Hampshire (1 Viewer)

[Jan-Paul Charteris]

Had some decent birds in a shortish look at Farlington today... A juv
Pale-bellied Brent was showing very well with the Dark-bellied flock. Could only find 4 Avocet plus 11 Black-necked Grebes and 5 Red-breasted Mergs

Jan

 

[pdwinter]

Southsea 31/01

It's not often I visit the dark side but, having started birding after the demise of the Hardway bird, Glaucous Gull proved too big an attraction and both the adult and the 2nd winter gave tremendous views. The adult was mostly on the beach just to the west of the castle and the youngster was ranging down to the hovercraft terminal.

With today's light there should be some good snaps taken!

 

[Clive Watson]

Anyone have any details about where this Great Northern Diver is on Hayling Island? There's a fabulous photo of it eating crabs on Birdguides.

 

[pdwinter]

Anyone have any details about where this Great Northern Diver is on Hayling Island? There's a fabulous photo of it eating crabs on Birdguides.

Hi Clive

Richard Ford, the photographer, does sometimes visit this forum but you might be better off asking on the yahoo group hoslist - but first posts are moderated so the bird might well be elsewhere by the time you get an answer!

HTH

 

[John P]

Still at least one SEO at Barton golf course, it was snowing so I didn't hang around long enough to find out if there were any more.

 

[hpux]

Still at least one SEO at Barton golf course, it was snowing so I didn't hang around long enough to find out if there were any more.

nice pic John, I was lucky enough to see one of the SEOs on the 25th.
It was performing quite well around the golf links, sometimes going to ground for a while

 

[John P]

Several hundred Fieldfare, quite a few Redwing, Song Thrush and Blackbird plus one or two Mistle thrush near the old Holmsley airfield today. (SZ213985 for anyone who doesn't know it).

 

[Wells-man]

Not many posts here lately so I'll just report my not particularly exceptional day out on saturday at Warsash.

Saw all the obvious, and expected, including fairly large numbers of Brent, shelduck, curlew, pin-tails, wigeon, turnstone, oyster-catchers, a couple of little egret, a couple of redshank, a few teal, and just 1 little grebe... but not one single godwit to my surprise.

As we walked back for our well-deserved (but slightly disappointing!) pub lunch, we met a couple of birders asking after a long-tailed duck they'd heard was thereabouts. Is one known to be there? They mentioned Hook spit but I don't know which bit that is.

K.

 

[skatebirder]

The Long-Tailed Duck has been reported from Hook a few times in the last week (not that I've seen it, or even been to look for it!)
My planned birding trips on Friday and Monday were washed out, and my wild goose chase to Badminston on Saturday in search of Red Crested Pochard drew a blank (when I got home I found out that it had been a few metres down the road on a pond I didn't know about)
There were a lot of gulls at Badminston, including at least 3 Med. Gulls amongst the Common and Black Headed Gulls.

David

 

[pdwinter]

Sunday morning I went to Badminston to look through the gulls - 13 Meds min and c.400 Common Gulls. The Common is easier as the gulls go there when disturbed from the GP and there was plenty of disturbance!. In the afternoon walked around Keyhaven / Pennington in some unpleasant rain - A Peregrine, 3 Goldeneye (1 drake), a Slav Grebe and 30+ Med Gulls were what I remember most but there were plenty of other birds. I would guess that the Red-breasted Goose has gone to Needs Ore/Park Shore.

 

[dwallace]

No sign of the Long-tailed Duck today.

Dave W

 

[pdwinter]

Badminston

and my wild goose chase to Badminston on Saturday in search of Red Crested Pochard drew a blank (when I got home I found out that it had been a few metres down the road on a pond I didn't know about)

David

Hi David

Do you know if this other pond was the fishing lake at Fields Farm (SU458028) or the small pond (SU458025) also at fields farm or the one by Gang Warily (SU445030) ? The information on Birdguides was a bit sparse!

Thanks

Paul

 

[skatebirder]

Hi David

Do you know if this other pond was the fishing lake at Fields Farm (SU458028) or the small pond (SU458025) also at fields farm or the one by Gang Warily (SU445030) ? The information on Birdguides was a bit sparse!

Thanks

Paul

Sorry - I don't know. Birdguides said "fishing pond".
David

Nice morning at Blashford today - 2 Bitterns (one eating a fish, walking in the reeds and then flying off all within 5 minutes of us entering the hide), 4 Bewick's Swans, 2 Bramblings, several Redpolls, 800 Black Tailed Godwits and the usual ducks.

David

 

[teamsaint]

Sorry for not posting much recently, I have done very little birding and normally at Blashford where I just see the same as everyone else. Today I went to Stockbridge Common and the best birds were Barn Owl, Blackcap, Gadwall, Little Egret, Stonechat, Tawny Owl and 3 Water Rail which were showing very well. Going to Shatterford tommorow - anyone been recently? BirdGudies has Shrike and Hen Harrier for today.

 

[Wells-man]

Long-eared owl yesterday (sunday) at Farlington.

We walked round the sea wall, frequently overlapping with a group of about 8 people as we all stopped and started, and were fortunately nearby when one of the group frantically tried to quietly attract the attention of the rest of the group because he'd spotted the owl roosting in a bush.

That's a first for me and my wife.

It was really well camouflaged, but once found was very clear in the 'scope.

Up till then we'd been happy enough just to have seen about 8 avocets ... always a favourite.

K.

 

[teamsaint]

Nice one with the LEO, would be a lifer for me as well.

Got male +female Hen harrier at Shatterford but no Shrike

 

[Jon Turner]

Was the LEO in the bushes near the motorway or out near the point?
I'll be in Hampshire on Weds, and could make a dash....

Or if the red-breasted goose is still at Wittering.....

Jon

 

[den121]

Calshot etc

Walked a circuit from Calshot, Badminston, Ashlet Creek and back to Calshot Today. Highlights were Goldcrest and Firecrest in the woods on the way to Badminston. A Large mixed flock of Fieldfare and Redwings at Badminston. On the Gravel pits several Med Gulls with common and Black head gulls. The Red Crested Pochard was in the Pig Field puddle. Long Tailed Duck off of the Power Station. A really pleasing end to the walk with Marsh Harrier, Merlin and Barn Owl over the Reed Beds south of the Power Station.

 

[pdwinter]

Walked a circuit from Calshot, Badminston, Ashlet Creek and back to Calshot Today. Highlights were Goldcrest and Firecrest in the woods on the way to Badminston. A Large mixed flock of Fieldfare and Redwings at Badminston. On the Gravel pits several Med Gulls with common and Black head gulls. The Red Crested Pochard was in the Pig Field puddle. Long Tailed Duck off of the Power Station. A really pleasing end to the walk with Marsh Harrier, Merlin and Barn Owl over the Reed Beds south of the Power Station.

Hi Den

That's a good day! Can you keep them all there until Saturday?|;|

 

[John P]

Walked a circuit from Calshot, Badminston, Ashlet Creek and back to Calshot Today. Highlights were Goldcrest and Firecrest in the woods on the way to Badminston. A Large mixed flock of Fieldfare and Redwings at Badminston. On the Gravel pits several Med Gulls with common and Black head gulls. The Red Crested Pochard was in the Pig Field puddle. Long Tailed Duck off of the Power Station. A really pleasing end to the walk with Marsh Harrier, Merlin and Barn Owl over the Reed Beds south of the Power Station.

Did you miss Black Redstart at the power station?

I had one on Saturday. (very poor pic attd.)