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| Tree-creeper Certhia familiaris |
Tuesday 31 December
Last day of the year and with only a light shower during the night and our storm and tempest expected tomorrow, I took the opportunity of a morning visit to nearby Titchfield Canal. Calm and broken cloud giving much better visibility than the past few days and all turned out well with 34 species recorded at the canal site. Entering the car park I had views of both the local Jackdaws and Starlings and was, naturally greeted by the local Woodpigeons.
Checking the Brook Street Floods, I found very manty Black-headed, a few Herring and a trio of Great Black-backed Gulls. Ducks were mainly Pintail and Wigeon along with a few Teal and Mallards plus a single Canada Goose. Also present were a good number of Lapwing but only one Black-tailed Godwit seen in distant vegetation on the other side of the water. Meanwhile, on the far side beyond the water, a couple of Magpies, a passing Carrion Crow and a very noisy Green Woodpecker.
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| Distant Bridge Street Floods revealing Pintails Anas acuta amongst others |
Moving on down towards the bridge I noted both the Gadwall at the western end of the water and a lone Heron at the eastern end of the approaching Posbrook Floods. Just inside the meadow lone Herring Gull was taking a rest on the grass. Not so many birds on this water but, again, more Pintail, a few Teal and a number of Shoveler. In addition a number of Coot were recorded and a Cormorant was resting on the far side. From the bridge I also watched a pair of Blackbirds in a nearby tree which were then joined by a Song Thrush in search of the berries. On the other side of the bridge a Wren was perched atop the fence and a Robin noted on the weeds upstream of the bridge.
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| Herring Gull Larus argentatus |
Moving on down through the avenue I was intrigued to find half a dozen Chiffchaff moving about the old oil drums and water deposit behind the trees on the other side of the canal. Not so much as interacting but definitely strange behaviour. A further couple of Chiffchaff were feeding in the long grass between the path and the water.
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| Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita |
making my way back to the car park I took another look at Bridge Street Floods from the opposite direction and found not only a Shelduck but a pair of Egyptian Geese at the far end. Then back at the end of the path I stopped at the side of the pump station and watched first a Goldcrest in the bare trees separating it from the car park but also a party of six Long-tailed Tits whilst a Tree-creeper worked the nearest small tree not two metres away.
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| Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus |
The weather still fine, albeit a hint of a stronger breeze heralding what was expected within the next twenty-four hours, so I decided to take the road down to the shore at Hill Head and the Meon River harbour adjacent to Titchfield Haven Nature Reserve. No shortage of Black-headed Gulls about and even a few Herring Gulls to be seen. With the tide now fully in and a deep rather than almost empty harbour, initially just a handful of Turnstone and about a dozen Mallard. A pair of Mute Swans with their well grown signet came toward me expecting the provision of food, but they were to be disappointed! A Woodpigeon flew over the road and very little to be seen from the bridge looking towards the reserve. That was until a couple of score of Lapwing accompanied by more Black-headed Gulls suddenly took to the skies but no sign of what might have alarmed the birds.
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| Turnstone Arenaria interpres |
Once at the view point overlooking the lake a handful of Lapwing on the island in front along with more Black-headed Gulls on both the island and the neighbouring posts. Just a couple of immature Herring Gulls on the island but looking closer able to identify ten Common Gull. At the back of the water a small flock of Gadwall and at the far end towards the sea a similar number of Shoveler plus a quartet of Coot.
Moving across to the car park to look at the main beach I found eight Sanderling resting on the spit's shingle and a Cormorant flew towards us from the harbour entrance. I then walked back alongside the harbour to the far end and at the slipway looked across to find as many as forty resting Sanderling plus a score of Ringed Plover resting on the shingle at the end of the spit. Indeed, somebody must have been feeding the ducks as not only had the Mallard flock more than doubled but there was also now more than a score of Turnstone on the harbour wall and adjacent fence. And on that note I made my way back to the car and drove home having reached a final (total) tally of 39 species for the morning - and still no rain as yet but the wind gradually gaining in strength so unlikely to be celebrating the New Year with some birding tomorrow.
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| Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus |
Birds seen:
Canada Goose, Mute Swan, Egyptian Goose, Shelduck, Wigeon, Gadwall, Mallard, Shoveler, Teal, Pintail, Cormorant, Heron, Coot, Ringed Plover, Lapwing, Sanderling, Black-tailed Godwit, Turnstone, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, Woodpigeon, Green Woodpecker, Wren, Robin, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Chiffchaff, Goldcrest, Long-tailed Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Tree-creeper, Magpie, Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Starling,
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