A rare birding trip away from NO. On Sunday 15^th 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 BirdGuides, reported it the next day.

The bird wasn’t seen on the Monday but Ian rang me on Tuesday to say that the bird was showing again and so I headed down there. Just as I was leaving home the Hampshire Rarities WhatsApp group reported the news, given this I was surprised by how few people were on site when I arrived, no more than half a dozen. The bird was asleep with Wigeon on the far side of the reservoir. It woke up occasionally during the next hour or so.

Baikal Teal photos by Ian Williamson

I saw an adult drake in Cambridgeshire almost exactly two years ago. This bird was also with Wigeon and eventually headed north but remained in the UK at Druridge Pools, Northumberland until July, I think the record has been rejected as a result. Time will tell as to whether the Hampshire bird shares the same fate, it may even be the same individual.

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 of 24 Oystercatcher on the scrape was my highest yet, perhaps breeding birds returning.

Nearby the four Russian White-fronted Geese and 13 Spoonbill were resting on the water’s edge at JV. There were five Pintail here and another three out on the estuary. I later saw the White-fronts on the fields south-west of the Reedy Ditch layby. Although I’ve seen a few Chiffchaff in the last week today was the first time that I’ve heard one singing.

Oystercatcher photo by Ian Williamson and Chiffchaff

I checked the sea while at the Sailing Club and found a Great Northern Diver loitering further east. Six Bar-tailed Godwits roosted at Inchmery with the Pale-bellied Brent Goose pulling up eelgrass in front of them. The Peregrines were active on the island.   

A pair of Goldcrests flitted around the bushes near the cottages with the male flashing his intense orange crown to his partner. At the Reedy Ditch Ian found an Otter spraint, greenish in colour and smelling of jasmine tea! A Pheasant appeared to be playing dead as a Marsh Harrier drifted over. 

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.