2nd October - Titchfield Haven NNR, Hampshire

I was back at Titchfield Haven today, following the same pattern as the day before.  However walking from the visitor centre to the West gate I ignored the likelihood of anything on the beach behind the sailing club.

What did catch my eye was a Grey Heron, statue like, in a small inlet in the reed bed, waiting for something to pass by that could be food.

As I walked towards the west gate there was a Wheatear on the road, hanging around the wheels of a large car.

As I got closer it flew off over the sea wall and was lost somewhere on the beach.

As always, I dropped into the Meon Shore Hide, but for once didn't stay, there was nobody else there which is unusual for the time of day and out on the scrape the water levels were very high and there was hardly any birds on view.

So from the Meon Shore I walked around to the Spurgin Hide.  There were quite a few people in there when I arrived but I managed to find a place on the left hand side.  Looking out across the mere the view was much the same as the day before.  I settled in for the long run and hoped secretly that the Kingfishers would show today.

It was quiet to start with and the only thing of interest were the Jays flying to and fro, this one without an acorn.

Then the female / immature type Marsh Harrier flew past heading towards the scrapes where it was then lost from view.

Then, what most of the occupants of the hide were waiting for happened, a Kingfisher turned up and settled on the perches in front of the hide.

There some slight differences between the Kingfishers, while are all male the beaks and plumage has slight features that allow them to be separated.  One definitely has a ring, but the beak on this one appears to be perfect, while another has a slight white tip and damage to the lower mandible.  The white tip would indicate a juvenile bird.

The forecast was for it to be dry through the morning, with some showers in the afternoon.  The skies though from the hide appeared moody.

There was then a long spell when pretty much nothing happened, the harriers didn't show and the Kingfishers kept away.  One bit of amusement was this Grey Heron that dropped into the mere and decided to have a bath.

In this shot it looks like it is as fed up with the high water as a lot of us are here at Titchfield.

The first bird of prey flew from left to right, a Buzzard, it then returned with the wind and then hovered above the mere quite high up.

A lot of people think the Kestrel is the only bird of prey that would hover to hunt, but we saw it in the Osprey the day before and Buzzards can be seen doing it regularly, but will usually do so facing into the wind.

 

The hide then started to clear out and with the very long lenses gone the action started.  A Marsh Harrier came past the hide quite close and this was a different bird from the female / immature bird seen yesterday and earlier today.

There is a significant amount of grey in the wings around the tertials and secondaries, but still retains the orange buff markings on the shoulders and crown.  The other bird is mostly brown and orange with buff fringes to the tips of the feathers.

It took interest in an area beside a bush and dropped down.

Then it was up again and here as it banks you can see the differences in the feather colour on the upper wings.

Then it turned and twisted and went to drop but pulled out.

It then headed towards the scrapes with the wind, upsetting everything there and then drifted back with a large Lapwing escort.

Very much like a Russian bomber testing air defences over Europe and finding itself escorted out of the air space by fighters.

Then the Kingfisher returned and probably another different bird, this one having breast feathers that appear to be abraded and dirty, not the immaculate orange seen in the others.

It also has a little damage to the top tip of the mandible with a white tip.  Also some nice spider's web on the perch.

Showing off the beautiful colours on the back, the light refracting to produce the colour.

The clouds away to the east were building, some grey others snowy-white, giving the impression of a distant mountain range.

The duck were moving up the valley, first was a group of six Pintail and these were then followed by twelve Wigeon a sign that winter is not that far away.

The grey Heron returned and this time walked along the edge of the reeds as if it was looking for settled dragonflies.  Reaching the end it stopped and gave the chance for a nice portrait.

Another Kingfisher returned this with a white tip, it sat on the perch looking down into the water.

As I watched the Kingfisher through the camera I noticed with with my left eye a Marsh Harrier coming over.  I pulled away from the Kingfisher and caught the Marsh Harrier as it wobbled over the top of the perch with the Kingfisher on it.

The Marsh Harrier pulled away and headed off across the reeds towards the scrapes.  The Kingfisher was still on its perch unconcerned by the presence of the Harrier.

The Kingfisher flew off and with it I decided to move off as well.  Good to have the Kingfishers back and the Marsh Harrier were a definite bonus.

1st October - Hill Head and Titchfield Haven, Hampshire

October, it doesn't seem like yesterday I was starting a new list for the year, oh well.  It was back to Titchfield this morning, indifferent weather and the chance of catching up with the Osprey reported the day before.

I parked in Cliff Road and then walked around to the visitor centre to check in.  Walking around to the sea wall I checked the beach behind the sailing club.  I could see plenty of Turnstone by the edge of the water and on the groynes and in amongst them were three Sanderling.  Not one to resist a Sanderling and with no one about to stop me, I walked along the beach to get a good view.  

The tide was rolling in on to the beach and sea weed.

Moving around to the groyne there was a lone Ringed Plover.

And of course the Turnstone.

The Ringed Plover dropped to the beach.

A couple of lovely views of the Sanderling.

And for once the chance to get close to the Ringed Plover.

I left the beach and walked around to the west entrance and first stop once again was the Meon Shore Hide.  The water levels were still higher and there was very little about, but there was a Greenshank in the far left corner of the south scrape.  Greenshank are not that common here at Titchfield so it was nice to see one this morning.

As expected there were Snipe on the island, but only two.

I left the hide and set off for the Spurgin Hide, but stopped off at the Pumfrett to see if the Greenshank was close to the hide.  It was although the light wasn't good.

Settled in at the Spurgin we all waited for the Kingfisher, however today there was not to be a Kingfisher show.

A Little Grebe stayed close to the hide.

But as always, no Kingfisher so something else steps in to take over and today it was an Osprey.  It appeared in the area over the meadow and put up all the gulls, but it also was chased after by a Buzzard.

Not the best photograph, but it does provide a good opportunity to compare the sizes of these two birds of prey.

It eluded the attention of the Buzzard and drifted away towards the east.

It then became obvious this was not the same bird that had been around over the last few weeks.  It had a blue ring on the left leg.

A cropped photo to show the leg and the blue ring.

An Osprey was reported at Lepe about twenty minutes before ours arrived so was likely the same bird.  It drifted east and gained height before disappearing out of view.

So it was back to the view out of the hide.  Jays are very visible at this time, flying to and fro with acorns to cache somewhere.

The Great Egret has been regular both on the south scrape and the eleven acre mere over the last few weeks and it arrived again, landing in the water close to the reed islands.

It started to wade down the channel between the two islands with the head held high.

As it walked it looked at the reeds and then caught in mid air a pair of Common Darter that were locked together, mating.  A case of "coitus interruptus"

another Jay flying past the hide.

But more of a surprise was this Green Woodpecker, that at first I thought was another Jay.

The female / immature Marsh Harrier then appeared over the bushes.

I lost it as it dropped down amongst the bushes and reeds to the left of the hide.  I thought I had found it again, but then realised it was an Osprey.

It flew over the area of the river and frying pan and started to hover above the area and in doing so you could clearly see the legs, this bird was not ringed, more than likely the bird seen over the last few weeks and the second Osprey seen today.

The Osprey then dropped as if to fish and was never seen again.

But the Marsh Harrier then appeared once again and flew towards the hide.

Flying past the hide and checking us all out.

Then turning away and heading off towards the scrape.

The harrier did come back but high above the reed bed.  

Other birds of prey seen from the hide but not photographed were Sparrowhawk and Kestrel and a very special sighting of a Goshawk that flew across and over the Canal path.  There was a good passage of hirundine, all three throughout the day

The Kingfisher only appeared briefly at the back of the mere, the first time I haven't had great views for some time.  However it did not spoil the day as this was more than compensated by the appearance of two Osprey.