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Monday 7th June 2021

7th Jun 20213rd Feb 2022 chrisbutton1

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 Hamble Point which is 9km away and feeds on wet fields near Pete’s bungalow at Chilling. Mine is the first breeding season sighting in all this time.

The Ringed Plover at the Sailing Club was still sitting on four eggs next to the track. Given the perilous location they have been on and off the eggs countless times and so I hope the eggs have not become too chilled despite the adults amazing persistence.

Ringed Plover bottom photo by Ian Williamson

The Sailing Club Oystercatchers were also still sitting on eggs.

Oystercatcher photos by Ian Williamson

Three more Avocet chicks had hatched on Gt Marsh to join the two well developed ones. There were still four on DL’O scrape of which I think one is from the first brood and three smaller birds from the second brood.

The Reed Warblers which are nesting near the B Water gate had successfully fledged at least three young.

juvenile Reed Warbler photo by Dimitri Moore

On JV a female Pochard was accompanied by three small ducklings, successful breeding was only confirmed from three sites in Hampshire in 2019.

A Sparrowhawk dashed across W Lane closely followed by a squawking Jay, the first I’ve seen (as opposed to heard) this year. A ‘teenage’ group of nine 1^st summer Mediterranean Gulls dropped onto B Water for an evening freshen up.

On the insect front I recorded Peacock, Small Copper and Green Hairstreak and I noticed in the log book that someone had seen seven Common Blues although I’m not sure where they are on the reserve. They need Bird’s-foot Trefoil as their food plant and this flowers on the Flooded Fields near the boardwalk but there was no sign there.

A Common Carder Bee (Bombus pascuorum) is perhaps the commonest bumblebee in the UK but the worker nectaring on Common Vetch was the first I’ve seen at NO. Lots of bumblebee workers were busy on the large carpets of Thrift. The narrow brown band at the base of the white tail and the golden (as opposed to yellow) thorax and abdomen bands suggest that this is a Bombus terrestris worker and not Bombus lucorum. The males, which join the workers later in the month are much easier to separate from each other.

Bombus terrestris or Buff-tailed Bumblebee worker on Thrift

Others flowers included Sea Campion, Common Vetch, Sea Beet, Ragged Robin, Silverweed, Heath Bedstraw and Lesser Stitchwort

On the sea there was a reasonable movement of terns heading west. A single Little Tern, five Common Terns and 10 Sandwich Terns, several of them carrying sand eels back to the 60-pair colony near Keyhaven. There was also a slightly bizarre very thick-billed Sandwich Tern which raised my heart rate for a while.

There were six new Black-headed Gull chicks on Gt Marsh and an unseasonable Black-tailed Godwit was feeding with the Avocets. Unfortunately the Little Ringed Plover chick numbers were down to two.

A Nightjar churred briefly somewhere on Gv Marsh and as darkness fell several Soprano Pipistrelles and Common Pipistrelles accompanied me on the walk back along W Lane.

Soprano Pipistrelle echolocating down to 50-55k Hz

Later – bad news from Adam’s beach walk the next day, Tuesday 8th. No sign of Peregrine eggs or chicks. Perhaps the 70 mph gales on the 21^st May had taken their toll, Adam said the layout of the nest site and the tide lines had changed since we visited last, very depressing.

Thursday 3rd June 2021

3rd Jun 20213rd Feb 2022 chrisbutton1

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 would then spend a few minutes sheltering under her.

Little Ringed Plover, distant photo of adult and three chicks

Little Ringed Plover calling overhead

The two fairly advanced Avocet chicks on Gt Marsh were still around but no new chicks yet from the other five sitting birds. The four Lapwing chicks were still on Gv Marsh. I was several hundred yards back towards the car when a calling Little Ringed Plover flew overhead. No doubt one of the parent birds returning to help with the chicks on Gt Marsh.

I met up with Dimitri and on the walk back a Whimbrel gave a snatch of song. On DL’O there were 10 Shelduck chicks, the first I’ve seen and also four young Avocet chicks. 18 Great Black-backed Gulls were nearby, way too many for the various chicks to have an easy time. From the screen I counted 18 Black-headed Gull chicks on the rafts, it looks like the Common Terns have had to try elsewhere.

brief Whimbrel song

On the other end of B Water, behind JV Island, there was a single Oystercatcher chick and a Cuckoo which had been calling for an hour or more was joined by a second bird and together they flew across the water in front of us. Two tiny new Lapwing chicks were also on Wigeon Fields and another newly hatched chick was on G West.

Perched on a dead tree at the back of B Water a Hobby surveyed G West and Wigeon Fields probably watching for hirundines, dragonflies or damselflies. Hobbies are probably breeding in one of the woodlands on the Estate.

I’d arrived at NO at 3:30pm so that I could finish with an evening visit to P Shore. I ended up spending four hours at P Farm hoping to see or hear Little Owls. As sunset approached I watched a White Wagtail feeding with the cattle and after sunset I began to record whatever bats were flying. There were Common Pipistrelle, Soprano Pipistrelle and Noctules.

Other than a Tawny Owl calling from the woods at just after 10pm it was all quiet on the owl front. At 10:54pm and just as I was thinking about heading home I did hear another owl but it was the screech of a Barn Owl.

Barn Owl screeching

May 2021, Spring 2021

Monday 31st May 2021

31st May 20213rd Feb 2022 chrisbutton1

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 the Avocets. There were two chicks on Gt Marsh, I think it is the same two that I first saw eight days ago, they were looking significantly bigger. Later I saw four Avocet chicks on DL’O. It looks like a different four to the four that were there a week ago as they still looked quite young. The Great Black-backed Gulls probably predated the first four.

The female Little Ringed Plover was still settled on the nest and just as I left to head towards Gt Marsh the male flew past me. I later saw him feeding in the north-west corner of the scrape. It is 22 days since I found the nest with four eggs already laid. Average hatching time for Little Ringed Plover is around 24 days and so they should be hatching soon. The Beach House residents were around and there was a lot of human and dog activity near the nest and so she was constantly on and off the eggs. Once they’ve hatched she’ll hopefully lead the chicks away from danger and towards Gt Marsh – Adam later confirmed that at least three of the chicks hatched on the 1^st June. As I headed back to the car a distant Red Kite circled over P Shore.

Back near S Hide clouds of Blue-tailed Damselflies lifted up from the ditch as I walked along the edge of the rushes, they included the pink form violacea. The Lesser Whitethroat singing near the Viewing Gate was wearing a metal ring on its right leg.

While collecting my Trail Camera from the back of B Water I came across a patrolling Hairy Dragonfly. This is the first hawker species of the year and a patch tick for me. I’d hoped to see one on a sunny day towards the end of May, they’re obviously not abundant here and so I was really pleased to catch up with one. I was even happier to see it land on some nearby brambles allowing some decent photos. You can see the hairy thorax and abdomen which gives it its name.

Over on JV Island three Ravens landed in the trees causing a commotion and scattering various ducks, as they flew off an angry Oystercatcher mobbed one of them.

A new patch bumblebee species for me was Garden Bumblebee (Bombus hortorum). A small worker was busy looking for nectar amongst the broom flowers, she rejected them all before finally finding one which she seemed to like. It was only then, when she paused, that I could see the two yellow bars which meet at the join of thorax and abdomen. Most of the other bumblebees were White-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lucorum) or Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) which as workers are almost impossible to separate from each other.

Insects continued to make up a significant part of today with two Small Heaths, a Small White, four Speckled Wood and a single Small Copper all on the wing on what was the hottest days of the year so far.

I photographed a colour-ringed Oystercatcher at the Sailing Club which could possibly be at least 23 years old. Before he could be certain, Pete Potts who ringed it, asked for a better photo of the ring on the left tarsus. It looks yellow but we couldn’t be sure. I’ll need to keep a look out for it again at the Sailing Club.

Oystercatcher possibly at least 23 years old

Two Sanderling and three Dunlin were in amongst several mobile Ringed Plover flocks which dashed past us at the Warden’s Hut. The Peregrine watch was fairly eventful with a particularly ignorant and arrogant paddle boarder ignoring Ian’s repeated polite request to turn back from his route which was taking him straight up the creek which runs in front of the cottages. Ian had walked to the water’s edge to be within 10 yards of him yet he paddled on without even turning his head. After another 30 yards he saw us reach for cameras at which point he reluctantly turned around.

Another paddle boarder dragged her board across the narrow shingle swatchway which separates the Solent from the Beaulieu River. She was very apologetic saying that she couldn’t cope with the current and wind out on the sea and did it as a last resort.

The silver lining was that a very inquisitive Grey Seal followed both of these paddle boarders and allowed us some close up photographs.

May 2021, Spring 2021

Wednesday 26th May 2021

26th May 20213rd Feb 2022 chrisbutton1

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 18^th April.

A flock of gulls and terns were feeding off MMs, they included 11 Common Terns and a Sandwich Tern. I later saw the Common Terns on the new wooden groynes which have been built to stop New Forest Ponies getting across from P Shore at low tide. There was also a 1^st summer Little Gull in the feeding flock and that makes at least one 1^st summer Little Gull on five of my last eight visits. I’d imagine some of these young birds will return to Russia but perhaps not breed.

1st summer Little Gull just right of centre

On Gt Marsh the two Avocet chicks were still feeding along the far edge with parents close by and on nearby Gv Marsh a Fox watched me from just beyond the safety of the hedge while a pair of Roe Deer trotted through the shallow water.

The young male Marsh Harrier drifted over Gv Marsh scattering the Shelduck, Gadwall and Lapwing. When everything had settled again I picked out two small and two larger Lapwing chicks.

In the last week a male Nightjar had been flushed near the NP Hide by Ian and then a few days later by Joost. I took my thermal camera to see if I could see it without disturbing it. There appeared to be no thermal signature from the fence line or from the ground nearby, I carried on walking and was surprised and frustrated when the Nightjar flushed from a few yards to my right. It was obviously roosting in the new fence around the Nightingale plot. Thankfully it landed in a nearby tree and I was delighted to get a decent photo.

Soon afterwards the Cuckoo, which had been calling all morning, landed on the roof of NP hide and gave me a few seconds to grab an image. Remarkably, he will already be thinking about returning to Africa.

It was the warmest day for weeks and I finally saw my first dragonfly of the year, Blue-tailed Damselflies were on the wing in large numbers although the wet channels near the car park and along B Water didn’t produce any patrolling Hairy Dragonflies. A Small Heath butterfly was also enjoying the warmth and was my first at NO.

mating Blue-tailed Damselflies and Small Heath

Over on DL’O scrape Sunday’s four Avocet chicks had reduced to two. It’s the first time for a few years that chicks have hatched here. The Great Black-backed Gulls and Herons will likely take a heavy toll on whatever chicks do hatch.

On the stream that divides G West and G East a family group of four very young Lapwing chicks had been brought to the water’s edge by their parents and nearby a male Pied Wagtail was feeding two recently fledged juveniles.

At the Warden’s Hut I checked in on the Peregrines. It does appear that the chicks have survived the recent 65mph gales as a parent bird brought in an Oystercatcher chick to the nest. I assumed it was an Oystercatcher as there were two frantic Oystercatchers chasing him. I saw Miranda at the Warden’s Hut and she mentioned seeing a Green Hairstreak near MMs. I pulled over on my way home and found one just where she’d said basking on a south facing bank of Bramble, Broom and Gorse.