Hooded crows are really birds from the west coast of Scotland but you get a few coming south and this year has seen quite a good number. The directions weren't great but we found a large field with lots of crows in it and finally got an area to pull over and scan them. At quite a distance we got onto the hoodie but it was really mobile and I never managed to get a shot of it. There was a large flock of Med gulls in with it which were nice as they are now coming into breeding plumage.
After this we headed to a pub. Not for a reviving pint but for a common sandpiper which was in the stream behind it. Corbridge is a known over-wintering spot for them but it took us quite a while to locate one.
In fact, one of the local birders who was there got us onto it in the end. He also proved a good source of knowledge of other birds in the area including two of our next stops. Unfortunately we didn't pay enough attention to his directions!
First was on the coast at Hook with Warsash for a flock of wintering eider duck. This was relatively easy to find although we had to park in a private estate and walk down to the coast. The viewing though was even worse than the crow. The wind had got up and the Solent was pretty choppy.
After much scanning we got onto two VERY distant shapes on the water and concluded they were the eiders amongst a larger flock of brent geese. No chance for photos though.
After this we went for greenshank at a reserve even Lee didn't know of - Bunny Meadows. We thought we knew the directions but after trying different roads and car parks we were beginning to despair. We found what we thought was the area and we could see people walking though it but we were on totally the wrong side of a large creek. This was getting frustrating as were wasting time and greenshank, although nice birds, are not really rare. Lee had one last go though and following a private road we came to a path leading down to the marsh. Within a matter of seconds we got onto a lone greenshank feeding on the mud.
A few locals came past wondering what we were looking at so we helped with improving their ornithological knowledge before heading back to the car for our next stop. This was Acres Down in the New Forest. Lots of lovely ponies but a disappointing stop. We were hoping for displaying goshawks. The wind was even stronger though by now and it was challenging even standing up. After a few buzzards and ravens got us excited Lee got onto one bird in the distance. None of the other 3 of us could get onto it (it was a long way off!). We called it a day eventually as we had two more stops planned. First was for an overwintering Bewick's swan near Blashford Lakes. There were over a hundred mute swans in the valley as well as one of a pair of great white egrets. Finally we found the lone swan in a field some way off the road with some mute swans.
It's the middle swan in the photo above. You can see how small it is compared to it's giant cousins!! What was supposed to be our last stop was only a few minutes away at Blashford Lakes for the gull roost. We had seen that the rarest bird of the day, a ring-billed gull, had already been seen. The main hide was closed so we had a long walk to the other hide on the far side of the lake. I was expecting a very long search as the gull roost is into the thousands of birds and to find one can be, how shall we say, a challenge. We totally lucked out though. The one bird we wanted was sitting on a stick in the middle of the lake!
Awful photo as it was straight into the setting sun so you will have to take my word for it that it had a ring on its bill!! We also found another target, yellow-legged gull, but they were even further out. We also had good numbers of goosander and commoner diving ducks but again all at vast distance.
This though left us with a problem. We expected to be at Blashford till dusk and we still had over an hour of daylight. Leaving now would only hit the M25 at rush-hour so we went for an unscheduled trip back to the coast. Pennington marshes is a great wader site and had a few targets including spoonbills which were a year-tick for three of us. We got there as light was was fading so we hustled along the sea-wall. Waders were present in good numbers including knot, grey plover, turnstone and curlew. On the third sea pool we finally found the flock of 6 spoonbills feeding vigorously.
They are weird looking birds and hopefully will try to breed here this year. It is also a statement about the light gathering powers of modern cameras as this was taken when it was virtually dark! Finally in the last flickering of daylight Lee pulled out a slavonian grebe in the harbour which was starting to move into breeding plumage. Closer in and in good light it would have been a beautiful bird. Now it was a blob!
We finally gave it up and headed back to the car. By now the traffic was light so the journey back was good although the snoring in the car was slightly distracting!!! Four more year-ticks for the day taking me to 184. Doubt I'll get there but 200 is not out of the frame for the end of the month. Still would like a lifer!!
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