Botley Wood again and Blashford Lakes

In the hope that the first Nightingale would have arrived back at Botley Wood last night I started the day there with a pre-breakfast stroll. There had been a slight frost overnight but it was quickly thawing as the sun got higher. The Ravens were the most obvious birds when I arrived, one bird was sat on a pylon calling away, whilst the other roamed more widely. A couple of Bullfinch's were calling and Chiffchaff song was everywhere, well at least it appeared to be. 

Chiffchaff - Botley Wood

I took my usual route, taking in all the usual Nightingale territories, but not even a croak was to be heard. Several Blackcaps appeared to be paired up, and there was an abundance of Blackbird and Song Thrush, but yesterdays Willow Warbler appeared to have moved on. I walked all the way through to the Whiteley end and recorded several more Chiffs, Blackcaps and Bullfinch's and a single male Sparrowhawk, but that was about all of note. In spite of the early start there were a few butterflies on the wing, I recorded Brimstone, Green-veined White, Comma and Peacock, the individual below was perched high on a willow taking advantage of the sun.

Peacock Butterfly - Botley Wood

After breakfast I decided to head down to Blashford Lakes. There had been a few Little Gulls around the previous day so I was hoping to catch up with a few of them. I didn't have much time so headed straight for the Tern Hide for a view of Ivy Lake. There were loads of Black-headed Gulls present but I couldn't find any Little Gulls; I bumped into a local birder who had been there all morning and he hadn't seen them today either. There were however a few bits that made the trip worth while, 4 Common Terns were a year tick as were the two Little Ringed Plovers. I don't see LRPs very often so it was good to see them, and one bird was on the foreshore just in front of the hide. 

Little Ringed Plover - Blashford Lakes

The more I watched the close bird it became apparent that something was wrong. Rather than running it appeared to be hoping and was not covering much ground, certainly not in the way that plovers usually do. It would also regularly settle down and rest, which was quite unusual.

Little Ringed Plover - note broken leg

After while the bird turned around and it was then I noticed its right leg. The leg was either broken or deformed and was bent around 180 degrees so it faced backwards. It was also stuck at a right angle so that it didn't touch the ground but just pointed upwards. The bird seemed to be feeding OK and at one point it flew across a creek to the beach opposite the hide, it landed perfectly on its one leg and continued to feed along the edge of the water.

Close up of broken/deformed leg

Over the years I have seen loads of birds with dodgy legs and there was a one legged Redshank the frequented the beach at Hill Head for several years. Hopefully this bird will be able to survive despite its damaged appendage.

Happy New Year and the start of a new year list

So here we are again, at the start of another New Year, and the beginning of my fifth year of writing this blog. I hope that you all had a good year and enjoyable New Year celebrations and also enjoyed my ramblings over the last year. January 1st 2015 started for me with a lie-in followed by a lazy day in front of the telly watching football, and therefore my birding amounted to only those species seen in the back garden. 

On January 2nd I teamed up with Simon Colenutt, for a spot of birding in the South-east of Hampshire. We planned our route based on birds that had been reported recently and set off pre-dawn.

Eyeworth Pond

Our first stop was Eyeworth Pond, near Fritham where we would be guaranteed to see Mandarin Duck. It was dark when we arrived but it was still possible to see several Mandarins present, along with Mallards and Moorhen. There were 22 Mandarins present and despite the poor light I decided to take a few photos. It is now a couple of months since I received my new Canon 7D MK2 and I have to admit that I get more amazed by it every time I use it. The series of pictures below were taken in near darkness, with an ISO rating of 12,800; the noise was then removed in Adobe Lightroom, given the conditions I don't think these are that bad.

Pair of Mandarin Ducks

Mandarin Ducks

Mandarin Ducks

Mandarin Ducks

Whilst at Fritham we picked up most of the woodland species also, with the most notable being Marsh Tit, a species that is increasingly more difficult to catch up with these days.

Milkham Bottom, New Forest

A Great Grey Shrike has been wintering around Milkham Inclosure/Bottom so this was our next stop. We spent a couple of hours birding the area and did catch up with some good birds, which included Dartford Warbler, Goshawk, Crossbill, Raven and Stonechat, but the shrike unfortunately eluded us.

Blashford and Kingfisher Lakes

Blashford Lakes was our next stop, where we hoped to pick up most of the duck species, including the long staying Long-tailed Duck, Great White Egret along with other specialities such as Goosander, Black-necked Grebe and Egyptian Goose. Unfortunately  we did not connect with the Great White Egret but saw the rest, as well as most of the duck species and a wintering Chiffchaff.

Blurry record shot of the very distant Long-tailed Duck

There has been a Ferruginous Duck at Kingfisher Lake for a while now, but unfortunately viewing is very difficult and therefore it is difficult to see unless it sits right out in the middle. We stopped there for a while but did not see the duck, however we did see an adult Yellow-legged Gull and also a Firecrest.

Pennington Marsh

Our next stop was Pennington Marsh. We first stopped at the flood just off Lower Pennington Lane before walking a circuit to the seawall and back down the main track. The flood was heaving with Wigeon, Teal, Black-tailed Godwits, Dunlin, Redshank, Brent Goose, Golden Plover and Lapwing present. The highlight though were the three Ruff that were present.

On the intertidal we added a few more species including Oystercatcher, Grey Plover, Turnstone, Ringed Plover, Bar-tailed Godwit and Mediterranean Gull. On the sea there several Red-breasted Mergansers, two Eider and four Slavonian Grebes.

Denny Wood

Our final stop was in the hope of catching up with Hawfinch and Lesser Redpoll but we failed miserably. We did however add Stock Dove and Sparrowhawk.

By the end of the day we had recorded 94 species, so not a bad start to the year but still leaving plenty of species to see this winter.

Franklin's Gull, Blashford Lakes - October 2014

After the record of the adult Franklin's Gull at Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trusts Blashford Lakes on 18th October, there has been much speculation about where the bird would turn up next. When it was re-found on Ibsley Water, at Blashford Lakes on the afternoon of 28th October, there was in part a sense of relief, in that it was still around, but that relief was certainly over-shadowed with frustration  as there was no way I could get off work to see it. The bird was watched until dark and therefore there was still hope that it would return again.

Wednesday 29th was my next opportunity, so I left work early and headed down. I was not alone, as many other Hampshire birders had the same idea. The number of gulls was much lower than on the previous day, and then the fog arrived. Slowly it drifted across the lake and before we knew it visibility was down to about 50 metres, with ghostly images of Black-headed Gulls beyond that.

It was going to be difficult for me to get away on Thursday, but when news broke that the bird was once again of Ivy Lake I had to go. The weather conditions were much better as was the light and the bird was once again settled on the water to roost. It was visible from the Tern Hide at the southern end of the lake, but was much closer from the Lapwing hide. Unfortunately I did not have my camera with me but Ian Williamson has kindly sent me some of the images that he took of the bird.

Franklin's Gull (back bird), Blashford Lakes - October 2014 ( Copyright Ian Williamson)

Franklin's Gull (middle), Blashford Lakes - October 2014 (Copyright Ian Williamson)

Franklin's Gull (middle), Blashford Lakes - October 2014 (Copyright Ian Williamson)

Franklin's Gull (middle), Blashford Lakes - October 2014 (Copyright Ian Williamson)

For ease of reference I have copied the Blashford Lakes map below, the bird was roosting in front of the Lapwing Hide in the north-east corner of Ibsley Water. It is probably best to arrive on site around 2:30 - 3:00 pm as the bird has been found around that time, or just after and that will give plenty of time before the light drops.

The bird is an adult winter and as I mentioned on a previous post is the second record for Hampshire, the first being in 1970. Interestingly, that bird was found at Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trusts Farlington Marshes and was present from 21st February until 16th May. 

Siberian Stonechat Revisited, Titchfield Haven - 19th October 2014

The night was a somewhat blustery and wet one, but by 6:30am the rain had cleared and the wind dropped so it was possible open some nets in the more sheltered areas. It was a relatively quiet session, with 24 birds trapped including six Blackcaps, five Reed Warbler, three Chiffchaffs, two each of Goldcrest and Cetti's Warbler and single Song Thrush and Blackbird. It was certainly a surprise to be catching five Reed Warblers at this time of year, but what was more surprising was the weight of some of the birds. Three of the Reed Warblers weighed over 15 grams, with one weighing 16.3 grams, considerably more than the usual 10 - 12 grams expected. The Blackcaps too were a good weight, with five of the six birds weighing over 20 grams.

After ringing I decided to go and have another look at the Sibe Stonechat, this time with the batteries in my SLR charged. The bird was back in its usual location, in the recently cut meadow immediately south of the meadow hide. Earlier on it had been reported on the fence near the hide but when I arrived it was towards the back of the meadow and sheltering on the edge of the taller vegetation, or feeding on the ground. It would regularly perch up in full view, but due to its extremely pale colouration, it could at times be surprisingly difficult  to pick out. I was able to grab a series of shots but as you can probably tell these have been very heavily cropped, but they are probably slightly better than yesterdays attempts.

First Winter Siberian Stonechat Saxicola maurus

First Winter Siberian Stonechat Saxicola maurus

First Winter Siberian Stonechat Saxicola maurus

There were at least 15 Common Stonechats in the same meadow and these were much more confiding, regularly sitting directly in front of the hide. I thought I would include a picture of one for comparison.

Common Stonechat Saxicola rubecola

At around 1:30pm news broke of an adult Franklin's Gull at Blashford Lakes, another second for Hampshire, the first being in 1970, which then was a first for the Western Palearctic. I was just on the point of heading to Curbridge, but instead decided to go to there. The bird had not been seen for about an hour when I arrived, but since there is usually a good gull roost in the evening I decided to wait on. The Franklin's did not re-appear but there was enough going on the keep me occupied. The long-staying Great White Egret was in view, as were two Green and one Common Sandpiper. Numerous duck and geese species, including Shoveler, Eurasian Teal, Wigeon, Greylag and Egyptian Geese. A very late Sand Martin got my pulse racing briefly, but it was just a Sand Martin. All the time I was there a constant stream of gulls were passing through, Black-headed was very numerous, as were Lesser Black-backed and Herring. The other gull species recorded were Common, Great Black-backed and a cracking adult Yellow-legged Gull.

Hampshire Birding and a Colour-ringed Mute Swan - February 2014

Today I headed out to the west of Hampshire for a spot of local birding. I started at Lepe with a view to catching up with the long staying Lesser Yellowlegs, and decided to head on from there as news of other birds broke. I arrived at Lepe just as news came through that the Lesser legs was still there, which was a good start. As I arrived at the usual pool there was no sign of the bird, but a couple of redshank, five dunlin, a black-tailed godwit and a Mediterranean Gull kept me entertained for a while. I continued to scan and eventually found the Lesser legs at the back of the scrape, in amongst some dense vegetation. Spurred on by my success I next headed across the road in search of Firecrests. I had seen a couple of birds here back in the autumn when the Lesser legs had first turned up, but I had no luck today.

My next stop was Beaulieu Road Station, a regular site for wintering Great Grey Shrike. One had been reported yesterday, 1st February, in the area so I walked out to the railway bridge, as it was the highest point on the heath, and therefore the best place to scan from. Unfortunately, I did not find the shrike, but did get some good views of three Dartford Warblers, my first of the year.

Next stop was Hampshire and Isle of Wight Trusts Blashford Lakes reserve where a ‘redhead’ Smew had recently been reported. After a brief stop at Ibsley water I headed to Ivy Lake, where the bird had been seen earlier in the morning.  But rather than heading for the North Hide, which I suspected would be crammed with birders hopeful of a view of a Bittern, I headed to the west of the lake and the viewing screens. The northern screen was no good as the afternoon sun made silhouettes of the birds so I headed for the southern screen. The light was much better here and within a couple of minutes I had picked up the Smew, but sadly the recently reported Red-crested Pochard eluded me.

Mute Swans at the Avon Causeway

I decided to head home after Blashford, but on the way had a quick stop at the Avon causeway. The whole area was flooded and the water was still flowing over the road making it virtually impassible. I stopped and started to scan the area; a couple of Stonechats were new for the year and then I picked up a colour-ringed Mute Swan. The bird had an orange coloured ring on its left tarsus, with the black lettering ‘S2L’. Having recorded several colour-ringed swans in recent years I suspect that this bird was ringed by Dave Stone in Christchurch Harbour during the annual Mute Swan round up, but the question is how long ago....?

Adult Mute Swan with Colour Ring

Orange Colour Ring on Mute Swan

......I will keep you posted!

Mealy Redpolls at Blashford Lakes - January 2014

A recent visit to the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trusts Blashford Lakes reserve gave me the opportunity to pop into the woodland hide to look at the visiting finches. The feeders are a popular place for visiting birders as you can get great views of a variety of species, especially lesser redpolls, siskins and bramblings, although there have been none of the latter recorded so far this year. Siskins too have been thin on the ground, but there are good numbers of lesser redpolls coming to the feeders, despite the mild weather. There has also been reports of a mealy redpoll frequenting the feeders and fortunately for me it was there as I entered the hide.

Mealy Redpoll Carduelis flammea (first bird)

The bird was very obvious amongst the lesser's since it was larger and paler with pale fringing to the wing feathers and an obvious white rump. The wingbar formed by the greater coverts was also broad and white, and an obvious white tramline was present on the mantle. Looking at the pointed shape of the tail feathers on this bird it appeared that it was a first winter bird.

Mealy Redpoll (first bird)

After a while the Mealy flew off, but before long it appeared to be back again. However, looking at this bird it did not have the overall grey tones of the first bird, the mantle was warmer brown in tone and the streaking on the flanks was not as bold. Looking more closely at the bird the white fringing on the tertials and tips of the primaries was broader. The white rump on this bird was more heavily streaked than the first bird, but this is not visible in the photo below.

Mealy Redpoll (second bird)

For comparison, below is an image of a typical lesser redpoll. The plumage of this bird is much warmer brown in its tone and heavily streaked. The wing bars are buff coloured and the flanks are boldly streaked and brown. Most birds tend to lack the white tramlines down the mantle, but not all.

Lesser Redpoll C. cabaret

Redpolls are notoriously variable in their plumage and therefore care needs to be taken when identifying them. A recent article published the the birding journal British Birds (Volume 106, December 2013) provides an interesting insight into the complexities of redpolls and is worth a read. The image below shows the variation in three birds seen during my visit to Blashford Lakes.

Lesser Redpolls and Eurasian Siskin

As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, you do get some excellent views of birds on the feeders, so it is definitely worth a visit. But please remember that the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust is a charity and needs your support, so make sure you leave a donation to help pay for the bird food.

Eurasian Siskin

Birding in the West of Hampshire

Over the last few weeks bird ringing activity has been non-existent, mainly due to the waves of torrential rain and high winds that have been sweeping the country. Even just getting out to do a spot of birding has been difficult, unless, that is, you are covered from head to toe with waterproofs. However, over the weekend of 8/9th December I did manage to get in a spot of birding in the west of County.

Wetland Area with Lapwing, Wigeon, Black-tailed Godwit and Glossy Ibis (the small black dot in the middle)

I had not recently been birding in this area and with the arrival of a few unusual birds it seemed like a good place to go on the one day it wasn't raining, although it looked like it was going to at any minute. My first port of call was Bickerley Common, a flooded meadow to the south of Ringwood. Most of the river valleys in Hampshire are swollen at the moment, and the River Avon is no exception. Water has spilled from the main river channel into the adjacent floodplain creating some interesting wetland habitat for birds. On the plus side this has created sanctuary areas that have become inaccessible to humans thereby limiting disturbance, but on the negative side, there are so many of these flooded areas that birds are widely spread and often difficult to find. But this is not the case at Bickerley Common, where the flooded meadow has become a haven for wetland birds, with the two most noteworthy species being glossy ibis and great white egret.

Great White Egret

Arriving at the site the closest bird was the great white egret, this species has become semi-resident in the area over the last few years, with a colour-ringed bird, originally of French origin, spending most winters at the nearby Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust (HIWWT), Blashford Lakes reserve. Unfortunately this bird spent all of its time feeding in thigh deep water and so it was not possible to see if it was the colour-ringed individual.

Great White Egret

In contrast the glossy ibis was happily feeding right at the back and was virtually the furthest bird, giving acceptable scope views but useless for photography (as can be seen in the first picture). There was also a good mix of other wetland species including black-tailed godwit, snipe, green sandpiper, lapwing, kingfisher, Canada and greylag goose, teal, wigeon, gadwall, shoveler and tufted duck. So a good variety of species to start the day. I next headed up to the Avon causeway and Harbridge in search of a Bewick's swan, a species which used to winter in large numbers in the Avon Valley, but those days are long gone. With no sign of the Bewick's and not much else to see in the area I headed back to the HIWWT's Blashford Lakes reserve.

Little Grebe

I started at Ibsley Water and more wetland birds. The middle of the day is not the best time to visit since all of the goosanders will have dispersed across the valley, but nonetheless there were still birds to see, pochard, tufted duck, goldeneye, pintail and good numbers of shoveler. Another noteworthy species for its scarcity these days was ruddy duck, an introduced species  from North America into the UK, that has recently undergone a massive decline due to a licenced cull. The species' fate was sealed due to its interbreeding with the closely related and much rarer white-headed duck in Spain. Ruddy ducks are the more dominant species, as with many North America species, and have been identified as one of the causes of the decline of the now endangered white-headed duck. The licenced cull has been very effective and now only very small numbers of this species exist in the UK.

Wigeon, Gadwall, Coot and Red-crested Pochard

My next stop was Ivy Lake, and the usual location for a very obliging bittern, but not this day. A drake red-crested pochard was causing some interest among the local birders but otherwise the species present were much the same as seen on Ibsley Water. One of the highlights of visiting Blashford Lakes is the excellent views of lesser redpolls and other finches and woodland birds drawn in by the abundance of food provided by the Trust. Identification of the different redpoll types can be very tricky when they are feeding at the top of an alder tree, but here the birds are drawn down low to the feeders.

Lesser Redpoll Carduelis flammea cabaret

Lesser Redpoll Carduelis flammea cabaret

Lesser Redpoll Carduelis flammea cabaret

The redpoll sub-species cabaret, which is the common race in the UK, is generally smaller and darker than the flammea race, which occurs in Fenno-Scandia. Occasional birds of the race rostrata have been recorded at Blashford lakes in recent years, these birds generally larger, darker and more heavily streaked than the race cabaret.

Lesser Redpoll Carduelis flammea cabaret

Lesser Redpoll Carduelis flammea cabaret

Lesser Redpoll Carduelis flammea cabaret

The variation in colour and size of individual birds can make identification of the different races very subjective, and things are not helped by variations in lighting conditions. I did not see any birds that even vaguely resembled a common (mealy) redpoll, maybe one will turn up later in the winter.

Brambling Fringilla montifringilla

Of course redpolls are not the only species visiting the feeders bramblings, chaffinch's, siskins and nuthatch's are all attracted in and give excellent views.

Female Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs

Eurasian Nuthatch Sitta europaea caesia

So if you are visiting Hampshire and want to get to grips with identifying lesser redpolls, there are not many better places to visit than Blashford Lakes in the winter.