6th July - Titchfield Haven, Hampshire

Some interesting reports of waders over the weekend at Titchfield so I decided to go back and see if they were still around.  After checking in I walked around the sea wall.  The tide was out and the rocks were showing and these created rock pools that the Common Terns were fishing in.

 I went to the Meon Shore hide once more and in front of the hide on the small island the Common Tern was still on the nest as was a Black-headed Gull, but there was a very young Black-headed Gull chick that was out in the open and very much in danger of being picked off by a Lesser Black-backed Gull.

One of the Black-headed Gulls had taken one of the perches close by and was constantly calling.

A Common Tern was flying around the scrape with a fish.

Usually the terns bring the fish in for partner or young, but in this case it started to swallow the fish itself.

And eventually swallowed it.

The Spotted Redshank, one of the waders seen yesterday was still on the south scrape tucked away on the right hand side, feeding in the deeper water.

There were also three Common Sandpipers, but they stayed resolutely by the causeway too far away from the hide.

Some more antics from the Common Terns, this time one flies in to the small island in front of the hide and immediately started calling.

Then making its way to the nest area still calling and eventually they change over brooding duties and I was able to see two eggs.  I still do not hold out much hope for the chicks if they hatch.

Settled down for the duty.

I walked around to the Pumfrett Hide, but stopped at the new pond that is now visible after the clearance work last winter.  There were Black-tailed Skimmers and in the reeds I found a Southern Hawker.

At Darter's Dip, the Small Red-eyed Damselfly was still present sitting once again on the pond weed.

From the hide you could just about see two Little Ringed Plover through the heat haze on the mud at the northern end of the scrape, there was a slo a Common Sandpiper catching flies on the edge of the water.  On the posts on the south scrape a Sandwich Tern was amongst the Common Terns.  Two House Martins were also collecting mud on the south scrape.

The heat haze was a big problem for photography so I went back to the pools to see if I could find the Norfolk Hawker, and it wasn't hard to find, and it soon settled on the reeds.

Once again a close up of the lovely green head.

And the perfect pose on a reed stem.

I walked back to the Meon Shore and it was now very hot.  I stopped at the new pond and watched the Southern Hawker chasing the Black-tailed Skimmers.  At one point the hawker pushed the skimmer into the water and seemed to be trying to push it under, but the skimmer got away.

Finally the Southern Hawker settled on one of the perches.

Back in the hide little had changed and like the Pumfrett the heat haze was a challenge.  Of interest was this Sandwich Tern that came a little closer.

A Common Tern was buzzing the Sandwich Tern, hence the posture, it didn't want to give up its perch.

Finally it left the post and headed out to sea.

It was a short visit, curtailed mostly by the heat and the heat haze.

28th July - Titchfield Haven, Hampshire

Back in April during the Easter school holidays I took my grandson Freddie to Titchfield for the day, so with the summer holidays just starting we were off again.  The journey was a little longer than he expected, but when we arrived and were out of the car he was clearly excited.  We checked in and then walked around towards the west side.

We stopped at the Haven bridge to look for Brown Rats on the beach.  We managed to see a couple and this very smart looking Turnstone in summer plumage.

He was keen to go into the hides so the first one was the Meon Shore Hide.  From here he was able to tick off the birds in his book, Coot, Avocet, Oystercatcher and Black-tailed Godwit were ticked and then a Common Sandpiper that came close to the hide calling.

Common Terns were everywhere, both physically and with their calls.  Adults and immature birds could be seen on the perches.

Attention span waivering we went for a walk down to the Pumfrett Hide.  The sun was hazy, but it was a warm day and there were plenty of Speckled Wood butterflies along the path and in the bushes.

There were also Gatekeeper and Meadow Browns around the bramble.

I let Freddie take some photographs using the view finder screen and letting him push the button.

Looking out from the hide over the south scrape.

The packed lunch had been calling and Freddie wanted to go back to the Meon Shore Hide to eat his lunch.  As we left the hide I noticed a yellow butterfly cross the path and fortunately it stopped on the bramble, another Clouded Yellow, the second here at Titchfield and my third of the year.

Walking along the path a Southern Hawker was patrolling the bushes on both side and eventually it perched up on the bramble.

Back in the hide, as well as eating lunch Freddie, was interested in taking some more photographs, so with the same method here is another Common Sandpiper.

And a beautiful Lapwing.

This was my effort.

We had managed a very good three hours so we decided to make our way back to the car and then to the visitor hut.  During his time in the hides Freddie took the chance to sketch some of the birds he saw.  I will leave it to the reader to identify them.

The first time I took Freddie bird watching was wonderful and it was the same today, he was attentive, interested and also surprised a few with his knowledge.  We will be back.