On Friday night Kev @kev07713 and I made arrangements for Saturday but noted that there was little in the way of lifer opportunities and elected to have a day out with no specific target. We chose to visit Acres Down as we ‘don't do enough woods’ and given the prevailing weather, many inshore water bodies would likely be iced over - perhaps reducing the birds available.
We stepped out of the car having had to park on the road verge due to the number of cars already in the main car park. I'd seen a treecreeper just before arriving at the car park, but Kev hadn't managed to get on it - it was a year tick today for us both - perhaps we would look again later.
We were listening and scanning the hedges when another birder rocked up; we recognised him from visits to Normandy and Pennington Marshes - Kevin of Lymington (Kev II). We walked along the track together and soon a bird flew up from the ground and into a group of trees - against the sky it was largely a silhouette but with some exposure compensation and correction I could get a photo - a lovely lesser redpoll, but on its own.
We wandered further down the main track and came across a group of birders standing opposite a tree, favoured by a lesser spotted woodpecker - an individual had been reported at 10.50am the day before and this explained how busy the car park was. People out to get a view of a rather elusive species - I'd not seen one at all in 2023 despite making a few attempts at Middleton Lakes, while Kev had when he visited with his wife Karen. We watched and waited … but no dice - I picked out a brambling amongst the finches landing on the main tree and feeding down in the leaf litter.
Eventually we decided that waiting for a sighting of a single bird was not crucial today so moved on, catching up with Kev II. We'd seen some people stop further up the track and heard of a roosting tawny owl - like them we saw no sign. However, there was another finch flock and in this we managed to pick out two more bramblings; one female and a male (only Kev saw – “it’s on the left side of the tree, halfway up” was not the most helpful comment of the day - in dense woodland! - we've all done the same 😂).
We continued and could hear calls from a marsh tit - we found it through our bins high in the canopy; it did eventually drop down low enough for me to attempt a photo. Really nice to connect with one – and it wouldn't be the last of the day.
We met a couple of birders coming down the track and they mentioned that there had been successful in locating crossbills and that they were showing quite well. We had planned to go that way anyway and so we set off hopeful, meeting another birder who said much the same. Stopped and looking across the heathland we saw a couple of mistle thrush, fieldfare and several meadow pipits feeding on the ground. Behind us a crossbill called. I located it before it left - a female but no chance of a photo.
We searched along this stretch and then a track on our left. Only after 15 minutes or so I spotted a male crossbill landing on top of a distant tree - I alerted Kev I and Kev II. We watched as it perched high and distant, eventually leaving and flying away parallel to us - another three then flew over. Considering comments of 'loads' and 'showing well', we was robbed! (though happy to have had views).
We circled back around to where we’d waited for the lesser spotted woodpecker to find only a couple of people remaining - we hadn't missed anything. A passing firecrest pair didn't stop, but at least gave us a view; goldcrests were more considerate and stopped to feed. We walked back to the car park and Kev went in search of the treecreeper I'd spotted earlier.
I hung around the holly hoping for a better view of firecrest - and there one was, right on cue. It fed along the front of the holly, occasionally low and almost in the bracken. I had good views and called Kev back and he got to see the bird as it worked back in the opposite direction. Firecrests were first recorded breeding in Hampshire in 1962 but have since extended their breeding range northwards through southern, central and eastern England and into Wales. They are not as easy to encounter as their cousins (the goldcrest) but like goldcrests, they can often be found combing trees and bushes, especially conifers and holly, for small invertebrate prey.
We hovered around the area I'd seen the treecreeper and soon saw it fly back, and under a fallen tree. Within a few minutes Kev was on it, and we watched as it fed, eventually scaling the trunk of a nearby tree, and then departing across the road and behind a wall of holly. We climbed to look over the heathland beyond the car park for goshawk but no such luck - though Kev did spot another firecrest dancing around the base of some holly bushes and apparently feeding in the bracken.
We walked back down the track to see if we could spot a nuthatch - quite a few had called but none had showed. Again, we had calls but no view. We strolled back towards the car and who should we see but Adrian Sparrowhawk @sparra1959, Bryan Manston @BryanManston and Mark Crockford @markcrockford3 coming the other way. Hide as we might (😂) they spotted us, and we had a good chat - they'd been down to Pennington Marshes to see a few birds reported the previous day but from the target list they reeled off, they had only been able to locate the Slavonian grebe - still a nice bird and lots of other species seen no doubt.
Overhead we had a sparrowhawk, I picked out another firecrest, we had another brambling, Mark picked out another marsh tit, and at last a nuthatch high in the tree canopy. We'd heard that someone had seen goshawk earlier and while Ady, Bryan and Mark went off to try and find that (and some crossbills), Kev and I went to try for the lesser woodpecker once more. Although we didn't find the woodpecker, Kev did locate a hawfinch - my view was somewhat fleeting as it was turning to leave by the time I had my bins on it. I also had a jay over - noisy little beggar.
Other than searching for an elusive goshawk there was little else we could reasonably expect to see and we called it a day and headed for home. Wonder what next week will bring?
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