Keyhaven Marshes :: 22 April 2023

Two black winged stilts had been reported at Pennington Marshes at last light on Friday, on Fishtail Lagoon. We met early and after stopping on the way for breakfast we arrived just around 7.30am. There was limited space in the car park and people were obviously out looking already. We booted up and set off in the direction of the location posted the night before - Cetti's warblers called and again showed nicely in a bush to our right - I couldn't turn down the opportunity.

We walked down to the path overlooking the Lagoon and scanned, finding no sign of the stilts - a couple of other birders passed by and said they hadn't been able to locate them so far - it was forecast to rain around 10.00am and so we went on a march to cover as much ground as possible - there were good flocks of blackwits in the Lagoon and some took to the wing, passing close. Others decided to continue feeding and looked rather dashing in their new breeding plumage.

Out in the bay were three whimbrel feeding amongst other godwits, ringed plovers, dunlins and a greenshank - the whimbrel was a year tick; there would be so many more along this stretch of the Marshes. More than a hundred Mediterranean gulls passed over in flocks of 5 - 20.

We spotted a sandwich tern alternately resting on a buoy and on the shore but at large distance, only identifyable through a scope. Occasionally a common tern appeared in the same area and took a minute or two to separate. Also, on the shore there were godwits that at one point ducked as a peregrine flew through, eventually landing on what must be a regular perch. A buzzard could also be seen feeding on something on the far shore - carrion or part eaten fish?

We reached an area of gorse and stopped to listen to and see fleeting glimpses of lesser and common whitethroats, plus chiffchaff. Regular drop ins from linnet added to the colour.

We probably spent more time here than we should have but reports were telling us that the stilts were still not found. We set off back along the path and bumped into another birder who was happy to chat - eventually we watched as a couple of Dartford warblers chased one another, a little distant but easy to watch, even without bins.

The other birder mentioned that a wheatear had been reported roughly where we were standing and we scanned the area - he found the bird on top of some gorse just before it dropped down. We set off to a closer viewpoint, but Kev and I fell back as the Dartford warblers showed closer.

We caught up and had good views of the wheatear as it fed on the ground and sat on low clumps of gorse, also both male and female stonechats. A whitethroat had been singing on our way out and I stopped to take a photo as it repeated its song on our return.

The rain hadn't arrived and so we decided to make our way round to Normandy Lagoon and see what else we could find. Spoonbills fed out in the water and in the distance, we could see a spotted redshank looking splendid in breeding plumage. Dunlin and ringed plover scurried around the scrapes. We explored the birds on the edge of the bay seeing handfuls of great-crested grebes, some eider ducks, and a tern that Kev called as a sandwich tern. I eventually had a look through the scope and questioned the call - when we compared the bird was not the same one Kev had seen earlier - soon we found his sandwich tern out on its own and a common tern nearby.

We couldn't find anything else of note and decided it was time to call it a day and to stop at Farmoor Reservoir on the way home - I took photos of a feeding greenshank as we left.

The car park at Farmoor Reservoir was busy on arrival and when we reached the water we could see why - sail boats and paddleboards everywhere. There were numbers of hirundines over the water including my first swift of the year. The only other bird of note was a yellow wagtail down by the water treatment works. A carrion crown hopped around on the wall beside us imploring me to take its photo - I gave in.

It was nice to bump into Alan Peters, Bicester Wetland Reserve warden - he'd seen us pass the Visitor's Centre and caught us up. We didn't stay long, opting to get home an hour earlier than usual.

Year List:  199.

Ham Wall, Steart Marshes & Otter Estuary NR :: 15 April 2023

We planned for a big day and left at 04.00am to meet Kev's sister Karen (@hobbylovinglife) and her partner Dean (@worlebirder) at RSPB Ham Wall. We arrived not long after 06.00am and ahead of Karen and Dean, although they were not far behind. Suited and booted we entered the reserve and were greeted by calling willow warblers, chiffchaff and three roe deer.

By the time we reached Viewing Point 1 we had already heard a grasshopper warbler reel briefly - but it was not visible, Cetti's warbler could also be heard calling in all directions - such a magical time of the morning. A pair of garganey were out on the edge of the far reeds, with another two drakes way off to our left. Dean then picked out a further pair. A couple of common whitethroats worked along the bank ahead - two new birds for the year already!

As we walked large numbers of sand martins swept across the sky, plus a few swallows and occasional marsh harriers. Bitterns boomed in all directions but didn't give themselves up - we also heard sedge and reed warblers but didn't see these either. At one point Dean connected with a swallow-type bird that appeared to be a candidate for red-rumped swallow, but it was lost and we will just never know.

Returning to the main path we stopped as Karen and Dean stopped to talk to some friends - Kev and I strolled on a bit, and I came across a few showy Cetti's warblers - it is that time of year when they break from their usual skulking behaviour. It wouldn't be the last views we had.

I got a call from Kev who was now further ahead and as I drew level, he said that he'd had a small flock of lesser redpoll to his left and we could still see them in the trees behind. They were making a trilling sound unlike their calls we'd heard before - it was the call that had drawn Kev to them. They flitted back to the trees by us, and we watched on as they fed. Dean and Karen caught up and joined the views, particularly of one male showing intense colouration. A great tit dropped right in front of us and called, seemingly wanting his photo taken.

We returned to Viewing Point 1 and stopped hoping for a bittern flight - I am still waiting to see my first of the year, but it wasn't to be. Karen went to see if any glossy ibis were visible from the gate at the end of the pool but returned empty handed. We saw a pair of marsh harriers chasing one another on the far-left treeline. One of the two whitethroats crossed the water to sing from a tree to our left - a Cetti's was singing from there too. Karen alerted us to a glossy ibis that had taken to the wing out in front of us - it must have been feeding under the bank. It was airborne for only 30s or so, but I managed to shoot off a few photos to capture the moment.

We had enjoyed our time here but had plans to nip across to WWT Steart Marshes as it was not far from Ham Wall - a pectoral sandpiper had been reported there from Tuesday, and had just been reported again. We stopped for breakfast on the way and on arrival made our way to the reported location. We scanned around seeing five yellow wagtails, a handful of little ringed plover and many avocets and shelducks.

We found a sandpiper candidate out in the scrape but is turned out to be a ruff - still it was a year tick for me. The birds on the scrape were flushed and we scanned the sky to see if we could find a raptor - on this occasion we could, a sparrowhawk. Still no sandpiper though …

We found a couple of wheatear on the very far bank and a single curlew called in front. We got talking to a chap perched on the edge of the screen - he informed us that the sandpiper had taken to the wing some time ago, but crucially he could tell us roughly where it had flown to. We were looking in the wrong area. Armed with this new intel we could focus our attention in the right area and within minutes Dean and I were on the bird - Dean with the advantage of viewing through a scope. We investigated the bird and were happy that it was our target. The heat haze and distance made it damn-near impossible to get even a record shot.

We discussed what to do next - we could easily spend the rest of the day here but decided that the offer of a lesser yellowlegs at the Otter Estuary NR was too good to turn down.

On arrival we managed to find spaces in a very busy car park - people were out in force, enjoying the sunny and warm conditions. We paid for parking and set off to the published location - Kev had been here before and so knew the lay of the land. We met a birder coming the other way and he took pleasure in following back with us to show where the bird was - we were on it easily but it was a nice touch. It had apparently stayed very distant all morning and that didn't change.

To to begin with the legs were far from 'yellow' as they were coated with mud but soon enough it stalked through the shallows and the leg colour and length became evident. We found the narrow path we were standing on a bit of an issue with people wanting to get by, particularly difficult if you were using a tripod - hopefully this won't be an issue for the site longer term. From the various viewing points the site it easier to survey, but even here the viewing slots are not positioned to let scopes see through unhindered - at the wrong height - the screens are far from the action and so the use of scopes will be necessary. Karen and I took some photos while Kev took some video.

Dean stayed put while Kev, Karen and I walked down to the bridge and back - we had a couple of late wigeon while Dean added a green sandpiper to his day's sightings. It was now time to set off for home - it would take at least three hours from here. Dean and Karen would look out on the beach and find six sandwich terns, then add Dartford warblers on the way home.

Year List:  195.

Grimsbury Reservoir :: 10 April 2023

It had been a busy week with journeys to and from Scotland, early starts each day, and then a trip to see the (Black-crowned) night heron at Ossett. I'd decided to rest for the remainder of the Easter weekend, well I had until Gareth Blockley (@grimsbury_birds) posted an update to say that a male common scoter had been located at Grimsbury Reservoir - it was raining, and I hadn't yet had breakfast but what the hell.

Within 20 minutes I was on the bank and watching the scoter with Gareth and Mike Pollard (@mikepnature), the bird staying distant. To be honest the main reason for being there was his other report - a reeling grasshopper warbler, but it was currently silent. Mike and I tried to decide which side of the reservoir would be best to get photos, the answer was probably either as it insisted on staying roughly in the middle (occasionally drifting south but still in the middle). We were joined by Edwin Barson (@EBarsonphoto) for only a short while as he was on the clock. Eventually Mike also departed leaving me to see if the bird would come any closer. It did and it didn't ... a swan swam by which seemed to spook the scoter and it swam ahead at some speed, eventually taking to air and making a short circuit and then came back in to land. Snap snap snap. I waited some more but it refused to play ball - soaked I retired to the house for breakfast, unsuccessful at even hearing the grasshopper warbler.

Later in the afternoon I picked up my phone to see that Kevin Heath (@kev07713) had posted on the WhatsApp Group that he'd located a common redstart at Grimsbury Reservoir. This had eluded me so far this year and so I was off again, joining Kev and Adrian Tysoe watching from the perimeter of the reservoir down to the other side of the cattle field to the west. Initially the bird was feeding out of view, but after ten minutes or so I got my tick. We checked out the area for the grasshopper warbler but again nothing. We had three or four views of the redstart before we again retired, now both of us being on the clock.

Year List:  187.