Eider it is or it isn't

Within the birding fraternity nothing creates more discussion than a single specimen of wildfowl in an unusual place. Experienced birders, without even seeing a bird, will dismiss it as an escapee or "plastic" should it be behaving oddly or be out of place by just a few miles. So it was with today's bird, a male Eider in breeding plumage has been consorting with the Mallard flock in Fareham Creek. This bird is just several miles away from the Solent, where it would be considered perfectly normal.

Visually this bird is correct in all respects, full of wing and no visible rings. It just happens to be giving a female Mallard the full Eider works, head bobbing, wing flapping, sky pointing and above all else, the "Awoo" at considerable volume. Anyway, if you want to see it for yourself, it is currently residing in Fareham Creek either close to the marina or off Bath Lane recreation ground, high tide being the best time to visit. Plastic or not this bird gets a tick from me for its stunning good looks and eccentric behaviour. However, it must be a bit thick if it hasn't realised that the Mallard is just not impressed.

On the way to Fareham we had dropped into Nore Barn Stream where, with a rising tide, we expected to get close to both Spotted Redshank and Greenshank. Unfortunately we were a tad early and only found the Spotshank at distance so left intending to return later when the tide would have brought the birds closer.

Our third venue was a return to Farlington in the hope of catching the Short-eared Owl that had been reported. Unfortunately we dipped, probably because of the brisk onshore breeze. No sign of the Bearded Tits either. On the lake a single Avocet and out on the mud several Knot active amongst the Oystercatchers and Grey Plovers.

Back to Nore Barn and at high water all the birds had disappeared from the stream area, probably due to the excessive amount of dog walkers in the area, most of whom could not control a dog as long as their rear end points downwards.

Next stop was the Ferry Pool at Pagham, nothing much to report, just the long staying Ruddy Shelducks, themselves the focus of contention during the annual bird race. Again their credentials questioned by another birder who hadn't even seen the birds. On down the road to Church Norton where a visit to the beach was kept very short, just a few Black-headed Gulls loafing in the surf which was doing its best to spill over the shingle. Perhaps it might be a good thing if the shingle spit was breeched by the tide and a new exit/entrance to the harbour recreated where it once was.

With the sun still shining we couldn't wrap up and go home so we decided to have another go at the Slavonian Grebe on Pagham Lagoon, again lots of pictures but the bird remained wary and at a distance despite our best efforts at concealment amongst the bankside gorse bushes. I would think, considering the amount of Sticklebacks that it is catching, this bird will remain for some time.

Finally a visit to one of my favourite venues - the North Wall, where the water levels appear to be even higher. Plenty of birds present on the flooded fields and I noticed that there were several ringed Black-tailed Godwits present. I had set up the camera to record some of these birds when suddenly everything took off, great wheeling flocks of Lapwings and Godwits filling the air. Try as you might the camera never catches the drama, but some of the photographs show the panic induced by the proximity of a raptor. Sure enough, on the ground where these flocks had been was an adult Peregrine tucking into a hapless wader.