Yellow-legged Gull

I suppose I must count myself fortunate that I have at least some pictures after a very disappointing day's birding. I managed to dip on three of the four birds that I expected to see.

I started on what was a glorious autumn morning in the New Forest, sunshine and virtually no wind but with a light overnight frost - perfect. I parked in the forest car park adjacent to Beaulieu Railway Station, being the second car there was a good sign and I had many hectares of the forest to myself.

Following a fairly long walk I found the pool just on the edge of Denny Wood Inclosure  where a Great Grey Shrike had been reported yesterday. Two hours patient waiting gave me the sum total of a flyby Buzzard, three ponies and distant views of a Kingfisher. The latter being totally unexpected in the middle of a vast area of heathland. On the long walk back to the car park the Raven, hidden in the trees above the busy railway line, was mocking me.

Kingfisher in the middle of the forest

On to my second target - the Red-breasted Goose that has been reported daily at Sturt Pond or New Lane close to Milford on Sea. When I arrived it was obvious that not a single goose was present. Again I hung around waiting for something to develop. I was entertained by a huge flock of Linnets, probably 100+. Regularly a small party would splinter off the main group and visit one of the roadside pools for a quick wash and brush up.

Thirdly the long staying Long Billed Dowitcher at Pennington Marsh - a familiar tale - "should have been here an hour ago". This, coupled with the fact that parking was a nightmare, left me feeling very deflated.  I cut back through the forest and had my lunch parked next to the River Avon at Ringwood. I followed this with one of my favourite drives through the forest - turning off the Fordingbridge road at Blashford Pits and making my way back to Cadnam via Linwood, Cadman's Pool and Fritham. None of the usual suspects - Fieldfares and Mistle Thrushes are yet present in any numbers, in fact, apart from the browning bracken the forest still has a summer look to it.

Finally, desperate for a photograph, I sought out another long staying bird, the Yellow-legged Gull at Battery No.2 on Stokes Bay sea front in Gosport. Usually the bird roosts on the grass just over from the beach road, this time it was on the waters edge at Browndown spit. At least I managed some decent record shots before it relocated back to the greensward. I found the bird again at close range but before I pressed the shutter a dog walker spooked it and I lost sight of it.