3rd March - Hayling Oyster Beds, Langstone Mill and Farlington Marshes, Hampshire

The month of March sees literally hundreds of Mediterranean Gulls gathering around the lagoons of the West Hayling NNR.  This is a pre-breeding gathering, the gulls do not breed here and why they decide to gather is not really clear.

With blue skies once again this was a great opportunity to photograph the gulls against the blue skies, their all white plumage contrasting so well.

As I set off along Ropley Road, a combination of the rising sun, an early morning frost and the mist created by it all combined to produce a stunning landscape.

Before walking around to the Oyster Beds I took the opportunity to photograph Langstone Harbour.

Looking towards the Royal Oak.

The old Billy Line bridge across to the main land.

I could hear the Mediterranean Gulls calling, but at that point couldn't see them.  The tide was rising and a Curlew was preening on the rocks.

The main area of bund where the gulls gather.

There were Black-headed Gulls but the dominant gull was the Mediterranean Gull, here standing together on the shingle.

The only other bird on the lagoon than the gulls was this female Red-breasted Merganser.

The Mediterranean Gulls were coming in all the time, moving from the harbour to the shingle banks of the lagoon.  Their calls would signal them coming over my head.

I had moved around to the west side of the Oyster Beds.  This is the main bank of shingle that the gull roost on.

I just settled in to photograph the gulls as they moved in and out from the harbour and the lagoons.

Not all had a full black hood

Plenty of calling gulls.

A close up portrait.

Those coming in from the harbour and dropping on to the shingle.

The gathering on the slope of the bank had increased.

Still got a way to go for this one's black hood.

Another portrait.

As I left a Little Egret stood in the shallow water, again a white contrast against a blue background, but this one of water.

I walked around to Langstone Mill.  This is the place where the Cattle Egret nest amongst a Grey Heron heronry, but they were not there.  I was left with this Stock Dove nesting in a hole in a tree low on the water.

As I watched the Stock Dove a Tufted Duck swam towards me, probably expecting food.

Next stop was Farlington Marshes.  I walked down to the Lake and then settled down onto the bank to have my lunch and to watch as the rising tide forced the waders and duck on to the Lake.

Scanning the marshes I was amazed at the number of Brent Geese grazing, it was well in the hundreds and probably more than 500.  Also present on the marsh were Canada Geese (soon to be called American Goose?) and Shelduck.  Some of the Brent were moving, this pair flying over my head and out into the harbour.

The waders on the lake were Redshank, Dunlin and Black-tailed Godwits, but the group that stood out was one of around fifty plus Avocets.

What I find strange is that they can roost together quite happily, but once they leave the group and become pairs, if one pair gets too close to another they fight?

A Snipe was feeding out in the open, enjoying the sunshine.

As I was about to walk back to the car I had to stop as this male Kestrel was hunting along the bank.

A typical March day, some nice sunshine that makes you think spring is here, but it's still too early for migrants, although they are arriving in other places!  Nice to catch up with the Mediterranean Gull gathering, always a spectacle with sunshine and blue skies.

1st March - Hill Head and Browndown South, Hampshire

With the weather still forecast to be sunny and and warm, Ian and I decided to have another go at Browndown for the Adders, but as it would take a time to warm up we were meeting at Hill Head.  I had missed the report of the Long-tailed Duck around the Darling Buoy, so it was a surprise when I arrived. 

It required a telescope and this view was very much a record shot of the Long-tailed Duck alongside two Velvet Scoter.

Unlike the Long-tailed Duck there were a couple of Great Crested Grebes close to the sea wall.

The Rainbow Bar was still visible, but the tide was rising and the Sanderling and Ringed Plover, we struggling to find dry land to stand on.

We went into the reserve and to the Meon Shore hide.  The water levels were still very high and there was very little about.  What did catch my eye were the two main predators of the gull and tern nests in the summer.  Great Black-backed and Lesser Black-backed Gulls, the lessers having the stand out yellow legs.

We walked along the sea wall but there wasn't any sign of the Sanderling and plover, so decided to move on and try once again at Browndown South.  Despite the warnings that the area was closed, it was very much open.  Once again we did the loop around the usual sites and bracken and once again there wasn't any sign of the Adders.  We did two loops before deciding to go and find the Dartford Warblers.

The warblers were not singing, but after a good search of the gorse bushes we found one that showed briefly.

As we waited for the Dartford Warbler to show a sizeable flock of Sanderling flew past.  It looked like they had settled on the beach so we decided to go and have a look.  After passing some raised shingle we found the flock on the beach.

One or two were away from the main group.  Shortly after I took this, two Sanderling just barged into it and knocked it over.

As we walked back towards the main footpath we noticed this Dartford Warbler was hopping around on the ground.

At first we thought it was gathering nesting material, but as it moved around the base of the gorse it was clear it was looking for food.

Then from the ground and up into the Gorse.

It then flew across the path and over to the gorse on the bank alongside the main path.

It then flew up and had the blue sky behind it.

So we drew another blank regarding the Adders, but it was nice to catch up with the Dartford Warblers again.  Another lovely day and a great start to the month of March.