Hampshire (1 Viewer)

[pdwinter]

Pec Sand on Fishtail

Attached are the best pics my camera could manage of the juv/fw Pec Sand on Fishtail Lagoon, Keyhaven this afternoon. It flew off to the Jetty Lagoon where I thought I saw it but it never reappeared from the clumps of grass while I was watching.

RB Shrike still showing well and we also saw 2 Ravens and a Merlin. Loadsawaders in the afternoon.

 

[teamsaint]

Some people just have all the luck

While I was there there were almost no waders on the lagoons except 'Keyhaven Lagoon' where there were about 50 Golden Plovers, 100 Lapwings, 20 Redshanks and 10 Godwits. There were lots of Grey Plover and Curlew on the saltmarsh though.

 

[Jan-Paul Charteris]

Had a great day at Farlington today... after a long wait and many walks up and down the sea wall, the Wryneck finally showed very well and gave prolonged views in evening sunshine. One or two Ospreys were seen distantly in flight and on posts. Probably the highlight was a prolonged performance by 2 fem/imm Merlins. The first I picked up sat on a post for a while before taking flight. Together with my girlfriend and 2 other birders we then tracked it flying over the marsh and then way out over the mudflats where it suddenly started twisting and turning after a pipit. It chased the pipit like this for a while, getting closer and closer until it was overhead, when another Merlin appeared (perhaps also after the same pipit) and came head to head with the first Merlin. Im not sure what happened to the pipit but the Merlins then became involved in a mid air tussle before breaking apart. One of the Merlins then chased the other accross the Marsh, kncoking it from a fence post at one point.

Quite a spectacular display from a species I don't exactly encounter often back in Bedfordshire!!

Having seen the Spotted Crake there 3 weeks back, and had 4 or 5 decent visits since, I think its fair to say I'll be doing my birding at this place more often from now on! I'm looking to move into Southampton soon anyway, and spending every weekend down here, so any advise on scarcer or difficult species such as Barn Owl or Bewicks Swans would be appreciated!

Jan

 

[gyrfalcon]

Head north of Romsey, and Barn Owls are fairly abundant, especially in the winter months.
In fact it is possible to see all five regular Owl species in North West Hampshire / Wiltshire borders, if you are prepared to sacrifice an entire winter of evenings, and have plenty of luck!

I've migrated down here from Bucks.. You won't regret it Jan!

 

[pdwinter]

Keyhaven 12/10

It looks like the shrike and the pec sand have moved on. The Short-eared Owl was hunting on and off over the reed at the back of the Butts lagoon between 15:40 and 16:00.

Does anyone know the name of the chap with the huge tripod and video camera with binoculars hanging from his trouser belt who I see on most visits to Keyhaven? He must have some good footage of the Pec Sand.

Regards

 

[skatebirder]

There are some Barn Owls south of Romsey too!

Bewick's Swans are traditional at Ibsley water meadows (http://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&hl=en&ll=50.889364,-1.7906&spn=0.008677,0.0156&t=h&z=16) but the number of birds seems to get smaller every year, and they don't always stick around.

Today on Southampton Common there were at least 2 Firecrests - I saw one at the Radway Road entrance off Hill Lane at 8:40 and 11:20, and another was seen north of the Fishing Lake sometime during the morning.

David

 

[JohnnyH]

The drake Green Winged Teal was showing well this morning at Farlington, no sign of the Wryneck up to lunch time when I left but an Osprey was present in the Harbour.

John.

 

[stevetb]

Shatterford this week:
On monday I had a probable SEO - it was a bit distant being mobbed by 2 crows, and I only had my travel bins with me. On friday I saw a freshly dead redpoll, but there were plenty of lively ones today, as well as quite a few kestrels and buzzards. The Water rails have been squealing a lot all week.

I see that an SEO was seen at calshot yesterday, as well as some at taddiford gap the other day, which ties in nicely with my sighting.
Hawfinches are apparently back at Rhinefield, and there was a yellow browed warbler reported in Farnborough.

 

[skatebirder]

A good week for Owls?

This evening, one Barn Owl at the end of Badger Farm Road, just off the M3 J11 (Winchester)
This follows a Tawny Owl on Southampton Common on Saturday afternoon.

Also today - 1 Black Redstart on the roof at work (sorry, no public access) - exactly 365 days after one turned up last year.

Just think what I might have seen if I'd actually gone birding!

David

 

[gyrfalcon]

This evening, one Barn Owl at the end of Badger Farm Road, just off the M3 J11 (Winchester)

David

There you go.. North of Romsey

Only decent sightings for me were a Whinchat on the edge of North Baddesley over the weekend (Hoe Lane/Sylvan Drive "Dog Walkers's Field"), and still plenty of Buzzards at the West End of Hoe Lane (14 on Sunday Lunchtime).

Peter

 

[LW1959]

i do a daily sightings update for hampshire on my website if anyone is interested. after all farlington isn't the only place in hampshire (don't mean to be rude, it's just we've only discussed farlington so far when there are many other great places in hampshire to go birding)

Hi teamsaint,
i live in hampshire how do i view your sightings update ? whats your web address ?
LW.

 

[teamsaint]

Hi teamsaint,
i live in hampshire how do i view your sightings update ? whats your web address ?
LW.

Sorry I stopped doing this sightings page quite a long time ago. But if you go to http://www.hos.org.uk/news.htm there is a weekly sightings update. I would also reccomend joining hoslist http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hoslist/ which is a mailing list for people to post sightings in Hampshire as well as general birding discussion.
Tom

 

[LW1959]

Thanks

Ok, Thanks tom. :t:
LW.

 

[gyrfalcon]

Two Owls birding have a good sightings section for Hampshire, Dorset, and Blashford lakes:

http://www.twoowlsbirding.co.uk/

 

[gyrfalcon]

Also today - 1 Black Redstart on the roof at work (sorry, no public access) - exactly 365 days after one turned up last year.
David

This kind of thing always amazes me! We went through a run of about 4 consecutive years always getting our first Brimstone Butterfly of the year on the 25th March, give or take a day.

And earlier this month, I was lucky enough to find a Pectoral Sandpiper up in Orkney.. when I searched Google for previous records on the Island.. There was one.. on the exact same date, about 3 miles East of where I saw it!

Wonder how regular the arrival date of the Great White Egret, and Ring Billed Gull are?

Peter

 

[skatebirder]

This kind of thing always amazes me! We went through a run of about 4 consecutive years always getting our first Brimstone Butterfly of the year on the 25th March, give or take a day.

And earlier this month, I was lucky enough to find a Pectoral Sandpiper up in Orkney.. when I searched Google for previous records on the Island.. There was one.. on the exact same date, about 3 miles East of where I saw it!

Wonder how regular the arrival date of the Great White Egret, and Ring Billed Gull are?

Peter

Last year on October 19th I found a Great Grey Shrike at Leaden Hall (http://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&hl=en&ll=50.940021,-1.709586&spn=0.00453,0.0078&t=h&z=17).

I couldn't make it on the 19th, but I could today, and so did the/a shrike!
Showed extremely well, didn't seem to be bothered that I was standing close by as it caught and ate a beetle. After my run of 7 shrike-less visits to the New Forest earlier this year (I did finally catch up with one), my luck has turned again!

David

 

[skatebirder]

Hellooh ooh

It's all gone a bit quiet around here - is it because you're all wandering around New Milton looking for Northern Flickers?

Now that would be a nice addition to my Hants year list!

I went to Testwood Lakes yesterday to see if there were any signs of winter - a few ducks were present (Tufty, Gadwall, Shoveler, Teal) and a flock of c70 Siskins. Not much else of note, apart from a male Bullfinch flying past - which always cheers me up.

David

 

[John P]

It's all gone a bit quiet around here - is it because you're all wandering around New Milton looking for Northern Flickers?

Now that would be a nice addition to my Hants year list!


David

I've already ticked that one, but I call it a Jay.

(If it's not, I'll eat my hat).

The YBW at Pennington was good value yesterday though.

 

[stevetb]

Looks like we could be getting a big influx of migrants tomorrow - birders that is. Good timing with it being in half term - not so good having no means of transport!
The highlight of a still seemingly shrikeless shatterford this week was an unexpected kingfisher by one of the bogs (no, not fishing for turds) and unusually prolonged and easy views of a treecreeper.

 

[Wells-man]

Had a wet but pleasant part-day at Warsash on Sunday. Nothing extraordinary, but always enjoy seeing the waders on the 'lagoon', particularly this time watching the godwit moving off the lagoon in big numbers to return to the shoreline as the tide went out. And the turnstone always lift the spirit - perhaps because they are so 'busy'

Went to Fleet Pond on monday as we were in the area, but that was a bit disappointing to be honest. I am rubbish at spotting much in woodland, and all I could see on the lake itself were grebe, comorant, mallard, gulls, swans, canadas and a couple of greylag. There surely must have been some other ducks, but not for me!

K.