Fieldfares, Blackcaps and Goldcrest

Having just joined the Shoreham and District Ornithological Society I thought that it was fitting to commence my first Garden Bird Watch. So, taking advantage of the bad weather,  I sat down by the patio windows with pencil and paper. Of course the camera was also mounted, just to record anything unusual.

Blackcaps have reached their highest count with two females and one male, they are very territorial but not as bad as the 9 Fieldfares that turned up. One dominant bird hogging the apples that I had placed on the frozen bird bath. One Redwing turned up, looked at the Fieldfares and left immediately.

Blackbirds peaked at five but it was pleasing to see a Song Thrush drinking from the pond where I had cleared the ice. Oh, one Greenfinch quietly munching its way through the white millet.

A very annoyed Blackbird

Whilst not actually in the garden - a 2nd winter Common Gull

Then long after sunset I noticed a small bird foraging under one of the suet feeders. picking up the crumbs that had dropped to the ground, a Goldcrest,  obviously times are hard but at least this lady is getting some sustenance. In fact when every other bird had gone to roost she moved onto the feeder itself and stayed until 1645, the only bird to outstay that time was a single Fieldfare that remained until it was almost dark.

Purple Sandpipers

Today turned into ticking off locations rather than extending the year list. First stop - Eastney, at the Hayling Ferry to be precise. In the channel a close Red-breasted Merganser and then we located our prime target, a Shag. Unfortunately it didn't hang around for long but, believing that it had relocated to the other side of the ferry pontoon, we followed hotfoot, cameras in hand. All to no avail as the bird had done a Houdini and disappeared. Second on the site list was Southsea Castle for the Purple Sandpipers, really obliging but distant in the rapidly decreasing light, never mind, another year tick.

Some record shots of the Purplies, probably not as good as my birding companion's.

Third location - Baffins Pond, primarily to photograph the very obliging Shovelers that reside here. Unfortunately they were tucked up tight on the island and as the pond was partially frozen they declined to venture out, not even for the tasty morsels on offer from the little old lady feeding the rest of the inhabitants. Next stop - the Brent Goose Refuge further along Tangier Road - guess what - not a single goose to be seen. Heading out on to the Eastern Road, past the golf course, we left Portsea Island for a visit to Hayling Island, Stopping at the car parks either side of the bridge gave us Grey Plover and Ringed Plover plus all the usual suspects.

Onward, forever onward, to the Nore Stream south of Emsworth, neither the Spotted Redshank or Greenshank were at home so after a short scan of the mud we headed off for our seventh location - Thorney Island - the east side down Thornham Lane, just for a quick recce. Then a much longer visit to Fishbourne Creek on the rising tide, again all the usuals, but we did manage a fleeting glimpse of the Kingfisher in the stream below the sewage works. No Yellowhammers at the stables just a few Chaffinches on the manure heap. Back at the church car park two Bullfinches departed rapidly as we approached the car.

Next venue Drayton House Lake on the Bognor Road where we located a Little Grebe and several Gadwall.  Finally we washed up at the North Wall at Pagham where we discovered Knot, Golden Plover and Mediterranean Gulls amongst others. Rock and Meadow Pipits were about and finally, in the gathering gloom, the highlight of the day,  a Short-eared Owl.

At the end of the day, ten venues, 61 species and a few more year ticks.

Glossy Ibis and Kingfisher

A fantastic day's birding with Martin Peacock, visiting deepest Hampshire once again. Today's aim was to collect a few year ticks, particularly the long staying Glossy Ibis and Great White Egret at Bickerley Common. Just as before, we dipped on the GWE but the Glossy was home and not as far away as previous, but still distant.

I had just unshipped my scope from the tripod and replaced it with the camera when there was a blue flash and a Kingfisher landed on the steel girders of the bridge, no time for any adjustments just point and shoot. Of the series, two shots were acceptable. A great shame it didn't hang around longer.

No leafy branches or wooden posts - a real "industrial" setting

Next to the stream were singles of Black Tailed Godwit and Green Sandpiper and of course  an obliging Grey Wagtail. 

Feeling fairly buoyed up by a good start we progressed to Blashford Lakes. From the Tern Hide on Ibsley lake we managed to find Shoveler, Pintail, Mallard, Goldeneye, Teal, Wigeon, Tufted Duck and a single female Goosander. On the way out from the hide two Mistle Thrushes were on the grass next to the car park, year ticks coming from every which way.

Moving over to the Visitor Centre we found most of the usual suspects. The North hide on Ivy lake, home of the obliging Bittern, was jam packed so we gave it a miss, after all we already had a Bittern on the year list! The Woodland Hide gave us most of the finches and Siskin, Brambling, Lesser Redpoll and a show off Great Spotted Woodpecker. A gentle walk around the rear of the VC gave us sight of many Siskins, another Brambling and a mobile Treecreeper.

Onward in to the Forest,north of the A31 via Cadnam Pool gave us more Mistle Thrushes and several Fieldfares. Eyeworth Pond at Fritham is always worth a visit, even if it is only to wonder at the amount of Marsh Tits that are resident here, most visitors take bird food and the birds come very close. In addition there are many Coal Tits and Nuthatches. On the island, hidden in the undergowth were several Mandarins, at least three males present.
On leaving Fritham we were treated to a low fly by of a Buzzard and on the way to Lakeside CP at Eastleigh we spotted perched Kestrel and Sparrowhawk. The visit to Lakeside was specifically to find a Hawfinch but yet again we dipped on this elusive bird. However,  bacon sandwiches and large mugs of steaming hot tea in the cafe went a long way to lessening our disappointment. On the way home we called in at Warningcamp to sight 24 Bewick's Swans - what a great day.


At the end of the day my list stood at 69 species seen and 3 species heard, giving me 17 year ticks and a total of 104 in the first two weeks of January - but who's counting!!!.

Sussex Tick

I eschewed the warmth of the duvet just to get a Sussex tick. Standing in the cold outside the delivery gate of the local Sainsbury's is not my idea of birding, and I am somewhat nervous holding a camera in a very public place. However, encouraged by the presence of other birders I waited patiently for three Waxwings to turn up. With the event duly recorded I beat a hasty retreat home for breakfast.

400mm f5.6 1/80 ISO 800 handheld and I was shivering - excuses!

Firecrest

Sometime about mid-morning I was sat at the computer when a strange light came through the window, I had a vague recollection that it was called "sunshine" and was conducive to photography. So not one to pass up the chance of a trip out I grabbed the gear and fled the house. No more incentive required as both the builder and decorator are in attendance. Where to go?? As I made the A27 I realised that this yellowish radiation was only on the coastal strip and that the downs remained shrouded in the grey clag. In the end I opted for Arundel WWT for a female Bullfinch or perhaps a wader or two. The visit resulted in a Firecrest that was almost impossible to nail down. I had a distinct impression that there were two birds present but I was unable to confirm it, they are just too mobile.

My eye was caught by four fine looking Pintails, unfortunately part of the collection not vagrants taking advantage of the site. Nevertheless a nice shot of one of the drakes.

In the distance several Red-breasted Geese making an awful racket demanding to be snapped, a shame that they aren't on Beeding Brooks in similar numbers and with impeccable credentials.

Crossbills

A really satisfying day's birding, lots of new year ticking and some scarcer birds to boot. Martin and I started out at the "usual tree" on Stapleash Farm for the Little Owl. As we parked opposite the tree two birds hopped for cover, we found a definite in the usual place, but not the possible second bird. Feeling happy we made a short journey down the road. We parked next to the ride just down from Monkton Farm and scanned the high trees for Hawfinches using just binoculars. Two candidates right at the top had me almost dashing for the scope, finally the pulse slowed down as with the aid of more magnification it became apparent they were in fact Greenfinches. We would have stayed in the vicinity but for  a shoot getting underway, never have the lanes been so full of 4x4s.

Next port of call was Ambersham Common to try to relocate the Dartford Warbler that Martin had photographed a few weeks ago. Things remained quiet until the sun finally broke through the grey cloud, then slowly the tit flocks became mobile. I was surprised by how many Coal Tits were present. Then at last a fleeting fly past of an ummistakable bird, a male Dartford. In trying to relocate the bird we moved to give better light and gain some cover under a pine tree. Patiently waiting I became aware of a familiar crunching sound and the sight of bits of wood falling from the tree, a glance upward confirmed it, Crossbill. A large female cracking cones, unfortunately in the shade. However, it was apparent from the noise that there were other birds present and we located a more obliging juvenile male willing to pose for the camera. When the birds finally flew off we were surprised to count a total of seven.  Having been stood at our present location for more than an hour it was an added bonus that, as we left, we almost trod on a Woodcock.

The large female that wouldn't come into the light



A much more obliging juvenile bird

There's a seed in here somewhere...



.....told you so....

.... better to take the whole lot.

The Dartford didn't show again so we left for Lavington Plantation. Somewhere near Ambersham Polo ground we came across a large finch flock occupying several trees adjacent to the road. There must have been at least two hundred birds present. mainly Chaffinches and Goldfinches, but I managed to positively identify one Greenfinch and three Bramblings. We parked up but by the time we had set up the cameras the birds had trickled away over the fields, it wasn't obvious why they had gathered in such numbers nor could we identify what they may have been feeding on, but to the south of the road were two stubble fields where the straw had been left. Worth a revisit soon.

Lavington Plantation was a big disappointment, eerily quiet, in fact the only bird we saw clearly was a single Goldcrest. A short visit to Burton Mill pond added Pochard and Tufted Ducks to the list, it was quiet here too, a definite lack of smaller birds all too evident. On the way home we made a detour, through Wepham and Burpham, to the Burgh hoping for a Bewick's Swan to add to the day's tally, another dip but at least we met up with Dorian and Dave who kindly pointed out several Red Kites.

So, in a good day's birding the photographs were few and far between but the list of ticks finished up at a healthy 42

Ring-billed Gull

I started the New Year with a pre-dawn departure for Walpole Park in Gosport. There was virtually no traffic, even on the M27 cars were few and far between. I parked up expecting only a short stay as "Waldo" is the most  dependable and obliging bird. Well, two hours later, having searched the park and the whole of Haslar Creek, I gave up and left for some sea watching at Stoke's Bay. Not a lot to be seen save for some Rooks doing aerobatics in a strong onshore breeze.

A local birder didn't believe that I had dipped on Waldo and insisted that I return for another go. So in pleasant sunshine I returned to the park and - yes you've guessed it - there was "Waldo" only 20 feet from the car, posing perfectly.

 Waldo, a Ring-billed Gull has overwintered at this location for at least the last 7 years and in tick reliability terms, ranks on a par with the Little Owl at Stapleash Farm

Common Gull for comparison

Having expended sufficient gigabytes of memory I departed, not really knowing where I was actually going next. I managed to find my way over Portsdown Hill to Boarhunt and took a leisurely drive down through Southwick (Suthick) to Cosham where I made my mind up and went to Farlington Marshes. Car parking space was at a premium but I managed to squeeze in. As soon as I got out the car a kind birder informed me that the Red-breasted Goose had relocated to Tangier Road but there were six Black-necked Grebes in the channel. I slung my camera on my back and set out for the Point. Success! I located one of the grebes, a long way off, but not much else. So, having completed a circumnavigation of the marshes, I returned home - knackered.


Happy New Year everyone