Bird Ringing again at Botley Wood

After what has seemed like an absolute age I finally got my act together and arranged to do a bit of bird ringing over the last few days. The first session was on Sunday 10th May at Botley Wood; Chris and I started at 6am and set a few nets along the road in our usual net rides. It was a fairly slow session with only 16 birds ringed, but they were all quality birds. The most numerous species was Garden Warbler, one of which was a retrap from last year.

Garden Warbler - Botley Wood

The next most numerous species were Chiffchaff and Bullfinch with three birds trapped, unfortunately one of the Bullfinches could not be ringed due to growths on it's leg. All three birds were first winter birds, the buff coloured tips to the greater coverts are very obvious on the bird below.

Make Bullfinch - Botley Wood

The other species were two Blackcaps, one a retrap from last year, and single Great Tit, Blackbird, Long-tailed Tit, Dunnock and Whitethroat. 

Later in the afternoon I opened a net in the garden and ringed eight new birds, four Greenfinches, and single House Sparrow, Dunnock, Nuthatch and Great Spotted Woodpecker. The Ring-necked Parakeet was hanging around the area but fortunately did not come into the garden.

After work on Monday Rob and I decided to head back to Botley Wood for another ringing session. It had been a while since Rob had last done any ringing so he was ken to get out and the weather looked good. We set four nets within what I thought were Nightingale territories and hoped for the best. As it turned out my hunch was right, and we eventually caught two Nightingales, both adults and both males (based on the fact they sang once released). There was one other Nightingale singing on a territory where I had caught one last year so I presume it to be that same bird, hopefully I will find out over the next couple of weeks.

Male Nightingale - Botley Wood

Male Nightingale - Botley Wood

The session included two Blackcaps, one a retrap from last year, a Wren, Long-tailed Tit, Chiffchaff and Coal Tit. Over the three sessions we ringed 33 birds of 15 species, so not a bad few days.

A day full of Birding

I had managed to wangle a day off on Friday 8th May and so decided to start early with another seawatch down at Stokes Bay. It was an overcast morning, and was fairly calm, with a southerly wind gradually veering round to south-east. It was difficult to tell if there was an air of anticipation about the conditions because most of the talk was about the previous days General Election, and the disbelief that the Conservatives had once again got into government, and with a majority. There has to be a genuine fear for Britain's wildlife with them back in.

Sea watching soon took centre stage and a steady trickle of Common, Sandwich and Little Terns drifted by. A winter plumage Red-throated Diver was the first species on note, followed by a couple of Whimbrel. It was pretty slow going with good numbers of Barn Swallows and the occasional Swift coming in, and then Mark Rolfe, who was one of the assembled crowd, picked out a Roseate Tern amongst and small flock of Commons. It took me a while to get on to the bird, but eventually I was on it. I was following the bird east and it had just gone out of sight when Mark called out Hoopoe!!! Amazingly, a Hoopoe was flying along the beach towards us, flew over our shelter heading inland, and then veered west and continued to fly inland. That made up for the bird I missed a few weeks ago in Crawley, when I was in Cornwall. The sea watch continued as it had before the Roseate and the Hoopoe, with a steady trickle of terns and swallows and by 10am, when we finished, the only other species of note were two Mediterranean Gulls, and a Wheatear that landed on the beach in front of us.

I left Stokes Bay and headed to the Haven to pick up some bird food, to keep the parakeet fed. I had a quick scan from the sea front before heading home; there were three Dunlin and a Bar-tailed Godwit feeding on the Meon, several Swifts, House Martins and Swallows feeding over the reserve, but that was all of note.

Bar-tailed Godwit - Titchfield Haven

My next stop was Bunny Meadows. Bunny Meadows is known for it's wading birds and so at this time of year, there isn't likely to be much around, unless some migrants drop in. The tide was pushing up towards high and so there was very little mud left exposed, but five Whimbrel were making the most of what was there.

One of five Whimbrel at Bunny Meadows.

The reed bed was showing little evidence of spring, but there were still plenty of Reed Warblers singing, as was a male Reed Bunting. A couple of House Sparrows were tucked into a dense bit of bramble mid-way along the causeway, which seemed to be an odd location for them, and a Wheatear was feeding on the causeway.

Wheatear - Bunny Meadows

Oystercatchers were the most common wader species, seven in all and two Ringed Plovers and a single Dunlin were flushed off a roost next to the causeway by an off-the-lead dog. Three of the Oystercatchers were colour-ringed, I suspect they will be birds that I have seen before, but noted the combinations anyway. The rings on one bird were very discoloured but hopefully it will be possible to figure it out.

Colour-ringed Oystercatcher - Bunny Meadows

I was just about to head home when news came through that the 2nd CY Bonaparte's Gull was once again back at Riverside Park on the River Itchen at Bitterne. Although I had seen this bird on Monday at Weston Shore, my views were quite distant so I was keen to see it again, and also get some pictures. It has been frequenting the area between Cobden Bridge and a small reed bed to the north, opposite a sewage works, occasionally going into the sewage works and being lost from view. When I arrived it was showing very well but was regularly flying up and down the river, and only occasionally settling down to bathe.

The views were so much better, with the bird on occasion down to 10 metres. There were also around 30 Black-headed Gulls present so it was really nice to compare the two species. The Bonaparte's was so much smaller, and had a more dainty flight than the black-heads, as such it was very easy to pick out as it flew around. Being so close it was easy to pick out the key features, such as the small, all black bill, the grey nape, 'bubble-gum' pink legs and the neat trailing edge to the primaries and secondaries and all white underwing.

Bonaparte's Gull - Riverside Park

Bonaparte's Gull - Riverside Park

Bonaparte's Gull - Riverside Park

Bonaparte's Gull - Riverside Park

Bonaparte's Gull, with Black-headed Gull behind - Riverside Park

Whilst at the Bonaparte's I bumped into a couple of birding mates, and after a quick beer to celebrate with a work colleague, I headed home. What a cracking day it turned out be, starting with Roseate Tern and Hoopoe and ending with a Bonaparte's Gull.

A Day Full of Wildlife

The weather this morning looked very promising for a sea watch so I got up early and headed down to Gilkicker Point near Gosport. I arrived at 6:15 and settled down in the shelter for what might be a long morning. Mark Edgeller arrived at 6:30, followed by a steady stream of local birders and before long the shelter was overflowing. It turned out to be a quiet morning with a trickle of terns initially, Common, Little and Sandwich all recorded, a couple of Whimbrel and a flock of nine Sanderling. It proved to be a sea watch of quality rather than quantity, as the number of birds did not increase but we saw five skuas of three species, Arctic Skuas were recorded at 7:20, 8:04 and 8:25, a Bonxie (Great Skua) was seen at 8:00 and a stunning pale phase Pomarine Skua at 8:02. Other bits included a couple of Dark-Bellied Brent Geese, 13 Shelduck and a couple of Swifts. Five Skuas on a four hour sea watch may not seem that good, but for Hampshire that is a very good day.

Yesterday, 3rd May, a 2nd CY Bonaparte's Gull was found by Southampton Sailing Club on Weston Shore. It had hung around for 20 lucky birders, but was not relocated. I had not been able to go for it, but when news broke of its return to the same area today, I was quickly on my way. The bird was feeding by an outfall which was at the far end of a jetty, which was way too far out for any photos, which was disappointing. This was my second Bonaparte's in Hampshire, the first being back in 2003 at Farlington Marshes.

I had promised my wife that once I had returned from sea watching we wound go for a walk, she had patiently waited in the car whilst I watched the Bonaparte's, then Manor Farm Country Park. I had a planned route that would take us through a fantastic piece of Ancient Woodland then back along the Hamble Estuary. This year the woodland flora has been spectacular and I wanted my wife to see it looking so good. A Red Admiral butterfly was the first bit of wildlife of note, and then we were into the flora, Bluebell, Greater Stitchwort and Yellow Archangel all in full bloom and looking fantastic.

Red Admiral

Bluebell

Greater Stitchwort

Yellow Archangel and Bluebells

One of the species I always like to check on at Manor Farm Country Park in the Early Purple Orchid. It is quite a scarce species in the park and this year I have only found nine flower spikes. Early Purple Orchid is generally quite an easy species to identify as it is usually one of the first orchid species to flower, has deep purple flower spikes and leaves with large purple blotches.

Early Purple Orchid

Early Purple Orchid

There is a fair amount of variability with orchids and hybrid and aberrant forms have been found to occur in many species. Most of the Early Purple spikes looked to be the same, but I was very confused with a flower spike that really didn't fit the typical mould. This plant had pale pink and white flowers, with a slight yellow hue to the middle and dark purple spots on the lip; the leaves were narrow, pointed and totally unstreaked. I have a good selection of orchid books at home and although I cannot find exact examples of this form but have found reference to pale flowered forms and also plants without spotted leaves and therefore presume this to just be an aberrant Early Purple Orchid.

Presumed aberrant Early Purple Orchid

Presumed aberrant Early Purple Orchid

Presumed aberrant Early Purple Orchid

Un-spotted leaves of presumed aberrant Early Purple Orchid

There was very little of note on the high tide wader roost, two each of Greenshank, Whimbrel and Shelduck, being the only species of note.

I have mentioned previously that a Ring-necked Parakeet has been occasionally turning up in the garden. It has been perched on the top of a Silver Birch tree in my garden, but has been extremely flighty and therefore I have only ever had brief views; based on those views I had presumed it to be a female. Today, after we had returned home from our walk, and whilst doing a few bits in the garden, it returned. At first I heard it call as it flew towards the garden, but it saw us, changed course and sat on a Silver Birch on the other side of the field. It sat there for 10 minutes before heading off, but over the next hour and half kept doing circuits of the garden. Eventually, after we had finished what we were doing, it dropped onto the feeders in the garden.

It was incredibly nervy but stayed in the garden for about 20 minutes, during which time I was able to grab a few shots, albeit through glass. Being now able to get some decent views it was evident, that this bird was not a female but an immature male. The orange eye ring, black lower mandible and blue in the tail confirming this. A bit of reading up tells me that adult males don't get the rings around their necks until their third year, which it why my original views made me thing it was a female. Ring-necked Parakeet is not an easy bird to get in Hampshire, well at least down in the south, looks like I may have to keep my feeders topped up just in case some birders want to come and twitch it.

Immature Male Ring-necked Parakeet

Immature Male Ring-necked Parakeet

Twitching the Hudsonian Godwit in Somerset

Last Saturday (25th April) when I was in Cornwall news broke of a Hudsonian Godwit at Meare Heath in Somerset. It was the third record of the species in Britain and a species that I had not seen before; obviously I was quite keen to connect with it. I had hoped that it would hang around and I would be able to call in on my way home on Monday. No such luck, the bird departed late in the afternoon and was not relocated. Around lunch time on 29th April it was back again at Meare Heath, which was great, but I would not be able to get there until Saturday. I suspected that most local birders would have already gone by then and intended to go on my own, but Dave Ryves was in a similar position to me. We decided to leave early and before there was any news in order to avoid the Bank Holiday traffic and were at the site before 8am. 

News of the bird being there had come through at 06:45 so we were feeling pretty confident, and when we arrived there were around 70 birders present. Unfortunately the bird had flown from the back of the wader pool to the front and was out of view behind a bank; we had a nervy 20 minute wait before it eventually appeared. We did scan through the Black-tailed Godwits on view, just in case the hud-wit had sneaked back out, but alas it had not. Despite our target bird not being on view there was plenty to keep us occupied; a drake Garganey, several Great White Egrets and booming Bitterns and a couple of Ruffs were the highlights. The Great White Egrets were in full breeding attire and looked quite stunning, certainly a much better view than the bird I saw at Marazion Marsh last week.

Great White Egret - a better picture than last week's attempt at Marazion Marsh

After what seemed an age and several false alarms as Black-tailed flew from the out-of-view area, the Hudsonian Godwit appeared and flew to the back of the pool where it fed in full view..........at last. Despite having seen so many images of this bird as I was scanning through the flock of Black-tailed's I had questioned myself as to whether I would have been able to ID it, but now it was there it all it's glory I had note doubt. My first impression was of a generally dark bird which lacked the orange colouration and pale underparts of the Black-tailed's, but as I worked my way around the bird there were many differences, some subtle and some much more obvious. In flight it really stood out from the other godwits. A summary of features I noted are as follows;

• Generally darker upper parts, lacking orange on breast and neck of Black-tails;
• Greyish tone to neck;
• Slightly upturned billed;
• Underparts dark, including vent and underrated coverts strongly barred;
• Under wing coverts dark and wing bar fainter than Black-tailed;
• Only feet project beyond the tail in flight (part of tarsus also does in Black-tailed)

Hudsonian Godwit

Hudsonian (left) and Black-tailed Godwit - note the longer primary projection beyond the tail on the Hudsonian

Hudsonian (right) and Black-tailed Godwit - note the difference in the projection of legs beyond the tail

Hudsonian (right) and Black-tailed Godwit

Hudsonian Godwit

Hudsonian (top) and Black-tailed Godwit

Hudsonian Godwit (centre) with Black-tailed Godwits

Hudsonian Godwit (top left) with Black-tailed Godwit - note the fainter wing bar on the Hudsonian as opposed to the very broad and white one of the Black-tailed's

We spent a good couple of hours watching the bird, which was an absolute corker, and decided it was time to head home. We stopped briefly on the way back to look at a Bittern that had been sat on the edge of a reed bed for a while, and were on our way. 

Bittern