Titchfield Canal

 Thursday 11 December

With the promise of continuing dry and bright sunny weather, albeit very cold, I was up and away and on site at Titchfield canal by just after 8.30 and welcomed by a Woodpigeon, Robin, Blue and Great Tit in the car park. Straight to the meadow on the right holding the local Barn Owl and, yes, an adult at its entrance hole in the dead tree.  A pair of Mallard were on the canal as I approached and a male Blackbird flew past me away to the right. Turning the scope to the opposite side of the path and check the flooded river against a bright, low Sun I was easily able to pick out many Pintail along with more Mallards, a few Shoveler, Coot ,young Mute Swan, a handful of Canada Geese and a number of Herring Gulls.

Barn Owl Tyto alba

Moving on along the path I came across a pair of Wren and the a couple of Long-tailed Tits. In the horse field to my right at least forty Jackdaws and a smaller number of Black-headed Gulls feeding alongside the nearby horses. Approaching the Posbrook floods a number of Lapwing were on the grass this side of the fence and accompanied by a dozen Canada Geese.

Passing the bridge to walk down the avenue I stopped to check the birdlife on the flooded area.  Lots  Black-headed Gulls and Wigeon along with a number of Teal, Mallard and Shoveler.  Only a quartet of Tufted Duck but also a pair of Pochard.  A total of five Mute Swans was recorded and in addition to the continuous movement of Canada Geese a single Cormorant was flying up river.

The walk along and back through the trees first produced many more Blue and Great Tits before the first Goldcrest quickly followed by more Robins.  A small number of Jackdaws were moving about at the far end (where the tarmac ends) and in addition to a Blackbird crossing the track in front of me a brown movement to my right had me focusing with the bins to identify a Redwing. On the return journey another Wren and, almost back at the bridge, a pair of Jays. A single Chiffchaff was a pleasant sighting and later, almost back at the car park, another pair seen foraging in a small tree to my right.

One back at the bridge to where I had seen the Lapwing, which were still present, the Canada Geese seemed to have flocked up with a total of 80 feeding in close company .  However, in their midst a, presumably, hybrid of some sort with a completely white head.

One Canada Goose Branta canadensis with a completely white head (mutant or hybrid?)

Approaching the car park the Barn Owl was no longer to be seen but a male Stonechat on the wires above and atop a tall, bare tree to my left a Great Spotted Woodpecker.  The sound first but then the sight of a trio of Magpies and back to the car to place scope in the boot.

Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopus major

Round to the small copse behind the back of the waterboard building produced more tits and a second Redwing.  Then followed a walk along the road outside as far as the river producing many more Blue and Great Tits along with a couple of Robin and on the opposite side of the road, in the distant trees, a resting Buzzard.

Resting Buzzard Buteo buteo

Back to the canal and a walk upstream away from the car park produced a Pied Wagtail and distant Moorhen before finally finding the three long-staying Glossy Ibis. Another fifty yards and able to get a closer look before returning the car to complete my record keeping and prepare for the drive home and a hot shower.

Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus

Birds seen:

Canada Goose, Mute Swan, Wigeon, Mallard, Shoveler, Teal, Pochard, Pintail, Tufted Duck, Cormorant, Glossy Ibis, Buzzard, Moorhen, Coot, Lapwing, Black-headed Gull, Herring Gull, Woodpigeon, Barn Owl, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Wren, Robin, Stonechat, Blackbird, Redwing, Chiffchaff, Goldcrest, Long-tailed Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Jay, Magpie, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, House Sparrow.

Male Stonechat Saxicola torquatus in the low sunlight

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