Geese, Deer, Terns & More

My apologies for the lack of posts in the past week, Just haven't seem to gotten around to writing. So I shall write this and hopefully you wont be bored by the ramblings of a weeks adventures.

So after telling myself I wouldn't visit Rooksbury in the evenings to let the Otters have a little rest from one less spectator, I headed down last Tuesday lunchtime in some nice bright light, and had the pleasure of watching a pair of Common Terns fishing for a rather unexpected 10mins or so, before they disappeared rather as abruptly as they appeared. Not a species I've seen down at Rooksbury or in and around landlocked Andover for that matter. Noisy blighter's mind!

Common Tern

Rooksbury Tern

So still in the quest for Otters but some that might be a little more local and without the disruption of other voyeurs I sat up down on the conflux of the Half Water and the River Test (Once all of the Fishermen had gone home), Dad had been seeing the odd sign and it seemed like a good a spot as any. Perched on my stool facing downstream I could see in both directions, and a quick turn of the head back upstream, so whilst becoming increasingly distracted by the new river Mute Swan arrivals all 7 of them, I heard something behind me and a quick glance around upstream resulted in a Brownish shape swimming across the river nearly at the far bank a good 100 yards away, now I wouldn't like to swear on it being a Water Vole because it could well have been an Otters head, but the rather large splash that occurred a minute or so later confused me even more.

I did however manage to capture another unexpected visitor to the River bank, Just wish I hadn't been quite so exposed so the Muntjac Buck might have come a little closer. A good spot all in all, with Sedge Warbler, Chiffchaff, Swift, Swallow, Kestrel, Tufted Duck, Coot, Moorhen, Little Grebe, Long Tailed Tit &  Blue Tit all seen too. As the light started to fade I caught sight of this little Roe Doe in the amongst the trees, who seemed quite happy to pose for me.

Mute Swans & Cygnets

Muntjac Buck

Roe Doe

Monday night in glorious sunshine, I headed up the river in pursuit in some recently spotted Hobby's, no such luck however I did add to my 2012 list with addition of 2 Spotted Flycatchers. Also quite abundant on the River bank along with the obligatory Chiffchaff was Bullfinches, 3 pairs spotted on one stretch alone. With nothing really playing ball for the camera, I thought I'd check up on the Greylags, the goslings are growing up pretty fast and there seem to be more there than before too. A Cock Pheasant was quite obliging on the way home too.

A small proportion of the Greylags

Spring Cock

With a lot dryer weather set for a few days, my evening job as groundsman for St. Mary Bourne Cricket Club is taking slightly more presidence than getting out with the camera, but why not merge the two I hear you say! Well I kinda did, a regular visitor to my square when the mowers going the male Blackbird.

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Birthday Blog From Blashford

With the pickings at Langford Lakes pretty slim, we headed back through Salisbury and down towards Ringwood, and the Blashford Lakes Hampshire Wildlife Trust reserve. First port of call the Tern Hide next to the car park overlooking Ibsley Water. If Langford Lakes was scarce, Blashford Lakes proved the exact opposite as I racked up a whopping 8 (all but distant) year ticks! 7 All from the same hide as well, taking my year list to 122.

115 Hobby - 3 circled together in the distance.
116 Little Gull
117 Little ringed Plover - a pair appeared briefly on the top of one of the spits.
118 Common Sandpiper
119 Bar-tailed Godwit
120 Black Tern - 2 adult birds mixing well with the Common Terns
121 Common Tern


The only annoying factor being they were all to far away to photograph, viewing through the scope was a must, Ibsley water stretches out a fair distance, and the islands to which the birds were congregating typically happened to be at the furthest point from the hide.

However several other species where noted and game a whole lot closer, Swallows glided low over top of the waters surface, a Little Grebe floated on the edge of the shore, and even stepped out onto the gravel edge for 10 minutes or so. A sight to behold in itself, its not hard to see why, they're feet are huge and proportioned so far back on they're bodies it must be pretty tricky to walk. 3 Buzzards soared pretty low, along with a few Carrion Crows no doubt in search of the Little ringed Plover or Lapwing youngsters. 4 Whimbrel and a couple of Dunlin in summer plumage joined the Barwits out on one of the tern islands, as plenty of Black headed Gulls congregated with the Terns.

A Lapwing paraded cautiously near the hide which enabled me to get off a few shots, and was soon joined by a Grey Wagtail on the shoreline.

Peg Legged?

Cracking birds in the right light

Lapwing

Grey Wagtail

With the excitement of 7 new sightings in the bag, we headed over to the Woodland hide to see what was feeding, 6 Grey Squirrels, Pheasants, Goldfinchs, Collared Doves, Great Tits & Greenfinchs all visitors to the seed feeders.

Grey Squirrel

We then walked back across to the Goosander Hide overlooking Ibsley water, which is strategically positioned atop of the Sand Martin bank, the activity was pretty frenetic with about 50+ Sand Martins (122) coming and going every 20 seconds or so, some so quick that I had visions of them joining us in the hide. I think I probably fired off about 200 shots on my camera, of birds in flight and when they landeded on the soft moss at the waters edge. They never stay still long enough, so not one was in focus enough to use.

I then most confess to missing what would have been a truly great photographic opportunity, as we rounded a corner on the path out towards the furthest hide, a Fox trotted over top of a grass bank at eye level with a rabbit in its mouth. Seeing us instantly and was gone. To say I was distraught was a bit of an understatement. The remainder of the path had a lot of singing Blackcaps and the odd Reed Bunting flitting back and forth. The only different species viewed from the Hide a lone Shellduck.
The walk back to the car did give me a chance to grab a few shots of a bird that I don't see out in the open very often the Jay.

Jay

All in all a cracking couple of hours and made some good birthday birding. Not a bad way to spend your 26th.

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