22.2.08

Yesterday I headed towards Hampshire, and although the weather wasn't great there were lots of nice birds to be seen.
First stopped at Keyhaven Marshes. A very high tide meant that there were a lot of Brent Geese paddling around a few metres away from the road, allowing good photo opportunities!


I went to look for the Lapland Bunting that's been reported from the stubble fields there, but unfortunately I found the field had been recently ploughed which I imagine has forced the Bunting elsewhere. However, the ploughing had attracted some Lapwings, Turnstones, Rooks and Black-headed Gulls. in a freshwater area near the entrance road there was a Cetti's Warbler singing in the reedbed.
Here's a link to a shot of a Turnstone, one of 2 feeding on the shore.
http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/pi...08/ppuser/5019

Next we went to Pennington Marshes. As usual there were large numbers of Wigeon, Teal, Pintail, Shoveler, Golden Plover, Lapwing and Black-tailed Godwits in the flooded fields. A few times the waders got scared and flew up in huge swirling flocks, which was a very impressive sight.
Here's a shot of a mixed flock of Golden Plover and Black-tailed Godwits.


In the pools towards the sea were more of the same as well as some Little Egrets. One of these were surprisingly tame and kept landing a few metres away from where I was standing.


On the beach there was a small flock of Turnstones and a few Rock Pipits feeding in the washed up seaweed. A pair of Mergansers were offshore. As I was watching the Turnstones, a Little Egret flew up and landed on the sea wall, then another Egret flew down and attacked it! Each time the first Egret flew away the second one followed it, and they were involved in some quite impressive aerial fights! Eventually one of the Egrets flew off leaving the other one in peace.
Here's a shot I got of them locked together!


After Pennington we moved onto Blackwater Arboretum, arriving just in time to see the Hawfinches arriving. When I walked in there were 2 perched in one of the deciduous trees, and as time went on there were lots of them flying over and perching in the tops of the trees, allowing some very good looks. They're such impressive birds! There was also a large, noisy group of Siskins feeding in the tops of the trees for the whole time I was there (there seem to be Siskin flocks everywhere this winter!). Also quite a few Goldcrests around, and a few Chaffinches.
The weather wasn't very good for photography, but here's the link to a record shot of a Hawfinch.
http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/ar...o=54426&cat=61

I realised that I still haven't been to see the Hawfinches coming in to roost on a nice sunny evening (the times I've been have been dull and grey!) so that's definetely something to do sometime over the next few weeks or next winter.