4th December - Southsea Castle, Hampshire

I had wanted to try the Purple Sandpipers at Southsea Castle once more.  Having checked the tide times today seemed to be the best day.  Its best to arrive about three hours before high tide.  Today it was at 13.00, I arrived around 9.30.  The day before the whole area was closed down due to an unexploded bomb found by the construction workers.  Fortunately all was now safe so I parked in the D-Day car park and walked around the castle to the sea wall.

The first thing I saw as I reached the esplanade was a Shag sitting on the rocks.

Another factor in my decision to come back was over the last few days there has been some lovely light and I wanted to get the sandpipers in better light than I had before.  However today was overcast, the sun was there but not providing the light I was after.

I scanned the rocks near the water but no sign of any Purple Sandpipers.  However there were small birds that turned out to be a Black Redstart.

It looks like an immature bird as it shows plenty of white in the wing, the body yet to go the grey black.  The tail however was a bright red and it flicked as it moved around the rocks.

Spent time fly catching around the sea weed.

Every so often it would spring up into the air from the rocks chasing insects.

Showing off brilliantly the bright red tail.

From the rocks to the grassy area around the castle.

It then flew into the castle and out of sight and I resumed my search for the Purple Sandpipers, but without any luck.  out on the water the Shag was now fishing.  I wanted to try and catch the Shag as it dived. it is very diagnostic, the bird leaping high out of the water.

However timing it was difficult, always missing the leap in the air.

But with patience, the sandpipers were not showing, I persisted and in the end managed the sequence.

I walked towards the Blue Reef Aquarium, in fact I did the walk several times.  At the east end there were two more Black Redstart, again one looked like an immature male.

Chasing the insects once again and showing the red tail.

On yet another walk back there were now two Shags on the water.

Something different, the Blade Runner next to one of the Napoleonic sea forts.

What I hoped was a Rock Pipit turned out to be a Meadow Pipit.

So no Purple Sandpipers, where do they go?  But some interesting stuff anyway, Black Redstarts and the Shags.

19th November - Southsea Castle, Hampshire

A change in the weather, heavy rain overnight and this morning temperatures around three degrees.  I waited for the rain to ease before setting off to Southsea once again.  My efforts last Thursday were not rewarded and decided then that I need to be there on a rising tide.  High tide today was around 13:30, so arriving at 10:00, I had three and a half hours.  Walking to the esplanade it was cold, the coldest I have been this end of the year, maybe all year.  There was a drizzle and it was quite gloomy, not ideal conditions but I was hopeful.

I walked east along the esplanade after joining just west of the castle, scanning the rocks that were already covered with water.  There was still quite a bit of sea weed visible on the rocks though.  I scanned both with a thermal imager and the binoculars, but it was my ears that found the Purple Sandpipers, I heard them call then picked up a group close to the edge of the water.  Yesterday a group of five were reported I was interested to see how many were about today.  The first group I saw was of five birds.

I love the Limpets already bedded down on the new rocks.

The number then increased to nine.

At this time there was some of the sandpipers taking time out.

Then some more calls to my right, west of the castle and a flock of seven more Purple Sandpiper flew in and settled on the rocks.  I wish I had seen where they had come from, but think maybe the rocks where the work is taking place.

I then followed the birds as they gradually moved east in between the rocks stopping to feed on the algae on the rocks and anything in the bladder wrack.

I resisted trying to get closer by walking on to the rocks, they were wet and probably slippery and there are some nasty drops between them.  So I stood on the sea wall and looked down, the sandpipers seemed quite happy with that.

The tide was rising quite fast and at one point I lost all the birds, they must have got into or between the rocks, but I found then a little later further along the rocks heading towards the large rock groyne to the east.

This alert pose was as a result to a dog barking at me, it wasn't happy I was standing on the sea wall.

Settled back down.

When I was here Thursday it was high tide and there wasn't any visible sea weed.  However when it did appear there were no sandpipers.  Today the tide was rising and this was pushing them closer towards me.

Some would move away from the sea, but stuck to the areas were there was sea weed.

Working hard to get something to eat.

The tide was now making feeding hard and the flock would frequently fly out across the water.  I thought that they were flying away, but they did return.

I have not managed to get flight shots before so this was quite nice.

Settling back on the rocks.

Finally they all flew off across the water and towards the large groyne to the east.  It was now drizzling quite hard and was colder.  Other birds had been few and to be honest I wasn't too bothered.  I did see two Shags fly past and there were several Black-headed Gulls.  Around the car park there was a huge gathering of Crows.  It was a shame that the conditions were so gloomy, but it was very nice to finally catch up with the Purple Sandpipers and to know that they were more than happy with their ne winter home.  A flock of sixteen is probably one of the largest reported while the works have been taking place.