Author: chrisbutton1

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 here can be quiet. Today, as expected, most birds were heading east. It was clear that Common Gulls and Great Black-backed Gulls were moving in good numbers and a distant Lesser Black-backed Gull was more unusual. Mediterranean Gulls were moving west and therefore a lot more slowly than the other gulls.

After the hail shower it brightened up for a while in time for the highlight of the day, a group of four Kittiwakes moving east, two adults and two first year birds. The two-toned wings and black tips were obvious even at long range and so were the black Ws on the two 1^st year birds.  25 Meadow Pipits also came in off the sea and one of the Peregrines powered west.

Brown Hare photos by Ian Williamson

On the walk to the hides a 1^st year Sparrowhawk flew low over the fields towards B Water. I only saw two Spoonbill today and they appeared to be paired up feeding on the flood in the cattle field. The gusty wind played havoc with their long crown feathers. Two pairs of Black-headed Gulls were using the rafts out from DL’O hide and three Pochard and two 2 Tufted Duck were still viewable from B Water and JV hides.

Spoonbills

Another highlight was seeing the Russian White-fronted Geese again on the water’s edge at JV. The Greylags and Canada Geese carried on as normal but the White-fronts stood to attention, definitely slightly nervous of me. I’ll be sad when they head back east.  

The high tide waders included five Knot and eight Bar-tailed Godwit and a pair of Rock Pipit were feeding around the Sailing Club House. A Chiffchaff was chasing insects near the Reedy Ditch as I headed home.

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 the river edge including a tagged individual wearing ‘AL’ on a yellow flag on its left leg. This bird was ringed as a chick here in June 2018. After that it was seen at various Hampshire sites, then it turned up at Oare Marshes in Kent in July 2020. It was last reported in August 2020 at Titchfield Haven by me! (I thought ‘AL’ seemed familiar) Being in its third year it is mature enough to breed for the first time.

In the hope of finding a Jack Snipe, and having failed ten times or more in the NP area, I decided to check out the damp area between the cottages and the sluice, near the weather station. After a couple of scans with the thermal camera I came across a very bright sharply defined oval shape. Excitedly I switched to binoculars and quickly found the Jack Snipe. Two broad golden stripes stood out, my best ever views. I took one extra step to improve the angle for a photo and it flushed. I had expected it to easily tolerate the distance, I’ll be more careful next time.

Reed Bunting

While stood near the sluice gate I heard a quiet and brief snatch of subsong, it sounded like a Sylvia warbler. Having cleaned up and amplified my sound recording it was obviously an early Blackcap. Our wintering Blackcaps move to Germany to breed and perhaps this bird was tuning up before heading across the channel.

The first bumblebee of the year was a queen Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris). The queens are carrying eggs from last summer and they are looking for a place to nest, they often use a deserted mouse’s hole.

There was a pair and a single Slavonian Grebe on the sea and one of the pair was rapidly acquiring summer plumage. It was way too distant for anything other than a hideous record shot especially in the heat haze. The third bird joined the pair and together they all flew off towards the Isle of Wight, landing roughly half way out. Back at the Reedy Ditch I checked through the 1st winter Pied Wagtails looking for a White Wagtail and the Meadow Pipit flocks for a Water Pipit, no luck today.

1st Winter Pied Wagtail, Bar-tailed Godwit and Slavonian Grebe

As sunset approached the four Russian White-fronted Geese came in from P Shore, circled around catching the evening light on their undersides before landing at JV, presumably to roost. The first winter bird is now acquiring belly bars and a white blaze.

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.

I always open the window in DL’O hide with a degree of excitement hoping there is a wader at the water’s edge. It doesn’t happen very often but today there was a lovely Greenshank. He bobbed up and down in alarm but stayed long enough for a photo before flying off silently. Most Greenshank winter in Africa but around 20 or so winter along the Hampshire Coast with maybe just 1 or 2 at NO this winter. We should get a few more in the next few months as our birds are joined by passage birds heading back to Scandinavia.

A group of 23 Curlew were feeding in the grass just over the fence towards the scrape. My biggest wintering count is around 70 birds although they are often spread out and hidden so it’s difficult to be sure of the wintering total. Around 40 pairs breed in the New Forest but I’d imagine our birds will head back to breed in Scandinavia.

Although there is plenty of suitable habitat I’ve only heard two regularly singing Cetti’s Warbler, one near the gate to the hides at B Water and the other opposite the Reedy Ditch layby. It will be interesting to see if other males start singing as spring gets underway.

Lots of common passerines were singing but perhaps the most conspicuous birds were the Chaffinches with their jaunty song and regular ‘pink pink’ and ‘hu-eet’ calls. Some are probably newly arrived short distance migrants.

Blue Tit, Chaffinch and Robin

Nine Spoonbill rested on the estuary with the breeze ruffling up their pineapple-like head plumes. The small roost of gulls at Inchmery included 91 Mediterranean Gulls, the majority of whom had full black hoods, they are further advanced than the Black-headed Gulls. A single male Red-breasted Merganser was in the mouth of the river with a handful of Great Crested Grebes, two is my peak count of Red-breasted Merganser this winter, depressingly low.

As the tide came in waders started to gather. Most were Grey Plover and Dunlin but the constantly shifting groups included at least four Bar-tailed Godwit and eight Knot. Being almost a mile away I pushed the scope up to 40x, at this range plumage details become difficult and so size, shape and feeding action become key features. Most of our wintering Bar-tailed Godwits head back to Arctic Russia to breed. The spring passage Bar-tailed Godwits due next month tend to breed further east in Siberia.

Compared to the winter visitors some of the Lapwing, Redshank and Ringed Plover will remain to breed and they are becoming more vocal and active as a result. While scanning through the lines of waders I came across the stylish black and white Pale-bellied Brent Goose, this is the 10^th time I’ve picked him out this year.

The first meadow just west of the cottages contained a mixed flock of Skylark and Meadow Pipit. When they flew there appeared to be around 25 birds, perhaps half of each species but on the ground they were very difficult to see. It was the same at B Water House where I found another group of Meadow Pipits feeding in the grass. I could see five birds but through my thermal camera I could see that there were actually 30 white blobs! The thermal camera is a great tool in this type of situation where birds are half hidden or their environment is cluttered and distracting.

While checking through the Meadow Pipits a dazzling Firecrest flicked up and showed off in the hedge behind them.