Another day, another adventure..

10 days off and I don't want to waste a second, so today was an adhoc day out, arranged the night before, but couldn't have been much better.

Bought a new Scope yesterday and wanted to try it out, properly, so managed to organise a trip to Pennington / Normandy with a new Wingman called Grant.

Grant is a great photographer and all round 'good egg' who I met in my time at Rooksbury, Andover - and I asked him of he fancied a trip out to the Mecca that is this South Coast hotspot.

We tried to tempt Joe, repeatedly, but no luck.. So I was the Guide for the day :o)

We parked in Normandy Lane and called in at Normandy Marsh 1st.. It was fairly quiet compared to normal, Greenshank, Redshank, Little Plover and Cormorant were the major players on the water.. but from the side we spotted a Wheatear or two flying around..

Whilst there, we sat on the Sea wall and spent some time looking over the mudflats.. Curlew everywhere!!! and a few Grey Plover.. which I wanted to photo, but the low sun behind - made it hard.

Walking back to the car, and through a field of Cows and Horses, we saw around a dozen (i'm not a notebook boy) Yellow Wagtail.. The long grass made it very difficult to get a clear shot though.

From Normandy we drove down to Pennington.. if you know the area, you know how far a walk that is!! As we started walking along the seawall I saw over a dozen Turnstone.. Grant said he would of completely missed these.. and looking at them you can see how well they blend in to their surroundings - which obviously makes photo'ing them quite hard!


Pennington and Butts were actually quite quiet.. Dunlin and L Plovers flying about. No Dartfords this time - which is rare for that part of the Reserve. A few Curlew and Little Egret on the mudflats, Swallows skimming the lagoons, but not much else..
With a few Osprey sightings locally, we did keep one eye on the sky - and after touring Pennington (and a pint in the pub) I suggested we hit Lower Test Marshes at Totton on the way home.. An Osprey was listed there on Monday, but nothing since.. Grant was trying to get a great shot of Egret, and I knew Totton wouldn't disappoint, so we headed there.

Parking next to the Pub that never has customers - we strolled down the track to the Reserve.. Checked every dead tree, but no Osprey.. so headed along the soon to be flooded boardwalk, checking the viewing screens, to the main Hide.

Once inside we were greeted by 4 Grey Heron, perched on the errr Perch... looking for lunch.. Egret everywhere too, mostly flying over, but a rough count (again, no notebook) and we estimated over a dozen Little Egret in the area.. 15 yrs ago, and I hadn't seen 1 in this country!!

Anyhoo.. time was ticking, the Heron had flew, we were about to leave when a female Kingfisher landed on the Heron perch.. Goes to show that patience is a virtue.. :o)

Farlington.. Everything's heading South..

Blimey.. No update for nearly 2 months! I blame it on my decision to support the local pubs..

Autumn Migration is officially on... and today me and Joe hit Farlington Marshes.. A large area off of Langstone Harbour, situated East of Fratton, Portsmouth and south of the M27.

Targets were Osprey and Little Stint.. Both listed in the last few days.. Being 'migration' time and owing to the landscape.. anything could have turned up though.. We were optimistic.

Parking up and hobbling to the Reserve, ( i have a poorly foot and Joe walks at 200mph) the first thing we noticed was a Summer Plumage Grey Plover.. Ive only seen winter plumage birds before and was impressed at how eyecatching they are.. Just as I got the camera out - it disappeared behind a mudflat.. There were plenty of Curlew and Redshank though.

A check of the lake and scrape areas found no Little Stints, but a yearticks in the form of 2 Curlew Sandpipers.. A nice Ruff next to them too. Unfortunatley a Sparrowhawk scared everything off the lake and so we moved on. A Peregrine was also picked up by Joe a bit further on.

Leaving the lake, we headed East along the path to look over the RSPB Island and the search for Osprey or what ever was there. Again, Joe found us one.. flying around the water.. looking to swoop for a fish.. It was a way off, so apologies for the poor picture..

Walking around the Reserve, we searched for any passing migrants.. Whinchat were in good numbers, considering I'd only ever seen 1..

We also saw a Spotted Flycatcher (embarrassed to say that's a yeartick) and the cow field had a few Yellow Wagtail in. Another yeartick (and Life Tick) was the 5 or so Bearded Tit we saw flying around the Reedbeds.. too quick to photo, and to really see properly, but chuffed to tick that one off.

Back to the car and a quick nip down the A27 to the edge of Hayling Island.. Target - a Red Necked Grebe.. No luck, but a dog going out to Sea with a lifejacket on made up chuckle.. As did a boat full of Turnstone..

The day ended with a call in at Crawley Duck Pond.. this place is soooo posh, the Duck House is thatched!! Crawley has a few resident Mandarin Duck, snoozing in the afternoon sun.. I have seen Wood Duck there too, but they seem to have popped out for the day..

One Turtle Dove, but thats always enough..

Bloody Turtle Dove!! I spent 2010 thinking they were made up! Everyone else was seeing the apart from me! Then I got lucky.. A few weeks ago on Stockbridge Down - and one finally obliged. Wondering if Lightening could possibly strike twice I headed back today to 'grab a money shot'.. Ok, no joy there, but was v happy to hear then see one of these semi-fictional beasts. Purring away in one of the middle copses..

Shots arent great, they are hard to get close to, unless youre called Joe.

From there I nipped down to Acres Down in the New Forest.

Got very lost in the woodland and thought I was a done for! but eventually found the Car Park again.. phew!! A walk up to the Raptor View Point proved the most valuable part of the trip as 2 Goshawk were flying over the treetops. (never seen more than 1 since this May).. and there were plenty of my new fave birds about too.. Sorry Wheatear, but Redstarts are straight in at No.1!! too bloody quick to photo though..

Norman.... One cute dude.

Norman is a coloured colt from Boomerang Blade. Boomer ran in the 1000 Guineas in the 1999 and won the Doncaster Yearling Selling Stakes in 98. This race was the richest race for 2yr olds.. £179,000 to the winner!

Sam looked after Boomer when she worked at Bryan Smart's yard when he was based in Lambourn.

When Boomer left training she became a Broad Mare and produce 5 foals for owner John Ford.

The Ford family gave Boomer to Sam last year and Sam was keen to produce her own foal - with a future eye on eventing it - so Boomer was covered by a Show Jumper and Norman is the result.

A very cute foal that was born at 5pm on Thursday. I was pleased to be able to go over and see the cute fella, and Boomer, today..

The marvellous New Forest.

Another Birthday, another day for getting out there and enjoying the lovely weather.. What would I do if my Birthday was in November?

Last year it was Normandy / Pennington, this year searching for a few new Yearticks, myself and my friend (and knowledgable guide) Joe hit the New Forest.. The first time Id really spent any decent time here, despite driving through it probably hundreds of times.

1st stop was a lovely area called Acres Down. A Raptor view point offered great views..
Cuckoos, Stonechat, Woodlark and Tree Pipits.. the last 2 being 'lifers' for me - all showed very well. Sat on the hill top, we could feel ourselves cooking in the Sun.. after 2 hours and an increasing crowd of plonkers, we decided to head into the woodland.. This was a very wise move as it offered amazing views of Redstart and Wood Warblers.. again, 2 lifers.. Going with an expert really makes a difference as Joe picked out a Firecrest in a nearby Pine Tree.
Today was going really well..

Male Redstart.

Firecrest


Wood Warblers were common in the woods.

Joe 'swapping lenses'.

A 'Four spotted Chaser'??

From the New Forest, we headed to Stockbridge, in search of a mythical creature.. Turtle Dove... Never seen one, heard one and am seriously doubting whether they are made up!! But continue the search.

Lots of Butterfly on Stockbridge Down.. Someone asked us if we had seena Duke of Burgundy?? It s a Butterfly apparently.. obviously we hadnt. But a Willow Warbler was showing well.

North?? I never head North..

Feeling a little sore after yesterday's crash on the bike (dont ask!) I had a free afternoon of no cycling - so I headed out to Oxford to try and catch up with a few on this year's 'hit list'.

Garganey and Black Tern in good numbers in or near Oxford had been reported for the last few days.

First call was at Port Meadow.. a marshy area to the West of Oxford near the Thames. I had some rough directions, and you'd think that was enough?? Oh no.. Lots of One Way Streets and roads blocked with bollards meant it was more of a challenge to find the Marsh and somehwere to park than it was to find the Garganey.. Thank god you can now have GPS on Blackberrys. I suppose I should really buy a Satnav, but Im a cyclist!! we worship the Ordanance Survey Map God!

Marsh found, its big with the sun in my face.. Not helpful.. But to the right is a man with a Scope - always look for a man with a Spotting Scope.. saves a lot of checking every bloody Mallard! He's on the Garganey, only one (of the 3 previously listed) and its nice and close.

Job done.

Port Meadow done it was back to the car and try and get out of Oxford before the School traffic started to build up. Next stop was Farmoor and the massive Reservior thats there.. to look for Black Tern.. 22 reported yesterday!

A Yellow Wagtai was very obliging at the edge of the Reservior, just after I left the car park.. Most kind.


Second target of the day.. Black Tern.. a long way off and a real bugger to picture, when youre as talentless with a camera as me.. There were a dozen flying around the water, and this was as close as they came - and with a serious amount of cropping, so apologies for the grainy picture.

Yearlist now on 160.. Marvellous.
Farmoor.

Normandy again..

A return to the best birding site in Hampshire.

The stretch of coastline (and lagoons) between Lymington and Hurst Castle. I left at silly o'clock, got there at 8.00 am and wondered around until 3.00 pm on what was a very warm day.. There was always a breeze off the sea - and it was quite chilly at 8.00 am, but once it warmed up, it really warmed up. Hoping to add a few to the Yearlist - the first stop was Normandy Lagoon.. Little Tern and Greenshank were among the crowd. A good start.

A wonder further along and some Whimbrel were present and so was my friend Joe. He'd been on an early morning Sea Watch at Hurst Castle.. and was having a look around Pennington.

We strolled together and picked up a Ruff, Reed Warbler and a Terrapin!! Free range on one of the lakes!

I walked with Joe, back to his car in Keyhaven and I ducked into the pub, It was midday and I had finished my drinks ages ago.. just OJ and Lemonade, but tasted as good as any beer..

From there I made my way back to the car.. this took 3 hours! Its a long walk, and there was a fair bit of stopping to snap Whitethroat, Plovers and a very obliging Dartford Warbler that was consuming a caterpillar.. so pleased with that shot. Sandwich Tern were also perched out to sea. What started as a quiet day got a fair bit noisier when they decided to test a Hovercraft in the Channel, this went on for half an hour or more. As I got back to the car, a quick look in the field and I saw 2 Deer, a further look revealed 2 foxes at the back. 1 sunbathing, 1 looking around.

On the way home, via a Garage for much liquid... I called in at Lower Test Marshes and picked up a Sedge Warbler. So 7 new ticks today and the Yearlist is now on 153.. Happy days, with a hint of sunburn.

Sandwich Tern

A Whitethroat on Blackthorn

The hungry caterpillar meets its match.

Redshank

White Wagtail

Common Tern

Little Tern

Shhhh!

Spring Mandarin..

A trip to Mapledurham Lock this afternoon.

It was too nice to stay inside and I went hoping to see a Mandarin Duck for the yearlist.

Last year there was a female bird there, this year there were 2 males and a female..

I kinda felt sorry for the other guy.

One of the males was very kind to pose in front of a bunch of daffodils, worthy of a pic.

Mr and Mrs Mandarin.

2 Geese, one only speaks Canadian, one only speaks Egyptian.

On the way back from Mapledurham I picked up a Whitethroat and a White Wagtail for the yearlist. Now on 143 for the year... 2010 total was 146.. its going well :o)

A local twitch.

For most people a Ferruginous Duck is nothing exciting, but this cute visitor turned up in Lydiard Park in Swindon. I've never seen one before - so it was a short drive of around 30 mins to try and pick up a local 'Year and Life Tick.

Thankfully it was showing well in the sunshine and I picked up Yeartick no. 139 :o)

The Leach's Petrol hadnt been seen at Theale that day, so didnt need to walk cluelessly around a Gravel Pit... and the Red Flanked Blue Tail in Swanage will have to come a lot closer if it wants to meet me... decided that I'm not gonna chase all over the Country for one bird... Shoot me if I do!!!

Portland Bill and the Long Billed Dowitcher.

A ridiculously early start to the day.. 5 am!! Destination Portland.. and a day of seeing what was incoming on migration. We set off early, because my friend Joe doesnt like sleep.. that has to be the reason?

Picking him up in Andover at 6am, we made our way to our first port of call - Lodmoor in Weymouth where a Long Billed Dowitcher had set up camp.

A noisy Cetti's was an alarm call for anything that might still be sleeping.. Still havent caught a glimpse of 1 yet this year - so it stays off the list for now. The Dowitcher took some finding. But I guess (considering the size of the reserve) we were lucky to find it, sitting at the side of one of the pools. (I had nothing to do with finding it, all Joe's work).

With the Dowitcher in the bag, not literally, we had a quick look out over the Sea there and also in Portland Harbour.. Very quiet!

Onto Portland, on what was a wet day :o( Hiding between the Beach Huts we kept an eye out on what was out to Sea. A few Gannets passing through, all good.

A Hot Chocolate and a bowl of chips in the cafe (my first chips of the year!) and we set off down the Point. On the way we picked up a Purple Sandpiper. Nice.

Seawatching on the point found us more Gannet, Common Scoter, Fulmar, Red Throated Diver, Manx Shearwater, Great Skua, Razorbill, Guillemot and a solitary Puffin flying across. Happy days!

A little search around the point and a lovely female Black Redstart plus an increasing number of Wheatear were now dropping in.

A few pics.. including a cute Sparrow..

Purple Sandpiper.

Gannets passing by.

A Wheatear that had just flown the Channel.

And this sweetheart had just been ringed at tPortland Obs..

Not in my hand, but lovely to see her so closely.