Friday 15 March 2024

14th March - Farlington Marshes, Bedhampton, and Posbrook Floods, Hampshire

It was a brighter morning, with sunshine and a light breeze.  Arriving at Farlington there were Blackbirds, Song Thrushes and Robins were singing in the bushes.  Ian arrived and we set off across a very wet grass area around the bushes.  As we approached the Stream there were two cock Pheasants that were unsure if they wanted to fight or not.


Everywhere was flooded and there was only a small area that was walkable.  This Grey Heron was hunting in an area that would normally be dry land.


We walked around to the information Hut where a showy Cetti's Warbler was singing in a bush in the middle of the reeds.



In the reeds alongside the stream and footpath there were the pings of Bearded Tits and a male was showing very well.




Whilst the water level is still high at this spot, it was not as bad as on the Lake, so this was probably why the Beardies were here.  In the winter they feed on the seeds on the floor or on the reeds.


Reed acrobatics.





They are so photogenic.






They look very good from behind too.


Out on the marsh, the Barnacle Goose and its mate the white farmyard duck were showing well.


This looks a bit more like a wild Barnacle Goose.


At the Deeps there were very good numbers of adult Mediterranean Gulls, looking very smart at this time of year.


There were gulls on the marsh and many more flying around and calling.



At this time of year Mediterranean Gulls build up in pre-breeding colonies, in Hampshire Hayling Island Oyster Beds is well known for this.  It would seem that the number of Mediterranean Gulls is increasing every year and they are spilling out to close by locations.#


I love the all white wings that stand out against any background.



Over the winter new gravel islands have been built around the deeps, they were quite popular with the gulls.  Pairs displaying to each other.




We searched Point Field with the thermal, but without any luck.  Passing Point Field a pair of Ravens were on the sea wall.


The familiar "gronk" call.


As we tried to get a bit closer they would fly off, but settle not too far away.  This one had a bath and was preening and shaking out the feathers.



The tide was very low and high tide away off.  The Lake was full with no numbers of duck or wader, so we decided to try somewhere else and decided on Bedhampton.  We parked at the bottom of the lane and almost as soon as he was out of the car Ian found a Guillemot on the sea, the first of the year and not always a guaranteed tick in Hampshire


We scanned the rest of the water and found a nice, but distant male Goldeneye.  At the mouth of the stream there were Wigeon and a build up of all five regular gulls.  

The Guillemot by now had drifted closer to the shore and had attracted the attention of a Great Black-backed Gull.


The Guillemot made no attempt to file off or dive.  The water was shallow here, but it remained, despite the attention of the gull.  If the gull came close it would use its bill to ward the gull off.  Then a second Great Black-backed Gull turned up and things did not look good.  


We watched on and one of the gulls attempted a stab, missing and getting a response from the Guillemot.


The gulls would try to get behind the auk, but the Guillemot would turn quickly and the gulls were very wary of the auk's bill.  Eventually the gulls gave up and flew away, leaving the Guillemot close to the shore still but very much OK, and it even stood up and wing flapped.


We walked along the sea wall to the breach.  On the lagoons were two Greenshank and two Avocet.  Off shore on the sea was another Goldeneye, Red-breasted Merganser, Great crested Grebe and a summer plumaged Black-necked Grebe.

Walking back to the car it was good to see the Guillemot further out in the water, away from the shore.

We decided then to finish the day at Posbrook Floods.  The Glossy Ibis seem to have left once again, but there were reports of a Cattle Egret and some Sand Martin.  While eating in the car park, the first Red Admiral of the year.


As we set off several Brimstones passed us, at this time of year they very rarely stop.

Walking down the footpath we stopped to look at the Barn Owl in the usual tree.


At Posbrook the water was high, there were Tufted Duck and Pochard, but no sign of the recent Ferruginous Duck.  You could hear the calls of Black-tailed Godwits and some of these were in summer plumage feeding on the shore.


Around the bridge a Chiffchaff was singing in the oak tree.


Walking back the Cattle Egret was hiding, sitting in a small bush by the side of Bridge Street Floods.


A Marsh Harrier and Buzzard showed over the back of the trees and these were joined by a Red Kite that came across the floods and over my head.


Quite distinctive with the missing primary and secondary.


We had been scanning the skies and there had been a few showers that we hoped would push some hirundines through and finally this paid off when we picked up two Sand Martin above the floods, another sign that spring is on the way?

Back in the car park a Chiffchaff was singing and was later joined by an elusive Blackcap.


Great to see Sand Martins finally, hopefully a sign of more to come.

Sunday 10 March 2024

9th March - Martin Down and Blashford Lakes, Hampshire

Martin Down is not normally a location that we visit in the winter (I know it's technically spring, but its early March), but Ian had some luck while I was away with a Hen Harrier and several Short-eared Owl, so we were here to chance our luck and also pick up a few specialist year ticks.

On the way I had seen a Red-legged Partridge, I was hoping for the other partridge today.  Turning on to Sillens Lane I thought I was driving up a stream bed, water was pouring off the surrounding fields and found the tarmac as a suitable water course.  I don't recall ever seeing it like this here before.  The spring weather I had been enjoying since we came home was now gone, it was dull, overcast with the threat of rain.

Getting out of the car a Yellowhammer was singing in a bush close by.


\thermal cameras were essential today, much of what we were looking for and we walked down the main path and scanned the hill in front of us.  There was a heat source on the side of the hill, we were quite excited it was what we were hoping for.  This record shot gives some idea what we were looking at with a normal camera.


The heat source was in the centre of the photograph, but turned out to be a Brown Hare.

We reached Bokerly Ditch where there was a Corn Bunting singing, but little else.


We walked along the ditch, with little about.  A Raven flew over, but very little else.  The grass was very short and it seemed strange to be here with no flowers.  Another Corn Bunting showed a little better in the gloom.


Skylark were singing above us and there were also several in the small bushes and on the anthills.


Just before the Jubilee footpath that leads alongside a copse we searched an area of grassland.  This was where Ian had the owls when he was last here.  We very quickly found another heat source, but again this turned out to be a Brown Hare.  We walked around the whole area without any luck at all. 

We then walked the footpath where the only thing we saw of interest was a Roe Deer.  Another heat source in the copse had us guessing once again, but it turned out to be a female pheasant, probably on the nest.  There was no sign of any Brown Hares.

Coming off the Jubilee Path there was another Corn Bunting in the middle of a bush.


We made our way to the old ranges, flushing two Grey Partridge on the way.  As we walked past the largest range another pair of Grey Partridge flushed from the scrub, but did not fly too far.  We walked into the area where they seemed to have landed.  There was no sign of the partridge and we turned our attention to a Skylark, then from next to us the pair flew up once again.  We followed there flight and made our way there and once again they flushed.

Completely frustrated, we decided to check the ditch once again, but with the same results.  The gloom had not lifted all morning so we decided to cut our losses and head back to the cars for lunch.  As we walked back it started to rain and almost at the same time a Red Kite took off from alongside the path and soared around above us.




Back in the car park, another Corn Bunting singing.


Ian still needed Siskin for the year so we decided to visit Blashford Lakes, surely Siskin was guaranteed in the Woodland Hide.  For once the hide was empty and we sat by the window.  It was unusually quiet with very few birds about, but slowly they started to appear.  A long-tailed Tit.


A Coal Tit


And then what Ian was hoping for, a male Siskin.


From the Ivy Lake South there was very little close to the hide, all the wildfowl were on the far side of the lake aside from this single drake Tufted Duck.


Then for some reason all the Wigeon flew across the lake.

We tried the north hide, but there was nothing and then walked to the Tern Hide on the other side.  Two Red Kite were above us and on the Road Kill table were two Raven and a very dead Roe Deer.  That was the end of what was a rather disappointing day.