The Birds of Needs Ore
The Birds of Needs Ore by Chris Button is now available, contact chris@needsore.com or 07425 162539. For more details please visit The Birds of Needs Ore
The Birds of Needs Ore – first draft design
UPDATE – The Birds of Needs Ore by Chris Button is now available. Please see The Birds of Needs Ore The first draft designs are back from Dan Powell and so I thought I would share a few pages from them. An autumn publishing date is expected and the price will be capped at £25 including…
The Birds of Needs Ore
UPDATE – The Birds of Needs Ore by Chris Button is now available. Please see The Birds of Needs Ore NEW PUBLICATION The Birds of Needs Ore will be published in 2024 and will include a systematic review of all of the 260 species that have been seen here including records from 1945 to 2023. It…
September 2022
September is perhaps the busiest month of the year although my only Knot of the autumn so far were these four juveniles feeding quite close by on the Old Spit Outflow on the 2nd. Ospreys were seen throughout the month, mainly in the Beaulieu River but also along Warren Shore. The peak count was three…
August 2022
These are my own observations. A complete record of all permit holder sightings as recorded in the logbook will be reported in the next Newsletter due in mid-September. Adam has used his regularly booked contractor time to reduce reed encroachment on open standing water in the northwest corner of Black Water and to allow the…
July 2022
The first sign of autumn is often the returning waders and Green Sandpiper is one of the earliest. After a late June individual there were three on the 10th July on Venner Island. Then several other birds around Venner and also several calling over Pullen during the rest of July. The first Black-tailed Godwits were…
June 2022
Twenty Sanderling were feeding along Gull Island on the 7th June which is quite late to be this far south and so perhaps they are non-breeders especially given their lack of breeding plumage. Two juvenile Spoonbills, including the Dutch-ringed bird, remained around Black Water and De L’Orne for the month. I was finally able to…
Moth Traps May 25th and 27th 2022
Moth traps on the 25th and 27th produced a combined nine new species for the reserve. Grey Scalloped Bar, Clouded-bordered Brindle, Puss Moth, Middle-barred Minor, Schoenobius gigantella, Obscure Wainscot, Brown Silver-line, Mottled Pug and Eyed Hawk-moth. In four out of the last six years Grey Scalloped Bar has not been recorded by anyone anywhere in…
May 21st to 27th 2022
A couple of our winter visiting ducks look set to spend the summer, a drake Teal and two drake Shoveler, all on Black Water. I saw my first Little Grebe chick on the 21st, getting a ride on Mum’s back along the reedy fringe of Black Water. My first juvenile Long-tailed Tits of the year…
May 6th to 17th 2022
On the 6th May Ian and I attempted to break the day list record for Needs Ore which was previously 101 species. We spent well over 12 hours in the field and managed 104 species. A real highlight was picking up an Osprey as it flew up the Beaulieu River, we were sea watching at…
Highlights April 2022
A frustrating run of cold northerly winds seemed to last all month slowing up the arrival of migrants and making this key sea watching period along the Solent very poor. Small groups of Eider were moving back and forth on the sea early in the month and a female Red-breasted Merganser was still around on…
April 29th 2022
There were at least five singing Lesser Whitethroats around the reserve today including this ringed bird in Pullen Scrub. Sylvia warblers are very site faithful and so it may well be the same ringed bird that I saw singing from the same bush last April. It has been to East Africa and back in the…
April 20th to 27th 2022
We continued in the run of northerly winds and so spring passage on the Solent was light although it was good to see a tight fishing flock of 50 Common Terns on the 20th including several who had settled on the sea. Other highlights included eight Common Scoter also heading east. Common Tern numbers were a…
April 12th to 16th 2022
Warmer weather and wind from the south started to bring in migrants from the middle of the week and the warm spring days, cooler nights and light south-westerly winds also produced some misty starts. Sea watching early in the period produced the first trickle of spring passage, a Common Scoter pair west and seven Common…
April 3rd to 9th 2022
A run of cold northerly winds continued to slow up the arrival of new migrants. By this time last year I had seen Sand Martin, Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Willow Warbler, Whitethroat and House Martin, none of these so far this year. Small groups of Eider were moving back and forth on the sea, a…
Highlights March 2022
The 25 year old Oystercatcher who was ringed as an adult in 1999 returned to the Old Spit Channel early in the month. The Slavonian Grebes were last seen on 1st March, four of them. The Avon Valley colour-ringed Redshank continued to winter on the saltmarsh near the Sluice Gate, now developing new anchor-tipped adult…
Wednesday 30th March 2022
Today was my first solo Breeding Bird Transect. I walked 7.5 miles across all areas of the reserve. By the end of 12 weekly visits I should be able to confirm breeding populations and success for the key species around the reserve including Lapwing, Redshank, Avocet, Oystercatcher, Skylark, Meadow Pipit, Reed Bunting and Cetti’s Warbler.…
March 23rd to 26th 2022
Linnets were singing all over the reserve and there were half a dozen pairs of Stonechats and a similar number of Reed Bunting pairs around Pullen, Black Water and the Reedy Ditch. The three year old male Marsh Harrier drifted over Pullen reedbed and a characteristic call had me turning around to watch a pair…
March 12th to 19th 2022
A period of settled light southerly winds looked hopeful, the most obvious migrants were singing Chiffchaffs with at least six around the reserve. At the Sailing Club I arrived to see the male Peregrine dashing up the river. I then noticed the 2nd calendar year female on a favourite fence post below Exbury. Later the…
March 5th to 9th 2022
In the first part of the week the wind was from the north-east and so it felt brutally cold especially at the Sailing Club. Sunday’s WeBS count from Inchmery Quay, where you look south and south west, was more sheltered. At Mary Monts I was hoping to see the pink littoralis Rock Pipit again or…
Needs Ore Bat Survey 2021
Static bat recorders were set up at various places around the reserve – the Wardens Hut at Needs Ore Point, Black Water Hide, Pullen Hide, the fence line near Mary Monts Bungalow, the Viewing Gate overlooking the Flooded Fields, Shore Hide, Stagg’s Wood and Gravelly Marsh. I also set up a detector at Lepe. More…
Tuesday 1st March 2022
A day when I braved the drizzle. Arriving at 8am I finally succumbed to hopelessly damp optics at 2pm. Ian had seen the returning Oystercatcher near the Warden’s Hut yesterday and so I decided to head to the Sailing Club first. The Oystercatcher was in exactly the same spot as I had seen it last…
Highlights February 2022
The wintering female Scaup was last seen on the 1st completing a 14 week stay on Black Water. At the turn of the month she was accompanied by building numbers of Tufted Duck which peaked at 32 on the 7th. Good numbers of Mistle Thrush also moved through the reserve on the 7th. The Avon…
Sunday 27th February 2022
A brief morning only trip. It was very spring-like in the warm sunshine. Lots of birds were singing including several Meadow Pipits in parachuting display and Skylarks rising up into their song flight. A male and female Pochard were on Venner, perhaps they may breed again this year. Also four Tufted Ducks, this is a…
Friday 25th February 2022
I met up with Ian first thing. We spent some time watching the sea but it continued to be quiet. There were two Slavonian Grebes opposite the cottages but not much else. Mediterranean Gulls are now acquiring their summer hoods. Seeing the shoreline looking spring-like in warm sunshine made me think about the first Wheatears…
Thursday 17th February 2022
On the wet area near Mary Monts two Egyptian Geese were preening in the early sun and two Marsh Harriers, a young male and a female drifted over. It was pretty quiet on the sea other than one of the White-tailed Eagles being mobbed by a Herring Gull over the shoreline. I headed to the…
Saturday 12th February 2022
A very cold morning made even more uncomfortable by a strong breeze. I headed to the Sailing Club to start with a bit of shelter. The Spoonbills were on this side of the river, on Sluice Gate Saltmarsh. While I was in the car I got some photos and they were settled but as soon…
Thursday 10th February 2022
A very brief morning only visit. I first headed to the Inchmery side to see if there were any large gulls around high tide, there were just a few Herring Gulls. Herring Gulls in late winter often look pristine and white-headed like Yellow-legged Gulls but the paler mantle shade of Herring Gull is usually…
Monday 7th February 2022
Lots of Mistle Thrushes today, there were two birds at the pines near the cottages, at least two or three moving between Rye Errish and Bergerie Farm and one or two between Park Farm and Park Shore. Mistle Thrush populations are largely sedentary in the UK unlike Blackbirds which are heavily augmented by huge influxes…
Tuesday 1st February 2022
A very quiet day with no other birders and not many birds. The cold grey wind probably contributed. There were around 10 Redwing feeding around the edge of Warren Farm House Field. It was particularly quiet from Mary Monts in fact there wasn’t a single bird on the sea during 45 minutes of scanning. Over…
Highlights January 2022
On the 1st January a bird race around the reserve produced 97 species, an amazing total for January. Highlights were three Glossy Ibis found by Ian going over the Reedy Ditch before they headed over to Park Farm. I saw one of the Glossy Ibis again on the 10th flying over the Reedy Ditch. Also…
Saturday 29th January 2022
A sea watch first thing was quiet other than the five Slavonian Grebes, a single male Eider, the customary Razorbill or two and at least 10 Great Crested Grebes strung out along the Solent. From the Sailing Club 10 Spoonbill were loafing on Inchmery Saltmarsh and just in front of them the Purple Sandpiper (see…
Thursday 27th January 2022
I hadn’t seen any Goosander at Needs Ore until 28th November 2021 but I’ve seen three since then and then this morning a flock of five red-headed Goosander flew west fairly close in shore. Even in flight you can see the sharply demarcated brown heads and photos help with also seeing the neat white chin,…
Sunday 23rd January 2022
I headed to Park Shore and my first drumming Great Spotted Woodpecker of the year greeted me as I got out of the car. Just opposite, in the field towards Bergerie Farm, 24 noisy Egyptian Geese were squabbling and a Buzzard looked for worms. I walked the lane between Errish House and Rye Errish House.…
Wednesday 19th January 2022
Adam, Matt and I arranged to meet to do some work on the scrape at Great Marsh. The Avocet Islands have sunk gradually since Adam created them four years ago. The aim of today was to add another 6-9 inches of mud onto the raised areas so that they wouldn’t be submerged even after heavy…
Sunday 16th January 2022
A WeBS count day. I met Ian at Inchmery Quay at just after 8:30am. WeBS highlights included 900 Dunlin, 275 Knot and a single Golden Plover in with the 190 Grey Plover. On the sea there were three Slavonian Grebes and two Razorbills and at Rye Errish (Park Lane) a Firecrest was in the garden…
Thursday 13th January 2022
I headed back to the top of Park Lane to try and relocate Monday’s possible tristis chiffchaff. I parked next to Errish House and almost immediately I picked up three Chiffchaffs in the ivy covered trees which stand along the edge of the garden. The first one I photographed looked very pale and I’m pretty…
Monday 10th January 2022
I headed off extra early to try and find a Woodcock feeding before dawn, it was warm and so the ground wouldn’t be frozen. I’d seen one last winter, using my thermal camera, feeding at the back of Long Pits. I thought I’d try that field again this morning. I parked up at 6:50am and…
Thursday 6th January 2022
A ninety minute flying visit to walk the spit and check what was happening on the sea. The 1st winter Purple Sandpiper, the second ever at Needs Ore, was still feeding happily on Warren Shore opposite the cottages. A reasonably close Razorbill and a single Slavonian Grebe were drifting west on the falling tide, six…
Wednesday 5th January 2022
I met up with Dad for the day. On the way to the beach a Reed Bunting showed really nicely in the early morning sun. This adult male is moulting into breeding plumage by wearing away the brown-fringed head feathers to reveal the blacker colours below. On the sea a single Slavonian Grebes drifted off…
Saturday 1st January 2022
Just like in 2021 Ian and I attempted to see as many species as possible around Needs Ore on New Year’s Day. Last year I saw 81 and this year we seemed to be well ahead of track all day and I finished with a roosting Kingfisher along the ditch near the sluice gate. I…
Highlights December 2021
On the 4th a Red Kite drifted over Bergerie Farm. Virtually all of my Red Kite sightings have been in the spring and so this was a little unusual. At the same time my first ever wintering Black-necked Grebe was spending the 4th and 5th off Mary Monts and a Gannet was also in the…
Thursday 30th December 2021
I met up with Dimitri at 8am, we started with some sea watching from Mary Monts. Two Ravens cronked overhead as we set up and there were four or more Great Crested Grebes strung out along Warren Shore. A Razorbill was close in, now a regular sight this winter. The highlight was four dapper Slavonian…
Sunday 26th December 2021
A small number of Brent Geese were fairly close in shore on a flat calm sea out from Mary Monts. With swimming Brents it’s harder to be certain but I think this is a well-marked Dark-bellied Brent Goose as opposed to a Pale-bellied Brent. A large group of 40 Cormorants flew over Mary Monts Pools…
Wednesday 22nd December 2021
Amazing to see a White-tailed Eagle in the tree next to the Crop Strip field as I drove along Warren Lane, definitely the closest I’ve been. It flew away almost as I was underneath mobbed by several Jackdaws. I later saw three White-tailed Eagles roosting in the trees at the back of Long Pits. Lots…
Monday 20th December 2021
I stopped at the Reedy Ditch layby hoping that I might bump into a Hawfinch again but no luck. It was cold and wintery and the trees were full of Redwing ‘bok’ calls and the more familiar high pitched plaintiff ‘tzeee’, there were at least 40 moving through. Next stop was the Sailing Club where…
Wednesday 14th December 2021
I stopped near the Crop Strip field hoping for a Brambling. Ian had seen them here in the past, there have always been plenty of Chaffinches when I walk along this stretch. There’s no place to park here and so I would give it until the next car came down Warren Lane. I got out…
Saturday 11th December 2021
I headed to the Sailing Club first in case Wednesday’s Lapland Bunting was still in the area. A Greenshank called in alarm from the Slice Gate Saltmarsh and there were 10 Avocet on the river up towards the Yacht Club. On the sea five Eider headed east and four headed west and soon afterwards I saw…
Wednesday 8th December 2021
After Sunday’s excellent sea watching day I returned to Mary Monts this morning. Storm Barra had passed through and I half hoped that a Grey Phalarope or Little Auk might be possible. Unfortunately, the best I could manage was a Razorbill and a Shag both heading west. Two Rock Pipits were nearby on the edge…
Sunday 5th December 2021
I met up with Ian at Inchmery for our WeBS count. Birding highlights included two White-tailed Eagles together out on the saltmarsh appearing quite amorous. It looked like our male G393 and one of the large females, perhaps G547. Finding the Scaup out in the creek south of the quay, around a mile from Black…
Saturday 4th December 2021
The regular Bullfinch pair flitted ahead of me as I walked along the main hedge. Three Black-tailed Godwit were flushed from Venner South before they headed over to the Gins. After a September peak of 40 birds on De L’Orne Flood it is down to single figures again although in December last year 40-50 birds…
Sunday 28th November 2021
This morning I was co-leading a HOS walk with Adam. Before we met the group at 10am I walked to the hides to see what was around. My weather app said it was -1 but feeling like -5, definitely a five layer kind of morning. Walking into Venner hide I met up with Brian F…
Monday 22nd November 2021
After a week away with Sarah and the dogs I was keen to get back down to the patch especially as Adam had seen a Snow Bunting on Warren Shore on the Thursday. On the way to the beach I heard a Dartford Warbler churring near Pullen Marsh and a Green Woodpecker flew up from…
Thursday 11th November 2021
A foggy and damp start with lots of young Blackbirds and Song Thrushes grounded. Also my first record this winter of a Fieldfare ‘shacking’ in the distance. There has been talk that Fieldfares have arrived late this year but my first last year was only 4 days earlier than this. From Gravelly Beach there were…
Tuesday 9th November 2021
I ran the moth traps again along Pullen Walk last night. There was an amazing variety in the Chestnut Moth with all four individuals looking very different to each other. I caught 17 individuals of 10 species including Calybites phasianipennella which I first caught in August and at the time was the first ever record…
Sunday 7th November 2021
I set up the moth traps near Pullen Scrub on Saturday night as it was warmer than it had been for a few days. On site it did seem pretty windy and when I returned to check the taps the next morning it also felt pretty cold. I recorded 13 individuals in the two traps,…
Wednesday 3rd November 2021
A very frosty start with thick ice on the car windscreen. From Warren Shore visible migration in small numbers included Siskin, Linnet, Goldfinch, Song Thrush, Skylark, Chaffinch and Meadow Pipits. There were two Dartford Warblers in the Beach Gorse, both were elusive but I managed a photo of the first bird, the one nearer to…
Saturday 30th October 2021
I headed to the beach first. Sea watching was a little quiet other that a steady stream of gulls heading west. As on Thursday it was mainly Black-headed Gulls with a few Common Gulls, Mediterranean Gulls and Herring Gulls. The highlight of the sea watch was a pristine black and white Razorbill heading east. I’ve…
Thursday 28th October 2021
On Wednesday, while leading a group of birders Graham found a female Scaup on Black Water. Dimitri was nearby and saw it as well. Both Graham and Dimitri messaged me to tell me about the bird. I was originally planning to visit on Saturday but with the arrival of the Scaup and the fact that…
Tuesday 26th October 2021
Darcia came down to visit the reserve. Living in Wiltshire she doesn’t often see the variety of coastal habitats we have here and she was also keen to see a White-tailed Eagle if possible. Before she arrived I walked out to the beach and had five Lesser Redpoll calling overhead and one of the Dartford…
Saturday 23rd October 2021
Around three hundred corvids lifted up from the Venner area as I was driving past the Reedy Ditch. I decided to head down to the beach first thing to listen for finch passage. The bubbling calls of Curlew and the mournful calls of Grey Plover greeted me as I reached the water. I met up…
Tuesday 19th October 2021
I spent a week on Scilly in mid-October and we enjoyed some very warm unseasonal weather. Highlights were Serin, Rustic Bunting, Wryneck, Bluethroat and Red-rumped Swallow. Back at Needs Ore, Thursday 19th was a blustery but mild day. The male White-tailed Eagle flew level with the Sluice as I was driving to the Sailing Club,…
Wednesday 6th October 2021
A cold start had me debating whether gloves and a woolly hat were required. I pulled over at the Reedy Ditch and noticed both White-tailed Eagles in the tree tops in the Venner and Black Water area. As I got to the end of the Main Hedge, one of the Eagles was in view flying…
Sunday 3rd October 2021
A single Green Sandpiper was feeding on De L’Orne Flood and a group of 2 Wheatear, 5 Meadow Pipits and 10 Pied Wagtails were busy catching insects on the edge of the flood where it meanders towards the boardwalk bridge. After Adam’s work on De L’Orne it was nice to see a Spotted Redshank and…
Wednesday 29th September 2021
Another prominent Blackcap and Chiffchaff day with at least 15 Blackcaps of which six were around the sunny bramble bank near Flycatcher Tree. At least 25 Chiffchaffs were scattered around the reserve. There were also lots of Swallows moving through and pausing to feed low over the Flooded Fields and Warren Flash. Jays have become…
Saturday 18th September 2021
A very brief visit this morning as I was heading to Slimbridge later to go moth trapping with Peter. I walked to the hides first. There were at least 15 Yellow Wagtails with the cattle in the Wedge Field showing a variation of plumages across ages and sexes. Yellow Wagtails You can see the eastern…
Thursday 16th September 2021
Mist and dew made this morning feel very autumnal. I walked the fence line through the beach gorse and one of the first things I noticed was something caught on the barbed wire flapping and trying to free itself. As I got closer I could see that it was a Convolvulus Hawk-moth, a rare but…
Sunday 12th September 2021
There was a significant Chiffchaff movement today with ‘hueeting’ and tail pumping birds all over the reserve, at least 50 in total including five in one small bush alone. Blackcaps and Meadow Pipits were also highly visible in good numbers. I reached Great Marsh as the Great White Egret lifted up from the scrape. There…
Thursday 9th September 2021
I ran my Robinson and Skinner MV traps overnight in the Pullen area and met up with Simon at 7am to go through them. Having Simon with me certainly speeded up the process! Highlights included Convolvulus Hawkmoth, Pinion-streaked Snout, Chilo phragmitella, Neglected Rustic, Heath Rustic, Mathew’s Wainscot and L-album Wainscot.
Wednesday 8th September 2021
I arrived around sunrise and already there were several Migrant Hawkers on the wing. In fact over the first hour these dragonflies outnumbered the birds. Grey Wagtails continued to be vocal overhead with the odd Yellow Wagtail still moving through. The early sun had just broken through as I checked the private areas around Great…
Friday 3rd September 2021
There were lots of Whitethroats, Chiffchaffs and Sand Martins on the move today. On Gravelly Marsh every bird I lifted my binoculars for seemed to be a Whitethroat. Providing a bit of variety a Lesser Whitethroat near the Water Trough was tacking at me from the bramble bush. There was also plenty of slightly harsher…
Thursday 31st August 2021
There had been an arrival of winter visitors with at least 10 newly arrived Wigeon in the Pullen and Mary Monts area and at least a dozen Snipe. Over on Gravelly there were far fewer passerine migrants compared to Sunday which was much warmer. There were also far fewer hirundines moving. A Green Sandpiper remained…
Sunday 29th August 2021
I arranged to meet up with Ian and we spent the morning on Gravelly Marsh and Great Marsh. As we reached Mary Mont’s Pools it was clear that there had been an arrival of Snipe with at least three here and then another seven around the Flight Pond. A couple of Yellow Wagtails called overhead before landing…
Thursday 26th August 2021
There was a slightly autumnal feel about today with a cool breeze and hirundines streaming east. Lots of Lesser Whitethroats, Whitethroats, Wheatears and Whinchats were moving but the sound track of the day was provided by a large, swirling and mobile group of Yellow Wagtails. There’d obviously been a big arrival with their ‘feest’ calls…
Sunday 22nd August 2021
The sun hadn’t been up long as I watched a Wheatear resting on the dried creek near the boardwalk. Behind it, on De L’Orne flood there were 23 Black-tailed Godwits, all juveniles. A Green Sandpiper was also present walking along the edge of the vegetation towards the shingle bar and at 7:05am a Tree Pipit…
Thursday 19th August 2021
We returned to check the moth traps early on Thursday morning. There were several interesting finds including several wetland specialists. Some of the highlights included:- Jersey Tiger, Southern Wainscot, Small Rufous, Twin-spotted Wainscot, Beautiful China Mark, Donacaula forficella, Yellow Belle, Cydia amplana and Crimson Underwing sp (which flew before we could identify it to species).…
Wednesday 18th August 2021
Peter came down to stay with us for a few days. We spent most of Wednesday on the reserve and then set up three moth traps overnight. There were lots of Willow Warbler and Blackcaps moving through with some snatches of song from both species. De L’Orne scrape was pretty active with newly arrived migrant…
Wednesday 11th August 2021
A Grey Wagtail called as it flew overhead on Gravelly Marsh, my first since January. I spent an excellent morning watching Graham and Tara ringing with mist nets. There was loads of insight into ageing and sexing birds by looking at moult contrast between feathers and the colour and wear of feather edgings. Also assessing…
Sunday 8th August 2021
A miserable wet and windy day which brightened up a little in the afternoon. The highlight was the first returning Spotted Redshank on De L’Orne. I last saw one on the 1st April flying over De L’Orne calling ‘chew it’ with trailing legs extending beyond the tail. Today’s bird flew out of sight presumably to…
Tuesday 3rd August 2021
The first bird I heard on arriving was a Green Woodpecker in Three Fields South, it’s only my third record this year, all heard only. In fact I’ve only seen a Green Woodpecker once in the last 12 months. On Sunday I saw the start of Willow Warbler passage. Today I saw my first autumn…
Sunday 1st August 2021
The first Willow Warbler of the autumn showed well near the Shore Hide. A typically striking yellow autumn bird with a strong supercilium and eye stripe and compared to Chiffchaff a yellower face and breast with paler legs. I started visiting Needs Ore in mid-September and all of the Willow Warblers had already passed through…
Friday 30th July 2021
I met Adam for a coffee and a catch up and then headed on to the reserve. It was very windy and there was definitely less bird life as a result. The six Shelduck ducklings were on De L’Orne flood and I later saw them on Venner. A group of nervous Greylags took flight before…
Sunday 25th July 2021
My first WeBS count. Highlights from Inchmery Quay included 405 Mediterranean Gulls, one of the highest counts here in recent years. Also 55 Curlew and 85 Oystercatchers, 3 Common Sandpiper and 5 Common Gulls. One of the Common Gulls was wearing a colour ring. 2ABH was ringed as a 2nd winter bird in 2012 at…
Friday 23rd July 2021
I’m taking over a new WeBS sector (for more info on WeBS read here). My first count date is Sunday 25th July and so I decided to try a dummy run today timing it for similar tides to Sunday. My sector will be number 6 which is the Beaulieu River. Ian is taking over sector…
Saturday 17th July 2021
The five young Swallows have fledged from their salubrious nest site in the roof of the toilet and they were hawking around Shore Hide first thing, you can see the short tail streamers at this age. juvenile Swallow On De L’Orne flood at least seven young Shelduck chicks remained and as soon as the family…
Wednesday 14th July 2021
It’s been a good year on Venner for ducks some of whom are not common breeders in Hampshire. A second Pochard pair have at least 2 small chicks and the original female now has five almost fully grown ducklings. The lovely blackish Tufted Duck ducklings, seven of them, were following the female everywhere. There were…
Sunday 11th July 2021
One of the first birds of the day was a distant Hobby perched on the beach fence line near Wheatear Corner. I had been walking down Warren Lane and so doubled back to walk the path along the fence for a closer view. Unfortunately the Hobby had flown before I could get any closer. Having…
Sunday 4th July 2021
I saw three different inland Common Terns this morning all carrying small fish back to young birds somewhere. The terns were all heading west and the nearest colony I’m aware of is Keyhaven where there were 115 pairs in 2019. This is nearly eight miles away and so perhaps there may be nearer breeders. Graham…
Monday 28th June 2021
Just after leaving the car I came across a female Whitethroat returning to its nest with a bill full of insects. Along with Reed Warbler it’s one of the commoner breeding passerines on the reserve. Whitethroat returning to the nest and juvenile Lesser Whitethroat I haven’t heard any Lesser Whitethroats singing for a week…
Thursday 24th June 2021
The far carrying ‘curlee’ call of a pair of Curlew greeted me as I got out of the car. I saw another six Curlew during the rest of the day, eight is the most I’ve seen since early spring and no doubt signals the return of some failed breeders, perhaps from the New Forest. A…
Saturday 19th June 2021
I was co-leading a HOS walk around NO today and before meeting the group I spent a few hours checking out what was on the reserve. As usual I pulled over at the Reedy Ditch first where a flock of 16 Little Egrets were just taking off. I’ve noticed them doing this before, flying in…
Monday 14th June 2021
Just passed NP hide a darter perched up nicely and the all black legs, waisted abdomen and reduced black and yellow patches on the thorax confirmed it as an immature male Ruddy Darter, a patch tick. A little further along the path to Gv Marsh an immature male Broad-bodied Chaser was on patrol giving me…
Wednesday 9th June 2021
Adam asked if Miranda and I could help Graham Giddens ring the Black-headed Gull chicks on the rafts out on DL’O lagoon. Our role was to count the chicks, estimate the remaining live nests and eggs, rescue any chicks that managed to jump over the chicken wire and all the while avoid falling over in…
Monday 7th June 2021
I relocated last week’s colour-ringed Oystercatcher and was able to get a better view of the ring on the left tarsus. It was definitely a double yellow ring thus confirming this bird as at least 23 years old. Pete Potts ringed it as an adult at Hamble Point on 28th Dec 1999. It winters near…
Thursday 3rd June 2021
As predicted by Adam the Little Ringed Plover chicks had been guided down to Gt Marsh and I found them on the mud on the southern margin. The tiny white chicks were feeding at the water’s edge but would occasionally dash back to Mum when they lost confidence or perhaps when she called them. They…
Monday 31st May 2021
I’ve been monitoring various Lapwing chicks over the last few weeks and it was great to see four of the chicks now flying and therefore much safer from predators. Two of these fully mobile chicks were on MMs Pools and another two were on Gv Marsh. A late Whimbrel flew overhead as I was checking…
Wednesday 26th May 2021
A noisy family group including at least four juvenile Long-tailed Tits flew across W Lane in front of me while a pair of Ravens drifted over G Camp Field. A Cuckoo called from the NP hide area, I’ve now heard a Cuckoo calling on nine different mornings since I heard my first on the 18th…
Sunday 23rd May 2021
In the river mouth a group of seven Turnstone, three Dunlin and a single Grey Plover were all birds which may have decided not to head north to breed. The Pied Wagtails had fledged from the Sailing Club eaves which meant that we could shelter from the cold wind, while Peregrine monitoring, and not worry…
Saturday 22nd May 2021
A very brief visit to NO today. I checked DL’O scrape, Gt Marsh and the Little Ringed Plover nest. There was a 1st summer Little Gull on DL’O scape and another different 1st summer Little Gull on Gt Marsh. The Little Ringed Plover was safely on the nest but no sign of chicks yet and…
Friday 21st May 2021
Ian and I arranged a sea-watch this morning. This was the stormiest forecast there has been since I’ve been coming to NO. I got out of the car and early indications didn’t bode well as I couldn’t walk a straight line. I was delighted, however, that the bush at MMs provided surprisingly good shelter from…
Thursday 20th May 2021
A Cuckoo was calling as I made my way over to check that the Little Ringed Plover was OK. She was incubating and still no sign of chicks for her or for the nearby Avocets on Gt Marsh. I did notice that the Avocets seemed a little less tolerant of my presence so perhaps they…
Sunday 16th May 2021
Our Peregrine monitoring was from 8am -11am and the forecast was for thundery showers. I arrived at around 6:30am so that I could check Gt and Gv Marsh first. The female Little Ringed Plover was safely on the nest and the water levels for the Avocets looked good although no chicks yet. A new colour-ringed…
Saturday 15th May 2021
A day affected by heavy showers. I started by sea-watching in promising conditions with moderate south westerlies and poor visibility which often brings birds closer to the shore. There was a good passage of Common Terns and Sandwich Terns with a single Little Tern. A female Eider was close offshore and six Common Scoter headed…
Thursday 13th May 2021
A Cuckoo was calling as I walked over to MMs. It was the 7th time I’ve heard one since 18th April which makes me wonder if it may be one or two individuals on territory. I later saw it flying over Gv Marsh with its flickering wings never going above the horizontal. I checked MMs…
Sunday 9th May 2021
With my Peregrine monitoring at 11am I decided to have a good look around Gt Marsh and Gv Marsh first. At MMs I saw that at least two of the Lapwing chicks were still around. I also saw one of the Little Ringed Plover adults again but I headed off to Gt Marsh without being…
Thursday 6th May 2021
Ian and I were meeting Adam to do the May shoreline survey, this is primarily to check for the number of nesting Ringed Plover, Oystercatchers and also to, hopefully, find the Peregrine nest. A second shoreline survey is carried out in mid-June to look for chicks in the areas where we see evidence of territories and nests on the walk…
Saturday 1st May 2021
Ian organised a Bird Race for 1st May to attempt 100 species in the day, all at NO. We met at St L’s Barn at 4am. Our initial targets were Tawny Owl and Barn Owl and Woodcock with the thermal camera. We had no luck with any of these and we headed to S’s Wood…
Thursday 29th April 2021
From the Reedy Ditch I watched a female Marsh Harrier carrying nesting material over P Shore View before dropping into the reeds. They haven’t bred here recently and it seems that NO may be attracting young birds who go through the motions, perhaps they are practicing. I later saw a male Marsh Harrier quartering in…
Sunday 25th April 2021
A Cuckoo called again this morning as I headed over to the beach. A seawatch first thing with Ian in encouraging conditions was really disappointing with two Common Terns and a passage of easterly heading Swifts being the highlights. Two very distant divers remained unidentified in the heat haze. I think the first was Great…
Saturday 24th April 2021
A Cuckoo called at just before 7am as I was heading to count the Avocets. A few Sand Martin drifted east and a Dartford Warbler churred just up ahead. One or two Lesser Whitethroats were rattling away, several Whitethroats were singing and there were so many mobile Linnets that it became tiring checking every bird!…
Thursday 22nd April 2021
Just west of NP hide I heard my first Lesser Whitethroat of the year, they are often difficult to see and so I was pleased to get a few shots of it singing from the Blackthorn. I noticed a ring on its right leg. Graham believes that it may be one of the returning birds…
Sunday 18th April 2021
On the drive down W Lane I paused at BW House to watch a male Kestrel who was perched on the Dovecote, they are nesting here. I headed to MM’s Pools but a Marsh Harrier beat me to it and as a result there were few birds around when I arrived, only a Little Egret…
Thursday 15th April 2021
A male Shelduck was head throwing in display on NP and a female Pochard swam low hugging the reed bed. Shelduck will certainly breed here and the Pochard may try although not many do in Hampshire. There was a further increase in Avocet numbers with 36 now on G Marsh. They included the 7 year…
Tuesday 13th April 2021
Ian texted me at just after 10am to say that there was a Barnacle Goose on Venner. They are a declining feral resident with up to 30 or so wandering in Hampshire and nearby counties. This is the first one to be seen at NO since I started visiting. Sarah and I were due to…
Saturday 10th April 2021
Four pairs of Shelduck were flying around NP Marsh. Hearing them calling to each other is a treat. The male closely pursues the female with an amazing discordant whistling call with the female calling ‘gagagaga’ back to him. You only here it when they’re close and they seem to fly around endlessly calling to each…
Thursday 8th April 2021
On a shortened visit today I headed to the beach first but couldn’t resist the pink twilight sleeping Mute Swans at Reedy Ditch. On the walk to the beach an immature Goshawk broke through the trees near the information board being chased by a smaller Carrion Crow. There were still 10 Turnstone on the shoreline,…
Sunday 4th April 2021
Joost was in the car park when I arrived and so we headed down to the beach together to see if yesterday’s Little Ringed Plovers were still around. Just down from NP hide we walked the length of the ditch and unexpectedly flushed a Jack Snipe. I’m sure it must be newly arrived. It flew…
Saturday 3rd April 2021
Today was the first day of our Peregrine monitoring. Ian and I had a shift from 8am-11am and so I got there at 6:30am to have 90 minutes around the hides before heading to the sailing club. It was pretty cold with the wind having swung around to the north and it felt as though…
Thursday 1st April 2021
I was meeting Adrian Bicker at Lepe at 10am to help him with his Nathusius Pipistrelle research. To give me a few hours at NO first I got there for sunrise. I headed over to the beach and it was clear that there were lots of newly arrived Linnets. It was also the lowest tide…
Sunday 28th March 2021
With a forecast for south-westerlies gusting to 42mph I headed to the beach for a 7am start. Ian met me there and Joost, Simon and Dimitri also joined later. On the way down W Lane I got my stuff ready at the pull over near the gate. This gave me the chance to listen for…
Thursday 25th March 2021
I pulled over just after the entrance gate to listen for Nuthatch, no luck today although a Goshawk was calling from the woodland opposite and male and female Muntjac crossed the track in front of me, the male showing his stripy face and horns. With a moderate south westerly blowing I decided to head to…
Sunday 21st March 2021
I watched Water Rails and Redshanks mating as I headed over to the hides. The Black-tailed Godwits, 19 of them, were again feeding on the edge of the flood near DL’O hide although they appeared nervous in the long grass. On the scrape there were 20 Avocet and the Pale-bellied Brent Goose was accompanied by…
Thursday 18th March 2021
There was an obvious heavy movement of Meadow Pipits throughout the day with at least 100 coming in off the sea in groups of 10 or so. Aside from the pipits there was little other sign of spring migration, just a handful of Chiffchaffs singing around the reserve. Meadow Pipits On the walk to the…
Tuesday 16th March 2021
A rare birding trip away from NO. On Sunday 15th March a drake Baikal Teal was found on Ripley Farm Reservoir south of Ringwood in the Avon Valley. The news was kept to a handful of observers. One of these people added their record to eBird and as a result the news services, RBA and…
Sunday 14th March 2021
A sea-watch with Ian first thing produced almost nothing only partly ‘saved’ by a male Eider heading east. Meadow Pipits were singing in the cattle field on the walk to the hides, the Greenshank showed beautifully again in front of DL’O hide and the Black-headed Gulls continued to show interest in the rafts. The count…
Friday 12th March 2021
With a strong south-westerly forecast I headed to the beach for a couple of hours sea-watching. The large bush near MM’s house provided great shelter from the wind although it didn’t protect me from the torrential hail shower. Most migrating sea birds travel along the seaward side of the Isle of Wight and so sea-watching…
Sunday 7th March 2021
One of the most familiar sounds at the Reedy Ditch in spring is the far crying rapid babbling trill of the Little Grebe. They’re often hidden but this one drifted out into view. Just behind it a newly arrived Chiffchaff flicked through the reed bed, my first of the year. 16 Avocet were feeding along…
Thursday 4th March 2021
A cold and grey day which at times seemed desolate and birdless although I did manage 75 species but nothing too exciting. From the Sailing Club I could see 21 Avocet feeding at the edge of the river. This is my highest count at NO and a clear sign that birds are returning to breed.…
Sunday 28th February 2021
Ian told me about a Song Thrush with a damaged left leg he had first seen by the water trough in the autumn and who had survived the winter. I managed to find him myself this morning, he was actively feeding and his leg didn’t seem to be causing him too many problems. Winter Linnet…
Thursday 25th February 2021
From the Sailing Club I was surprised to see six Slavonian Grebes in three pairs close together on the sea. This is my highest count here and one of the highest Hampshire counts in recent years. The numbers have built up from a late arriving individual in mid-December, then two in late December, four in…
Sunday 21st February 2021
With the warmer temperatures and lots of birds singing it certainly felt like spring. I headed to MM’s, a Dartford Warbler was calling on the walk over. Greenfinches are often tricky to see at NO but today they were displaying, wheezing and enjoying high speed chases. The sea was flat calm and quiet other than…
Wednesday 10th February 2021
The return of the Beast from the East had been suggested in the forecast. In the end we didn’t get the snow that was anticipated but it was certainly cold. I dusted off my pocket warmers, topped them up with lighter fluid and headed out. First stop was the Reedy Ditch to check for any…
Saturday 6th February 2021
At just after 7am and as I was about to get to the right turn next to St Leonard’s Barn a Barn Owl suddenly flew alongside the car and kept pace with me for a hundred yards or so, we exchanged eye contact for a moment, an excellent start to the day. By the time…
Tuesday 2nd February 2021
I hoped to get another look at the Glossy Ibis today and improve my own photos. It was cold, grey and windy. The forecast said that there was only a 1% chance of rain yet I needed to retreat to the car to escape it. At just after sunrise 16 Little Egrets, probably part of…
Sunday 31st January 2021
I was still in bed when I noticed a phone message reporting that a Glossy Ibis had been seen at the Reedy Ditch. It had flown in at 8:15am and was seen walking the edge of the reed bed before disappearing behind brambles. It wasn’t seen again by 9am. I had decided not to go…
Friday 29th January 2021
From the Reedy Ditch, in the half light, seven Little Egrets flew over from their roost to the west heading towards JV. The weather was worse than forecast with strong winds and rain clearing slowly. The wind was westerly and so the sailing club would provide perfect shelter, I headed there first. I prefer a…
Saturday 23rd January 2021
A Tawny Owl was calling as I pulled over next to SL’s Barn. With the thermal camera I managed to track it down in the large trees north of G Lane. It’s difficult to identify species from their thermal signature especially at this range but I could see the owl throwing it’s head forward and…
Sunday 17th January 2021
If I’m driving down W Lane close to sunrise I usually scan for Barn Owls at the Reedy Ditch. Unfortunately, no luck again today but I did get good views of a very vocal Marsh Tit and Greenfinch was new for the year. On my way to the hides I usually set up the…
Saturday 9th January 2021
I left a bit earlier than normal as I wanted to try and see Woodcock feeding at dawn with the thermal camera. I also hoped to bump into a Barn Owl. An hour before sunrise I pulled over next to the gate 100 yards before the Reedy Ditch. Ian had seen a Woodcock in this…
Tuesday 5th January 2021
A bitterly cold day made even colder by a brisk north-easterly wind. There seemed to be few passerines around, I saw very few tits, pipits or finches. In contrast the Peregrines were very active. I saw one or both of them in four different places including displaying and calling over the S Hide, dashing towards…
Friday 1st January 2021
As on my first visit every month I made a concerted effort to record every species I saw with my previous best day totals being 74 in both November and December. I met up with Ian after lunch. Highlights were the four Russian White-fronted Geese (three adults and a first winter) again at the top…
Tuesday 29th December 2020
The morning tide was mid-level and rising and so I decided to head to the Sailing Club first, it was also drizzling and so that would offer me some shelter. It was just after sunrise and with the low cloud and drizzle the visibility was very poor. Soon the rain strengthened and with wind coming…
Saturday 26th December 2020
It was forecast to be stormy but dry and so I decided to spend a few hours watching the sea from the lee of a weathered hawthorn bush near MM’s house. I was hoping for Gannet and Kittiwake but they are rare here and I don’t think it was stormy enough although it was certainly…
Saturday 19th December 2020
On Thursday at dusk while at the Reedy Ditch I’d seen, distantly to the west, a very large flock of Brent Geese in front of RP Farm. This morning I decided to try and get closer to them and had in mind that looking north from P Shore would achieve this. I drove past the…
Thursday 17th December 2020
Redwing were calling overhead as I paused at the Reedy Ditch and from DL’O I watched as 14 Spoonbill came into roost landing next to 14 already roosting Avocets. The Avocets move away at the end of the summer. Most head to Titchfield Haven to moult and then disperse to wintering grounds such as Poole…
Saturday 12th December 2020
On the drive down W Lane a noisy Greenshank called and flew up from the Reedy Ditch. There were more than 20 winter thrushes in the area of the hides with at least 15 Fieldfare and 5 Redwing. From the beach a drake Eider headed west half way out and a single Great Crested Grebe…
Sunday 6th December 2020
On the walk over to the hides there were two vocal Fieldfares, a Mistle Thrush and plenty of zitting Song Thrushes. B Water had good numbers of duck with 2 drake Pochard, 5 Tufted Duck and 105 Shoveler being the highlights. After a coffee I walked out to the beach and found a Coal Tit…
Tuesday 1st December 2020
A cold start and there were Fieldfares calling as soon as I got out of the car. I found a group of 15 birds halfway along the walking trail but they were pretty skittish and were soon gone, ‘shacking’ as they went. Fieldfare seem to be hugely outnumbering Redwing this winter. There was very little…
Friday 27th November 2020
The Great Northern Diver was still showing well from the beach gate and at least half way out a distant flock of Common Scoter headed west, a single male accompanying five female types. Still no Slavonian Grebes. I heard one of the Dartford Warblers but couldn’t locate it and a walk around the wetter parts…
Sunday 22nd November 2020
From the car park I could see a drake Eider heading east and then what looked like mergansers heading west, they were too distant to be certain. With some activity on the sea I decided to head there first. The first few birds I picked up on a flat calm sea were Great Crested Grebes…
Thursday 19th November 2020
Still no sign of any Slavonian Grebes or Red-breasted Mergansers on the sea first thing or again mid afternoon, they’re both often here by mid November. A Treecreeper was a slightly unexpected find 200 yards west of the S Hide. There were plenty of Blackbirds and Song Thrushes around and with them a single and…
Monday 16th November 2020
The Dartford Warbler was calling as I made my way down to the beach. The sea was quiet again although an adult winter Sandwich Tern heading west was the first I’ve seen for a few weeks. A Greenshank flew over calling and an adult Mediterranean Gull also headed west scanning the shoreline as it went.…
Friday 13th November 2020
I headed to the beach where the sea was quiet with three Great Crested Grebes fairly close in shore. As I was about to head back inland I picked up a Great Northern Diver heading west, the first of the winter and a patch tick. The Dartford Warbler was very obliging following me along the…
Tuesday 10th November 2020
After a drizzly and foggy start there were good numbers of thrushes including 30 Blackbirds, 15 Song Thrushes and 6 Mistle Thrush. The sea was quiet other than nine Great Crested Grebes and a Wheatear on the fence line near the beach was the latest I’ve seen in the UK. The immature male Marsh Harrier…
Saturday 7th November 2020
I arranged to meet Dad to show him around the reserve and we started by meeting Ian to see if we could find Wednesday’s Penduline Tits again. There was no sign although I did manage to pick up single Bramblings and Fieldfares flying over east, both patch ticks for me. Other finches were also on…
Wednesday 4th November 2020
A lovely calm sunny day after several days of wind and rain. The Dartford Warbler was still in the south west corner of the reserve in gorse bushes near MM’s house. A pair of Lesser Redpoll flew over calling but there was only a single Great Crested Grebe on the sea. I headed over to…
Friday 30th October 2020
The next few days were forecast to be wet and windy and so I decided to head to NO earlier than planned to try and beat the forecast. Unfortunately it wasn’t much better today, windy with drizzle and sea spray in the air, quite challenging. The highlight was five Spoonbill initially sleeping and then feeding…
Monday 26th October 2020
The first time I raised my binoculars was for a patch tick, a Green Woodpecker on the grass near the NP Hide. The Dartford Warbler was still in gorse bushes near the beach although I only heard it today. The sea was quiet with just a Great Crested Grebe off shore. At B Water the…
Sunday 25th October 2020
I headed to NO hoping that the stormy weather might have brought something in. I had to dodge the showers and at one stage got caught in a torrential downpour of hail. An Avocet on the scrape from DL’O hide was my first for NO and 69 Shoveler was my highest count here. I always…
Thursday 22nd October 2020
After a few wet and windy days it was still fairly cool and breezy this morning. Siskin were flying over east as I headed down to the beach. Turnstone, Curlew, Grey Plover and Oystercatcher were dotted along the shoreline although there didn’t seem to be much on the sea. I was pleased to relocate the…
Sunday 18th October 2020
I arrived just before a high spring tide and so headed over to DL’O hide to see what was roosting on the Estuary Scrape. There were 75 Curlew including a colour-ringed bird with yellow over red on the right tibia. Unfortunately it was roosting on one leg and stubbornly refused to reveal it’s left leg.…
Saturday 17th October 2020
From the car I walked down to the beach, it was clear that there was a passage of finches. Along with Linnets, Goldfinches and a smaller numbers of Chaffinches I recorded at least 100 Lesser Redpoll and 50 Siskin all flying east. A group of seven Lesser Redpoll settled in a birch tree allowing me…
Sunday 11th October 2020
A Merlin dashing over the fields near B Water was the highlight today. The male Common Scoter remained off shore although distantly, almost mid channel. I saw only one hirundine all day, a single Swallow. The Wheatear remained at the point and again it was the only one I saw. Nearby two Clouded Yellows paused…
Saturday 10th October 2020
Having seen the 1st winter Wilson’s Phalarope on Fishtail Lagoon I headed over to NO. The highlight was one of the first birds I saw, a lovely Firecrest in oaks opposite the gate to the NP hide, associating with a mixed flock of Long-tailed Tits and Goldcrests. The sea was fairly quiet other than a…
Monday 5th October 2020
A walk through the scrub and bushes beyond NP hide produced lots of calling Chiffchaffs and there were still good numbers of Swallow passing through, perhaps 100 and half a dozen Wheatear feeding along the tideline. Later, I watched an immature male Marsh Harrier quartering over the reed beds adjacent to B Water and a…
Tuesday 29th September 2020
I explored the south west bushes to start with and was rewarded with a very close Short-eared Owl quartering around the pool near MM’s house. A Spoonbill drifted high overhead towards B Water. An impressive passage of hundreds of House Martins and Swallows included the odd Sand Martin and a Sedge Warbler at the edge…
Saturday 26th September 2020
An obvious passage of at least 40 House Martins with lots of vocal Chiffchaffs and an obvious movement of Redpoll including a flock of 10 on the ground which I was able to get in the scope. Several newly arrived Wheatears with around 6 in total and a vocal Marsh Tit accompanied me on my…
Tuesday 22nd September 2020
A large scale movement of Siskin and Swallow. Also a few Redpoll overhead. Newly arrived were 90 Wigeon and 190 Teal. A Hobby dashing down W Lane was a surprise and a Spotted Redshank swam right in front of me from B Water Hide. A juvenile Common Sandpiper proved to be the only one of…
Tuesday 15th September 2020
I purchased my new permit on Monday 14th September and headed down for my first visit to NO since 1996! Highlights were 2 Yellow Wagtails calling as they flew over, 2 Green Sandpipers and a Wall Brown butterfly nectaring on Hawkbit at the start of the Walking Trail.
Patch Birding 