Titchfield Canal

Saturday 28 October

With so much heavy rain and flooding at present and more rain forecast for today, I decided to get over to Titchfield and take a short walk along the canal path before the expected rain arrived.  On site and setting by 9.30 I quickly recorded Robin, many Woodpigeon and a pair of Carrion Crows.  One alongside the tall trees overlooking the far Bridge Street floods, my attention was taken by the passing small flock of Long-tailed Tits accompanied by the occasional Blue Tit but did not record the wintering Chiffchaff recorded by the birding following about fifteen minutes behind me.  

Looking at the floods, only the occasional Black-headed Gull but a quartet of Mallard and even a couple of distant Black-tailed Godwits.  Further along the water down stream a handful of Canada Geese and then the first of seven Magpies that I was to see during the ninety minute walk.  It was whilst checking the field in front of me that I found not only a pair of Carrion Crows but a single Jay presumably hiding acorns ready for the coming winter months.  Stopping just before the paved track, I had a Reed Bunting on a low branch of a tree to my right and that was soon replaced by an arriving Great Tit.

Jay Garrulus glandarius hiding acorns in the damp soil

My first scope of the Posbrook floods ahead of me revealed a couple of Shoveler, more Mallards and a score or more Black-tailed Godwits.  A Cetti's Warbler was heard then seen before stopping a little way down the avenue to take a closer look at the floods and surrounding grassland.  Lots of Teal present along with a few more Mallard. Hiding amongst the gathered Teal a single, resting Snipe.  Having seen a lone cock Pheasant as I approached the avenue, I now had two more cocks and a single hen Pheasant while checking the water from the far end of the avenue.  A closer look at more Teal and Canada Geese along with a single Coot and a handful of Wigeon followed.

It was whilst checking the water and meadow at the far end of the avenue that I found the distant Buzzard and a passing Herring Gull before starting out on the return journey to the car park.  With a dozen Jackdaws above me as I set off I found more Black-headed Gulls once back to the original flooded area and then a quick walk along Bridge Street to check the site from the road bridge found a dozen Rock Doves in the wet and muddy horse field.

Birds seen:

Canada Goose, Wigeon, Mallard, Shoveler, Teal, Pheasant, Buzzard, Coot, Snipe, Black-tailed Godwit, Black-headed Gull, Herring Gull, Rock Dove, Woodpigeon, Robin, Blackbird, Cetti's Warbler, Long-tailed Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Jay, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Reed Bunting.

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