13th June - Blashford Lakes and Harbridge, Hampshire

Its June, overcast, so no butterflies, what do you do?  Well I decided to try my hand at photographing Sand Martin at Blashford Lakes.  They have a prepared Sand Martin wall outside the Goosander Hide, and this has attracted quite a few Sand Martin.  Before walking around to the hide I checked the Tern hide where it was very quiet with the majority of birds being Egyptian Geese.

As I approached the Goosander hide a Song Thrush was singing in a tall Silver BIrch.

An early nester at the start of the year,its mate is probably sitting on their third brood.

Another songster was a Willow Warbler, it had a distinctive song, the typical Willow Warbler flutey song, but ending with the call of a Chiffchaff.  Ian and I had heard and seen this bird earlier in the spring.  Today though I couldn't see it only hear it.

Settling down into the hide the Sand Martin were flocking around the artificial Sand Martin wall.  Photographing hirundines is never easy as they twist and turn in the air and you have to just try and follow them.  These were the first shots taken close to the water.

 

There were some huge monsters in the water below the hide.  These are Common Carp and were probably about 40 pounds each, maybe more.  At this time of year they start to spawn.

Another distraction was this gathering of male Azure Damselflies.  Some have settled on a stone that looks a bit like an aircraft carrier in the water.

But back to the Sand Martin, they would flock around the colony and every so often they would fly into the wholes.

THe agility of these little birds in the air is amazing.

They would sit at the front of the holes.

Coming out of the hole and dropping down towards the water.

Three male Tufted Duck passed the hide chasing a female.

And some interesting views of the carp.  Here showing the broad pectoral fins.

As always, wherever a large gathering of small birds appears you can guarantee there will be predators.  The calls from the Sand Martins changed and they flocked closer as this female Sparrowhawk appeared.

The hawk wasn't successful and sat on the top of the concrete nest wall before flying off back across the hide and away into the woods.

It was quiet for awhile but it wasn't long before the Sand Martins returned to their business.

Just as I was about to leave the Black Swan that has been here for several weeks appeared in the middle of Ibsley Water.

As I walked back I could hear the Willow Warbler once more and this time I was able to find it in a Willow tree would you believe.

I turned off towards Harbridge on the way home and pulled over to watch the water meadows.  I used to come here in the winter many years ago for the Bewick's Swan, but never at this time of year.  A male Cuckoo sat on the overhead wires and a Buzzard flew over.  A little later on there was a female Marsh Harrier, and a Sparrowhawk that looked like it had caught a Sand Martin.

But the bird I was hoping for was the Hobby.  I managed to see two, but they were very high and distant and catching insects.  I waited to see if they would come lower but it didn't happen.

A typical June day birding, but some interesting sightings.

9th June - Romsey Abbey, Romsey, Hampshire

Overcast conditions were not conducive to butterfly searching so I decided to return to Romsey and the Peregrines that were nesting on the Abbey in the centre of the town.  As I walked around the Abbey I could see a Peregrine siting on the roof of the abbey.

Blood on the beast and belly feathers meant that this was probably the female.  A definitive identification would be to see if there were any rings, the male being ringed the female not.  However you couldn't see the legs at the moment.

Things were quiet for about half an hour, of interest was this partial leucistic Blackbird.

The female then moved to the cross that is above the gutter area where the chicks are.  Every so often you could hear the chicks calling.

At first we thought there was maybe a kill being held, but on a closer look it was clear that it was one of the legs curled up while the falcon stood on one leg.

Then with  out warning the Peregrine flew off, heading north, but seemed to be chasing something over the cottages, as the peregrine came back I picked up a Hobby flying off towards Fishlake.  The Peregrine then made its way back to the Abbey roof.

I then turned my attention to the other speed master of the air, the Swift, there were at least four flying around the abbey.

As well as the swifts there were also a few House Martins around the trees.  Other birds seen were Buzzard and Red Kite, while a Little Egret flying over seemed a little out of place.  Another raptor, a Sparrowhawk was chased away by a pair of crows.

Back to the Peregrines, this was the female on the roof.

With plenty of wing stretching.

The female flew off and the male appeared, flying on to the main tower, and looked down on me with those big black eyes.

And confirmation that this was the male bird came when it stretched out its leg to show the ring.

Continuing to watch the abbey roof.

I had arrived a little before 10:00am but others had been present since 8:00am and no food had been brought in for the chicks, so we were expecting some action soon.  When one bird went off we would see it circling high above the abbey.  The female then flew in to the area close to the nest site.

She didn't stay long and showed some great views as she took to the air.

My favourite shot of the day, showing the power and size of the bird.

Still no food being delivered, both birds away from the abbey, but always returning after a short while.

The male came in a settled on the weather vance, but then was evicted by the female who barged into her mate to move him off.

Flying out over our heads.

My time was up, so I left the Peregrines with both birds sitting on the abbey, the male on the roof and the female on the weather vane.  I will be coming back, the chicks will soon be looking to fledge and hopefully there will be some better light, which might mean an earlier start.