Hampshire (1 Viewer)

[stevetb]

Nev,

I have just noticed your thread in tips for new birders.

Get yourself down to somewhere like keyhaven on a weekend, there are always a lot of birders, and its a great place to get to grips with identifying waders. There is always the possibility of something quite rare like a little stint or curlew sandpiper. And of course, there will usually be someone else to help.

If you'd prefer to go somewhere where there are hides, try titchfield haven. The people at the visitor centre will tell you where best to go, and while its (probably) not quite as good as keyhaven at the moment, it is still good for I.d-ing more common birds, and as i said before, there is a spoonbill there.

 

[stevetb]

just thought :
to fill page 7 took 14 days while page 8 took less than 24 hours...

 

[teamsaint]

just thought :
to fill page 7 took 14 days while page 8 took less than 24 hours...

and by making posts like this we can increase this rate but there is actually a reason for this post - yes you can add my link to your site.

 

[stevetb]

Lol
My secret plan, thwarted!

Cheers for that.

Forgot - garganey at titchfield as well

 

[gyrfalcon]

Yes - just keep on watching the birds and reading the guides, then one day you'll suddenly find that you know the identity of almost all of the birds you see. But only "almost"...even the experts get things wrong (see discussion forums on this site about the "Chinatown Warbler", which could have been any of 3 or 4 different species, but no-one quite knows which; or the recent Chimney Swift in York - oh no it wasn't (oh yes it was)).
Ospreys do come from Scotland, but they always head south after the breeding season, and several of them pass through Hampshire. I've seen 2 on my local patch at Lower Test Marshes this, err, autumn. They could still be around for a few weeks.
David

And my advice would be to take notes of anything unusual.. Preferably in the field while watching it, but if not in the field, then as soon as you get back home. And don't worry if it takes a while to get to the right identification..
I've just identified a bird I saw/heard on April 13th! (was a flyover Tree Pipit, pretty obvious now, had me totally stumped at the time!).

Anyone know any other local birders we can drag onto here? and why is this forum getting a totally different set of posts compared to HOSList?!

 

[birder of the south]

Had a Hobby last night in botley over my garden then headed low NE

Lee

 

[skatebirder]

Lower Test Marshes earlier today produced:
Whinchat - 2
Stonechat - 1
Spotted Flycatcher - 1
Green Sand - 10
Common Sand - 2
Yellow Legged Gulls - 15+ (15 ads plus an unspecified no of young birds...I'm no good at ID-ing these yet)
Whimbrel -1
Greenshank - 1
Peregrine - 1
Kingfisher - 1
Little Egret - 6+
Willow Warbler, Reed Warbler

Not a bad haul for LTM.

David

 

[stevetb]

And my advice would be to take notes of anything unusual.. Preferably in the field while watching it, but if not in the field, then as soon as you get back home. And don't worry if it takes a while to get to the right identification..
I've just identified a bird I saw/heard on April 13th! (was a flyover Tree Pipit, pretty obvious now, had me totally stumped at the time!).

Anyone know any other local birders we can drag onto here? and why is this forum getting a totally different set of posts compared to HOSList?!

I recently brought this up on hoslist. Apparently it is too confusing / hard to navigate , with all the different bits and bobs, rather than on hoslist theres just one place.

 

[gyrfalcon]

Interesting, because the way this thread has exploded in the last 24 hours(!), it could be "rivalling" the Hoslist. This thread has the potential to be a bit more friendly, informal, and "dynamic" which is good.

 

[Nevtiger]

I saw a Little Egret at Farlington this morning - very brief stop - it had the decency to fly over my head into the wind very slowly, so that i could look it up.

Nev

 

[stevetb]

RED NECKED PHARALOPE @ KEYHAVEN/PENNINGTON!!

Butts lagoon, feeding near black t godwits. Quite distant but great scope views.

At last, a really good bird!

Was pointed out by marc moody at a about 5:30. I couldn't stay for long, but did manage a few record shots (very poor ), I will upload later. A great bird and lifer for me.
|| || || |8)| |8)|

 

[colonelboris]

My only beef with HOS is that the county does extend North of Andover (Fleet Pond excepted, of course).
I know it's a bit dull up here in the North, but it's still my patch (when I'm back in the UK).

 

[birder of the south]

Saw the Red Necked Phal on Butts lagoon this evening, great views in the scope but a bit distant for pics and the light wasnt that good so if it sticks hopefully ill go again and try for some better pics.

Lee

 

[JohnnyH]

My only beef with HOS is that the county does extend North of Andover (Fleet Pond excepted, of course).
I know it's a bit dull up here in the North, but it's still my patch (when I'm back in the UK).

Nice one Col, totally agree, still we've got our own thread thanks to your good self.


John.

 

[stevetb]

same here lee - bit too far for a 400mm lens

 

[colonelboris]

Nice one Col, totally agree, still we've got our own thread thanks to your good self.


John.

Something I shall add to as soon as I find something. I'm trying for whinchat on Yatelay Common South where I saw one last year.
Have now 'fixed' the scope, so hopefully it'll live long enough to be replaced before completely giving in.

 

[gyrfalcon]

Something I shall add to as soon as I find something.

I think that is it in a nutshell.. there's only so far a thread can go without birds!

All quiet on Baddesley Common / Emer Bog this a.m.
No Crake, or Crake's footprints! on the exposed mud at the edge of Emer Bog either!
Plenty of Chiff-Chaffs and Blackcaps in the scrub at the Green Lane end.
Very little in the open areas.

 

[birder of the south]

Today I went for a quick walk around Acres Down searching for the Goshawks I have had recently. No such luck but heard a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker which was nice and a Tawny Owl.

 

[teamsaint]

Todays sightings

Black-necked Grebe @ Fleet Pond

Roseate Tern, Spoonbill, Curlew Sandpiper and Little Stint @ Hill Head/Titchfield Haven

Spoonbill & Merlin @ Farlington

Black-necked Grebe off Southmoors + 3 Wheatears, 2 Whinchats & Spot Fly

Honey Buzzard over Chandler's Ford

2 Greenshank, 11 Green Sands, 4 Snipe, 3 Water Rail, 2 Whinchat & Garden Warb @ Lower Test

2 Garganey, Ruddy Shelduck, Black Tern, 4 Greenshank, 3 LRP, c30 Eider, Redstarts, Whinchats, Wheatears, Spot Flys, Yellow Wags, Hobby, Knots, 6 Tree Pipits, Garden Warbler in the Keyhaven-Normandy area.

not bad for a day really, and Peter - what was that about Bucks getting no waders??

 

[gyrfalcon]

Some good stuff.. I wonder if the weather continues in the same way, if there is a chance of one or two of the east coast rarities finding their way to the south coast? This is my first Autumn down here, so I've no idea how things work!
Read that most of the Passerines at Keyhaven had all cleared off by lunchtime.

North Bucks has it's moments occasionally. Typically once or twice a year when it comes to true rarities. Their last two rarities have both been Wilson's Phalaropes which is quite cruel!