Fawley & Keyhaven Marshes

Fucking hell, I can't believe I dipped it again. The Red-crested Pochard was reported 30 minutes before I got there, yet no sign on arrival at Badminston Gravel Pit, neither on any of the nearby lakes.


I was about to leave the area to move onto Keyhaven, when I had a hunch to go back to Badminston and view the pig field from a different angle. And what a relief!! There sat in a big puddle amongst Gulls was the Red-crested Pochard, yaaayyyy, about bloody time! I enjoyed watching the bird for about 2 minutes before it realised I was there, as did the Gulls, all of which made a quick get away after.


Well, there wasn't much point in sticking around any longer, ideas of visiting Beaulieu Road Station for the Great Grey Shrike were scrapped - maybe next week. So I headed in the direction of Keyhaven with Emma - god her list is improving quickly! Parking at Fishtail Lagoon we walked up towards the Avon Floods, with nothing really worth noting. However on coming back a Barn Owl flew out from the Avon Floods, and a flock of Linnets near Iley Point revealed the Twite, the second county tick of the day. The last 30 minutes of light were spent with the Barn Owl hunting in fairly windy conditions.

Warsash & Fawley

Another fairly early start to get down Warsash before Emma had to be in college for her drama rehearsals, the Long-tailed Duck showed well, even though it was in dull light, this is the first time I have had the oppertunity to photograph this species, so I was happy with any result. The Duck soon moved onto The Solent.

Shame the Pochard couldn't be as co-operative as this © Ashley Howe

I then went into College with Emma, and waited in the car for at least hours before she was done....thats what type of good boyfriend I am haha. But was rewarded with a second attempt at the Red-crested Pochard...that I dipped yet again.....but hey, there was Mallards!!

Fawley, Pennington & Hurst

What a fine start to the day today was, no sign of the Red-crested Pochard at Badminston Gravel Pits, though I think we had sussed out the right pit. Whipping out the local map we visited a few potential site that the bird could have gone to without any success, with nothing else worth mentioning.

Next to Normandy Marshes, where the Red-breasted Goose was grazing with...umm...Wigeon, before rejoining the Dark-bellied Brent Geese and showing pretty well. On Normandy Lagoon there was also a redhead Goosander, and on searching for the Twite there was an Avocet and Slav Grebe offshore.

Looks like we got it just in time in Hants before it headed East with the Brents to West Wittering © Ashley Howe

From Hurst before we left for home, a Red-throated Diver was the only thing worth noting, disappointing compared to totals that have been seen from there recently.

Little Egret by the car (c) Ashley Howe

Tundry Pond

I had an interview at the Blackpool and Fylde College, but that wasn't till the afternoon, which meant we could take time in getting up there, so my Dad and I briefly stopped at Tundry Pond with a few handbrake turns and skids on the icey roads to help the trip more enjoyable. On site there was no sign of any of the 4White-fronted Geese in amongst the Greylags and Canadas. But the Barnacle Goose was still there.

Also in the area was 2 Egyptian Geese, that were noisey, brief and mobile and it wasn't long before they departed to the North, a drake Goosander was on the lake. Heading North Red Kite were just the wrong side of the border.

Again, in dull light, early in the morning, 2 Egyptian Geese by the lake before they quickly departed northwards © Ashley Howe

And for those who give a flying toss, the interview went well, and I recieved a conditional offer into a Wildlife Photography course.

Southsea

As part of the search for the Iceland Gull which was at Weston in the morning, I broadened the search heading back down to Southsea, where there has recently been decent numbers down there, including an adult and 2nd winter Glaucous Gulls.

On arrival the 2nd winter was just offshore feeding in the surf, as was 2 adult Mediterranean Gulls. Further up the coast between the pier and castle was a Red-necked Grebe with a Great-crested Grebe about 100 yards offshore.

The 2nd-winter Glaucous Gull, again the adult managed to elude me, and one of the Mediterranean Gulls © Ashley Howe

Unfortunately there was no sign of the Iceland Gull, and no one else was able to pick it up either.

Southsea

An early start with Lee to get down to Southsea Castle at first light, because I had to be at work at 9:00am in town. Fortunately the 2nd winter Glaucous Gull was sat on the beach behind the pyramids, showing well, but photographs were shocking.

The 2nd-winter Glaucous Gull photographed in early morning, dull light © Ashley Howe

A walk along the coast revealed that there were 3 Purple Sandpipers, and just offshore was a Great Northern Diver.

Whiteley

A brief visit to Whiteley to try and get Emma Waxwings, but their was no sign of any today, though we spent a good hour visiting each individual road. However year ticks included Blackcap and Treecreeper.

Beaulieu Road Station, Pennington, & Barton-on-sea

I took a well earnt Sunday off from work which allowed Emma and myself to do more glorious birding in Hampshire, well it could have been if it had stopped pissing it down.

A Great Grey Shrike has been reported daily for the last week at Beaulieu Road, though the weather had be considerably weather...typical first sign of bad weather and it had disappeared. Though a wet walk didn't go without a reward, a male Hen Harrier graced us with a fly-by, a Raven croaked overhead, Dartford Warblers were occasional, a Kingfisher was at Bishop's Dyke and a flock of 20 or Lesser Redpolls were in the Birches, and still there was no sign of the Shrike by the time we had got back to the car.

Next stop was Hurst...nothing....Avon Valley, Rock Pipit and Marsh Harrier were added to the year list. A walk along the coast from Keyhaven to Pennington to Normandy added Spotted Redshank, Golden Plover, Bar-tailed Godwit and Slav Grebes being the only birds worth noting...again the Red-breasted Goose managed to elude me, argh!

The sun beginning to set over Oxey Marsh, this time with the tide out © Ashley Howe

The dieing hour of the day was spent at Barton-on-sea where Emma finally got her Owlies (Short-eared Owls to people who aren't mentally challenged) which sat about the Golf Course for 30 minutes before we left.

Farlington Marshes

Not a particularly eventful afternoon, I finished work at 2 as usual, and straight down to Farlington again, hopeful of the Short-eared Owls a second time round. It wasn't to be, yet again, and so no added time was wasted here.


Only birds of note included a Merlin and the Avocets.

Zennor

Ok, its taken me a while to realise this, but why the fuck haven't I pulled my finger out already and gone to see the Snowy Owl? Even my teachers at college were asking whether I had been down to see it, so I took this as an indication that they wouldn't mind me missing a days worth of lesson to actually go and see it.

2nd thing to think about; how to get down there, everybody in Britain has seen it already, hmm?

My reply to this is perhaps the craziest idea I have ever head: "Ok, sod it, i'll ride!!"

After work yesterday I prepared the bike for a big effort twitch, I don't know what made me do this, but this is commitment to the birding society. Hitching a series of Trains at 11pm from Eastliegh - Basingstoke - Reading - Penzance, I arrived the following morning at around 8am. The 10 miles or so North to Zennor were much more tiring than expected, no helped by the fact I was constantly climbing hills. A short break in between where I utilised my time by proding a freshly killed corpse in the form of a Woodcock. Approaching Zennor and I really which I had fixed my break before embarking on this trip. Tough tits I didn't.

On arrival it took me no longer than 10 minutes to locate the bird sat shoulder height in thick heather. What a relief when I realised I hadn't strained both testicles for nothing. Wow, I was expecting it to be this big! I sat tight for at least 2 hours just admiring the bird from a safe distance, in that time a few birders came and went, and the bird was becoming more active, reaching and stretching etc.

A heavily cropped image of the Snowy Owl, when sat like this, it doesn't make you realise just how big this bird is © Ashley Howe

It was just a matter of time before it flew - hopefully in my direction.

Does it now? Ok, it didn't fly past me, but it was close enough © Ashley Howe

The return leg was comparitably easier, managing to complete the ride in half the time it had taken to get their, however my next reward was a fanny-tastic full english breakfast before embarking on the 6 hour train up to Reading again.