Hampshire (1 Viewer)

[wint]

Did you see anything of interest during your time at Sparsholt Paul? i went for a walk round there once, and meant to go more regularly but never managed to get back! I did see a Little Owl there, my only one in Hampshire this year i think!

Hi Peter

Looking back at my records I only managed to get two lunchtime walks in the year I was there! A spotfly nesting outside the main entrance was the bird I saw most apart from the House Martin colony. It was a very wet winter and we had the F&M restrictions so unfortunately I didn't make the most of my time there.

 

[wint]

Thanks paul. I was just wondering on your Hampshire Year List have you counted stuff like Black Brant or is it BOU only. It doesn't matter if you did I would just like to know if that is what most Listers do coz you could get a lot more ticks going by the UK400 rules.
Thanks again
Lee

Hi Lee, I think which rules you use only matters if you are competing with a group of other people and then you just agree BOU or UK400 (or whatever). Mine is BOU only but I haven't actually seen a Black Brant since 2002 and I didn't see Caspian Gull this year so I don't think it would be any different unless Ruddy Shelduck is a UK400 bird. Whichever set of rules you use it's hard work trying to beat Nigel Jones or Mike Duffy |:d|

 

[birder of the south]

Hi Lee, I think which rules you use only matters if you are competing with a group of other people and then you just agree BOU or UK400 (or whatever). Mine is BOU only but I haven't actually seen a Black Brant since 2002 and I didn't see Caspian Gull this year so I don't think it would be any different unless Ruddy Shelduck is a UK400 bird. Whichever set of rules you use it's hard work trying to beat Nigel Jones or Mike Duffy |:d|

Thanks again yes I would be hard to beat them two especially when a rarity turns up I will probs be there 8-P.

PS just another one does anyone know any Willow Tit sites in Hants. I had one earlier this year near Andover but forgot the place name and directions.

 

[wint]

PS just another one does anyone know any Willow Tit sites in Hants. I had one earlier this year near Andover but forgot the place name and directions.

?Netherton Valley. I parked at c.SU386556 and walked along the valley and saw them in two places.

 

[birder of the south]

?Netherton Valley. I parked at c.SU386556 and walked along the valley and saw them in two places.

Thanks again Paul was that this year?

 

[Nevtiger]

I spent yesterday afternoon late and from 09:00 till 13:30 today and did not see the Eagle.

I did see a Peregrine Male and Female, both a first for me, Raven, again a first. The Peregrines came close at times and gave a really good display. (only been serious about this since August). And lots of Buzzards.

There were a fair few Birders about and i started off on the 'viewing point' but the gate was locked so just viewed from it. Weather was yuk but later turned nice. Some Birders then turned up from viewing at Shipton and they had had no luck. Then a phone call through to one of them from some one on the ridge east of Shipton and he could see the Eagle to the South in the vicinity of Quarley Hill, that was behind us!

We moved to Quarley Hill area and the Eagle was seen by several Birders as it flew southwards low and being mobbed. It always seemed to be just over a ridge line or i was facing the wrong way at the strategic moment!

I wont be able to get back till Monday now even though i live only 10 mins away!!!

Cheers

Nev

 

[wint]

Thanks again Paul was that this year?

21/02/2007 - Keith Betton sent me the details of where to look and will send them to anyone who e-mails him. I think the whole area around Hurstbourne Tarrant is good for Willow Tit. I combined the visit with Rooksbury Mill for the YB Warbler, Faccombe for the Kites and Bransbury Common for the owls at dusk.

 

[wint]

Hurst seawatch 06/12/07
Arrived at Milford-on-Sea car park around 08:30 and almost immediately 4 Kittiwakes flew east in the driving wind and rain. Not long after a Red-throated Diver was sitting on the sea. A couple more Kittiwakes went past but by 09:45 the the wind dropped a little, it stopped raining and the sun came out and nothing was moving. Walked to the castle with Marc Moody and Steve Pigott and just past Sturt Pond a Pomarine Skua came over our heads and continued up the spit to the castle where it was lost to view. And that was really about it for the day - Red-throated Diver, Great Northern Diver, Razorbill and 10+ Med Gulls moving through the narrows were the best from the E end of the castle.
The Leaches will have to be added to my Hampshire list another day |:d|

 

[kmonty1950]

I spent yesterday afternoon late and from 09:00 till 13:30 today and did not see the Eagle.

Hi Nev,

Sorry you missed the eagle - it was me who got the phone call there by the way, so nice to meet you. The bird was reported yesterday over Quarley Hill again at 3:15. I was told by one of the locals that he sees it fairly regularly coming out of the roost in the copse just below Quarley hill at about 7:15 - so if you fancy an early start! Like you I always seemed to be in the wrong place till we finally caught up with it at about 3:00 pm being mobbed over the top of Quarley hill - made the local Buzzards look tiny!

If you do go again on Monday (and it's a bird worth seeing), best of luck.

Good birding

Ken.

 

[birder of the south]

Went to Sturt Pond today in search of the recent Lapland Bunting and at 1pm it flew over my head calling and then landed on the shingle bank and then flew off into the stubble field with the huge finch flock which inc some Bramblings. After another hour or so searching we could not relocate the Bunting amongst the hundreds of finches but Im sure it is still there.

 

[wint]

Went to Sturt Pond today in search of the recent Lapland Bunting and at 1pm it flew over my head calling and then landed on the shingle bank and then flew off into the stubble field with the huge finch flock which inc some Bramblings. After another hour or so searching we could not relocate the Bunting amongst the hundreds of finches but Im sure it is still there.

Spent several hours in the area today but couldn't find the Lapland Bunting. There were only a few finches amongst which was one Brambling. A female Merlin was the best bird of the day - I bumped into a birder who'd seen the Long-tailed Ducks near Oxey so it's good they're still around.

 

[skatebirder]

Where are the birds?

Looks like Hampshire missed out on anything of note over the last few days. Surely one of the Cattle Egrets will visit the county soon (they appear to be everywhere else). Even the eagle is unreported, and I haven't had the chance to go for it yet. Maybe things will pick up over Christmas, when more of us can get out.
Another Cormorant flew over the house in Shirley today, and I saw a Common Gull at Sainsbury's! Yes folks, that's all there is.
David

 

[birder of the south]

Spent several hours in the area today but couldn't find the Lapland Bunting. There were only a few finches amongst which was one Brambling. A female Merlin was the best bird of the day - I bumped into a birder who'd seen the Long-tailed Ducks near Oxey so it's good they're still around.

Thats a shame but I must confess it sounds easy Lapland Bunt sturt pond in finch flock but it is one of the hardest bird I have tried to find. To be honest it was luck it just flew over calling and landed on the shingle and then flew into the fields where I to couldn't find it. It is also a shame the fields are not cut so that there isnt any stubble then it would be easy, then again it probs wouldn't be a s good for the birds feeding.
Anyone thought of putting some seed out on the shingle path or close to the edge of the field where you can view from the car? That should bring him out.

All the best,
Lee

 

[wint]

Thats a shame but I must confess it sounds easy Lapland Bunt sturt pond in finch flock but it is one of the hardest bird I have tried to find. To be honest it was luck it just flew over calling and landed on the shingle and then flew into the fields where I to couldn't find it. It is also a shame the fields are not cut so that there isnt any stubble then it would be easy, then again it probs wouldn't be a s good for the birds feeding.
Anyone thought of putting some seed out on the shingle path or close to the edge of the field where you can view from the car? That should bring him out.

All the best,
Lee

My strategy was just to walk the triangle of New Lane, path by caravan park field, hurst spit to cut bridge and hope that the bird called or I could pick it out in the stubble! The trouble is the stubble fields go across to Keyhaven Lane and then to Lymore and beyond. There were 100s of starlings, woodpigeons, jackdaws and rooks. I could see Skylarks flying closer to Keyhaven Lane and Reed Buntings along the edges. The Linnets, Chaffinches and Brambling came to drink on the puddles on the shingle between cut bridge and sturt pond so that might be a good spot to concentrate on if anyone else is going to try.

 

[teamsaint]

Started today at Lakeside where there was several flocks of Siskin, quite a few flushed Snipe, 7 Pochard circling over and a Little Egret amongst other things. Afterwards at Gosport there was no sign of the Ring-billed Gull although there was a Med Gull, but the Red-necked Grebe was showing superbly on Anglesey Lake plus a male Merganser and the 2 Goldeneye. There was a guy with a huge lens who must have got some great shots. After lunch at a nice greasy spoon along the high street we returned to the boating lake where there was still no sign of the RBG. However looking in my book now I think I may have seen it the first time. I drove past you today Lee sorry I didn't wave but I think you saw me. Did you get any shots of the grebe? Unfortunately I had no camera on me.
Tom

 

[birder of the south]

Started today at Lakeside where there was several flocks of Siskin, quite a few flushed Snipe, 7 Pochard circling over and a Little Egret amongst other things. Afterwards at Gosport there was no sign of the Ring-billed Gull although there was a Med Gull, but the Red-necked Grebe was showing superbly on Anglesey Lake plus a male Merganser and the 2 Goldeneye. There was a guy with a huge lens who must have got some great shots. After lunch at a nice greasy spoon along the high street we returned to the boating lake where there was still no sign of the RBG. However looking in my book now I think I may have seen it the first time. I drove past you today Lee sorry I didn't wave but I think you saw me. Did you get any shots of the grebe? Unfortunately I had no camera on me.
Tom

Hi Tom Yes I saw you and im sorry I didn't wave but I wasn't sure if it was you. :-O
Yeah I got ok shots but the light was poor but today I had a nightmare photographing I couldn't get the right light. However I will def try again and hopefully get some better shots.

PS Where abouts were the Goldeneye coz I spent alot of time with the grebe but didn't see any. Thanks.

 

[teamsaint]

the Goldeneye were around the islands at the back difficult to view. The great thing is about this grebe is that you can easily watch it from the comfort of your car

 

[wint]

Twitching/Listing

Having dropped wife at Parkway, dashed down to Gosport to add Red-necked Grebe to year list - showed well although fished too often while I was there. Then drove to Shipton Bellinger - not to look for the eagle |:d| but to start a search for Grey Partridges. I walked up to Shipton Wood where there was a Willow Tit and a female Blackcap - the fields had plenty of Fieldfares and Redwings. I see from hoslist that I arrived just to late to see the eagle|=(|. I then drove down to Palestine and was lucky that 5 Grey Partridge flew and landed nearby as I parked my car. I then walked up a drove parallel to the railway but found no more partridges. Plenty of Buzzards, Fieldfares and Redwings in the area.

I presume all Hampshire birders have seen the eagle by now.

 

[teamsaint]

I presume all Hampshire birders have seen the eagle by now.

I aint, but I'm not sure if I should try, don't want a repeat of last time!

 

[John P]

I presume all Hampshire birders have seen the eagle by now.

Nope; going tomorrow after missing it a couple of weeks back and the weather's been sh*** since then.