Tuesday 11 February 2014

On the Road Again - Canned Heat

Yesterday provided the long awaited lull in the foul weather, with both rain and wind abating giving a chance to get onto some serious birding. A slow start to February had, more or less, drawn a blank in additions to the various lists but at least now there was a chance of something to add. Not even having left the farm and there was a 'splash of colour' in the form of the now very confiding
 GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER
which did fly from the bird-table to the top of the nearby Ash Tree at my approach
 but had remained on the feeders long enough to study face pattern
and nape.
 MUTE SWAN
 along with aerobatic
 BLACK-HEADED GULL
 carrying out their 'high wire' act on the telephone lines.
 In addition the resident
KESTREL
was also taking a break from almost endless hunting,
 and a
MOORHEN
chugged across the pond before we continued to Mudeford, just a 
15 minute drive down the road.
There had been reports of both Long-tailed Duck and
 LITTLE GULL*
from that site the day before, but even after a fairly long search only the latter was seen and then at great distance. However, this was the first addition to the Year List in 11 days so no complaint while the images are the best, and closest to the bird in question, we have on file. From here it is about 20 minutes, dependant on traffic, across the Hampshire border to
 PENNINGTON
 all part of the Lymington/Keyhaven Marshes.
 A vocal ROBIN was the welcoming committee here and with a
lack of 'bird watches' it seemed it was going to be a task to find the 
target bird. The Hants web-site had reported "on the Camp Site Field"
as the latest sighting but all that could be seen there were
 c163 OYSTERCATCHERS
 along with c4 (Dark-bellied) BRENT GEESE.
As on my previous sightings of this bird there was perhaps more chance
on the main marsh, so I set off towards the
HURST POINT LIGHTHOUSE
in hope of encountering someone with some positive news.
Along the full length of the pathway to the sea runs an earth bund mainly vegetated by Gorse and Bramble (Blackberry) though unlikely territory for
 DARTFORD WARBLER
 but that low key scratchy-rasping (if that's a word????)
 betrayed their presence and with a little patience
 at least c3 closed to
 'Point Blank' (Lee Marvin) range.
It was here I met the second of only c2 'birders' for the day, but one 
with positive, but not ideal news. The
 LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER*
 could be seen, but that was as far as the imagination would let it go!
In similar, if not exact, circumstances to my last visit in the Old Year
it was well tucked behind a grass tussock and had this been a 'Lifer'
would likely have remained 'off the list'.
 The images are from the archive.
 At the Coast of the Solent (the Isle of Wight in the distance) someone was having fun in their fast craft
 while the much slower
 TURNSTONE
allowed something of a shot.
This was the furthest extremity of my walk and the time selected
to let go the only rain of the day. The precipitation dampened the clothing 
but not the ardour and hey
 
 "I saw a Magpie in a RAINBOW, the rain had gone, I'm not alone
I turned to the mirror and I saw you - The Child" - 
 Marillion - Misplaced Childhood
 SHELDUCK
 overflying
 GREY HERON
brought the visit to Hants to a close, so back to the Home County.
 Looking for Egyptian Goose at the Avon Causeway, most of the
birds seem to have stayed away since their departure before my last visit.
All that could be found were a few Black-headed Gulls, Lapwings
and these GREYLAG GEESE.
 but look a Stranger in their midst
is it a BAR-HEADED GREYLAG?
                                     Year           Dorset
Tuesday 04/02/2014       173              142
Monday 10/02/2014       173              143
Entry            Pageviews
United Kingdom
                 780
United States
                 576
Germany
                   77
Estonia
                   44
France
                   27
Russia
                   24
Canada
                   21
Australia
                   11
Brazil
                   11
Finland
                     7
Given the latest Weather Forecast and today's wind and
rain the next of the Yanks shouldn't be too far away!