Down South and the South Downs

An early start last Sunday with Mark and Paz picking up Darren on the way for a twitch down south to Pagham Harbour near Chichester for a Hudsonian Whimbrel that had been found there earlier in the week, the bird was best viewed from behind the churchyard at Church Norton and was indeed showing when we got there, a little distant but good scope views were had, it flew a couple of times showing its diagnostic dark rump but also in comparison with the Eurasion Whimbrels there it was a slightly larger bird, paler and more brown looking with a bolder head pattern and markedly contrasting dark primaries, after enjoying the bird for the best part of an hour it then flew off to the other end of the reserve so we took our leave and headed off to nearby Titchfield Haven for the long staying Greater Yellowlegs. After fortuitously failing to find the Bridge Street car park we ended up on the coastal road where we spied a group of birders watching intently, we parked up and joined them to find the Yellowlegs showing there and remarkably close, unfortunately it was on the rising tide and after two or three minutes it and the small flock of Black Tailed Godwits it was with flew off to the area they favoured at high tide, we hung around a while longer, there was a good selection of other stuff typical of the area, Little Egrets, Mediterranean Gulls, Common Terns etc and chatted with some familiar faces before driving back around and managing to find the Bridge Street car park, we walked out to the Posbrook Floods and relocated the Yellowlegs getting longer but more distant views of it, a Cetti’s Warbler teased nearby, we thought it was going to pop out and pose for us but no. We had been hoping that Saturdays Black Eared Wheatear in the New Forest would still be around but they are notorious one day birds and there had been negative news on it so we decided on an afternoon with the Butterflies at Martin Down near Salisbury, superb place but very expansive, full of flowers including Fragrant and masses of Greater Butterfly Orchids, quite a few Turtle Doves purring away, kicked up a few Moths including the distinctive Burnet Companion and a good number of the more common Butterflies then eventually Paz found a couple of Small Blues, Butterfly tick for me, superb little things we ended up seeing 40-50 of them during which time Mark and Darren came across another Blue type, it was a lovely sky blue colour and seemed to have a different flight pattern to the Common Blues and although it was very worn there was a hint of chequered fringes to the wings, tick number two, Adonis Blue, it was all topped off nicely when a Badger ran across in front of us. A few Red Kites and Buzzards seen near Oxford as we headed home.

Hudsonian Whimbrel, just a bit distant for decent photos

compared to the Eurasion Whimbrel on the left a bit paler with stronger head markings

flying off showing its dark rump

good views of the Greater Yellowlegs for the first two or three minutes

Banded Demoiselle

Burnet Companion

a rather tatty Brown Argus

Small Heath

Fragrant

and Greater Butterfly Orchids

Brimstone

first of the main target species, Small Blue

with an underwing pattern reminiscent of Holly Blue

ensuring future generations

and the second target, we were pretty happy this was Adonis Blue although it is fairly worn there is a hint of
chequered fringes

a lovely sky blue colour

and the underwing pattern looks spot on

a quick snap of the Badger as it sped past us

around Lincoln for good birds, butterflies and flowers

A day in Lincs, I started at Whisby Nature Park on the outskirts of Lincoln with Nightingales on the agenda, I’m a bit later doing this trip this year and the birds weren’t singing as much, were more secretive and there was more undergrowth, nevertheless at least four were heard and after a lot of perseverance I eventually got some views of one, no pics this year though, also a good selection of Warblers and a Cuckoo around plus hundreds of Common Blue Damselflies and Chimney Sweeper Moths. Early afternoon I headed off to Chambers Farm Wood, I thought I would reacquaint myself with Marsh Fritillaries this year, been a while since I last saw one unfortunately with the weather etc it’s got a bit late in the season, I managed to see three although only one was posing and that was starting to look a bit tatty, a good number of Common Blues were also about plus a couple of Dingy Skippers and a nice little bonus in the form of a Greater Butterfly Orchid, rather fitting. I called in at Alkborough on the way home, it was fairly quiet, a few Avocets and Black Tailed Godwits in front of the Hide and a Marsh Harrier over the reeds were about the best of it.

Chimney Sweeper

Common Blue Damselfly

Marsh Orchid I think

Garden Warbler

Marsh Fritillary on Ragged Robin

Dingy Skipper

lots of Common Blues about

a nice bonus in the shape of this Butterfly Orchid

Ragged Robin

Mr & Mrs Montagu

An afternoon jaunt after work to see the returning Montagu’s Harriers that have been around at Blacktoft Sands for a few weeks now, showing well albeit distantly, the male coming in with prey at least three times while I was there, lots of Marsh Harrier activity as well plus five or six Little Egrets and a Hobby shot through.

Monty's Harrier pair

flew across in front of the hides as it went off hunting one time

returned with prey half an hour later

Black Winged at Bothal

A trip up to Bothal Pond in Northumberland last Sunday for what was possibly last years returning Black Winged Pratincole, present for its third day, I called in at Whittle Dene Reservoirs on the way up as there had been a Black Tern on the Saturday but I only saw Common that morning, I later found out it had been present but was feeding high up so I had probably overlooked it thinking it would be over the water with the other Terns. At Bothal Pond the Pratincole was showing well along the Western edge even coming reasonably close on a couple of occasions (far better views than last year) but seemed reluctant to fly only giving one short flight view while I was there, I gave up on getting the flight shot early afternoon and headed South calling in at Teesside on the way home, highlights were a Spoonbill on Back Saltholme, Little Ringed Plovers from the Phil Stead Hide, Water Rail and Little Egret showing well from the Wildlife Watchpoint and two drake Garganey on the Fire Station Pools.

Common Tern at Whittle Dene Res

better on the ground views this year

distant Spoonbill on Back Saltholme

LRP at Phil Stead Hide

a couple of bully boys dropped in

Stock Doves looked nice in the sun

Garganey on Fire Station Pools