Author: chrisbutton1

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 that we were disturbing them.

Pied Wagtails, female, male and juvenile. Left and top right photos by Ian Williamson

The Ringed Plover who is incubating four eggs continues to stick it out on the nest which is no more than a metre from the road. Half the time she tolerates a passing car but other times she scuttles off. She always runs off whenever anyone gets anywhere near on foot. I hope she can keep going despite the disturbance, thankfully, I could see the eggs were very warm through my thermal camera. The Sailing Club gets much busier from early June so I hope the eggs hatch and she can walk the chicks away before then.

Highlight of the day was seeing an Avocet on DL’O scrape kneeling down with eight tiny legs dangling down form her breast feathers, pretty soon four tiny Avocet chicks appeared. They are precocial and so instinctively know how to feed and they are fully mobile straight out of the egg. There were also six Bar-tailed Godwit waiting out a squall around the back of the island out from DL’O hide. A very close Cuckoo flew across the water 30 yards in front of me while I was stood in the area of JV hide. 

The Little Ringed Plover was incubating safely and I began to wonder if the male was still around, I hadn’t seen him for a week or more. A Dunlin landed close by and the male suddenly appeared out of nowhere flying straight at the intruder. I’m next visiting on Wednesday and I’m hoping for chicks by then. I also checked the Avocets on Gt Marsh and there were another two chicks here.

A sea-watch was reasonably productive although showing signs of the end of the season. Six Common Scoter headed east and single Gannets, Fulmar and Kittiwakes were nice to see while eight summer plumaged Sanderling scampered along the beach.

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 1^st summer Little Gull on Gt Marsh.

The Little Ringed Plover was safely on the nest but no sign of chicks yet and also no sign of Avocet chicks on Gt Marsh. A well-developed Lapwing chick was on Gv Marsh.

Stonechat and Lapwing

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 the 65 mph south-westerly gales although I was almost in the bush thus sacrificing any views to the west. Whenever I stuck my head above the parapet I was reminded how ridiculously windy it was.

One of the highlights was a steady run of Gannets, for two hours they streamed west, about 25 in total. They are mostly birds from the 6,000 pair breeding colony on Alderney 80 miles to the south.

Two pale phase Arctic Skuas suddenly appeared from the west. Sea birds often barrel back into the wind to control their progress but these skuas were gunning it full tilt. It was a treat to watch four separate Fulmars heading into the teeth of the gale on albatross wings with white protruding heads and pale white primary flashes, above and below. It is believed that spring Hampshire Fulmars are non-breeders associated with nearby colonies in Dorset and West Sussex.  

A handful of adult Kittiwakes also battled against the south westerlies struggling and not bouncing along like they normally do. Having scrutinised every sea-watched Cormorant since I started visiting in September I was delighted to finally record a Shag.  On a sea-watch at this range it’s the rather thin straight neck, small head, pot belly and wings positioned to the rear that are characteristic.

Waders included a pair of westerly heading Grey Plover and a group of eight Bar-tailed Godwit also heading west.

At the end of the sea-watch I walked over to check that the Little Ringed Plover nest hadn’t had some gale related mishap, at first I couldn’t see her and began to worry she’d abandoned. I changed my angle and then saw her keeping very low with eyes half closed.

We had hoped for Manx Shearwater as several had been seen in the eastern Solent but unfortunately no luck today. Bonixe was a more realistic aim and is again something I’m still to see at NO.

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 somehow know that chicks are imminent.

I had feared that the three Lapwing chicks at MMs had all perished as I hadn’t seen any for more than a week. However, the two well grown chicks which I saw at Wheatear Corner may well be the MM chicks and they’ve just walked over.

On the sea a handful of distant Gannets headed west and a distant pale phase skua was too far out for me to say whether it was Pomarine or Arctic. It seemed large and bulky and I may have seen or imagined spoons looking like ‘trailing feet’, Pomarine is possible but I couldn’t be sure.

Three Kittiwakes included a 1st summer bird headed west. I saw three Little Gulls all of them 1^st summer birds in a similar state of moult, two west and one east and so there may be duplication.

A male Red-breasted Merganser from the west was a surprising unseasonal record. I hadn’t seen one for nearly two months. It could be the male that has been seen in Lymington and Christchurch Harbour recently.

After sea-watching Dimitri and I headed to the hides where I collected my trail camera footage. I had captured a Fox, Grey Squirrel, Roe Deer buck and a crèche of 20 Canada Goose goslings being taken to the water by four adults at 5:10am.

We arrived at JV hide to see one of the White-tailed Eagles heading over Wigeon Fields towards the Reedy Ditch and we later saw it again over G West. Back at S Hide we watched the Swallows who have made a nest in the toilet thus making it out of bounds for the next month or so.

Another short sea-watch produced six Common Scoter and just as we were finishing a pair of adrenaline charged pale phase Arctic Skuas blasted past us heading west close to the shore.