they were just arriving.

A couple in the sunshine.

They soon settled on the beach.

All were still in their silvery grey winter plumage, but soon they will be showing some of the browns and reds of the summer breeding plumage.

Avocet were the star turn from the Meon Shore hide, I counted thirty five, my highest number yet of the year.  You have to blot out the gulls, Black-headed, that were calling constantly as they sort real estate to mate and nest.  Every so often you would hear the calls of Avocet and this would then lead to their breeding display.  The female lays low on the water while the male goes either side preening and splashing water.

Here, some video that proves conclusively that Avocets haven't heard the KC and the Sunshine Band's song "Get down tonight"  I will leave it to be worked out*

Another feature of the Avocet behaviour is when pairs get too close or just don't like each other, they turn to violence.

Pairs back off.

But then one has a go, I assume the male there is scuffle then all settles down and the pairs go there own way.

But also some making lurve...

A Snipe flew from beneath the hide and made its way to the island on the left of the hide.

Some more benign Avocet behaviour.

The scrape then went up and the reason was a male Marsh Harrier on the right hand side of the hide.

It came across in front of the hide and headed towards the West Hide.

It would have been wrong not to taken a photograph of the Black-headed Gulls, they are looking quite smart now.

I headed back up the Canal Path, it was quiet now, only a few Mediterranean Gulls calling as they flew overhead.  Just after Hammond's Bridge I came across a female Kestrel perched at the top of a hedge.

Just before Posbrook and very vocal Wren.

On the floods there were three pairs of Pintail still, not sure how long they will still be around.

After the rush of the first Wheatear at the weekend it was back to normal today.  The winds are due to go around to the south east and that might be the trigger for the floodgate to open.