Sunday 30 April 2017

Aaarrgghh!!!















Well, today didn't go to plan!! A visit to Blashford was sunk by the M27 overhead stanchions showing A31 and M27 1-2 being closed due to a fatality. No problem - Titchfield instead. Some sea-watching from the car produced 3 Black Terns, 6 Little Gulls, a few other terns/Barwits/Whimbrels/Grey Plovers/Common Scoter. But skuas had already gone through.

On the reserve little bird wise but a nice pair of displaying Great-crested Grebes. Pleased to find and be able to identify Anasimyia lineata (above), not rare but only the second I've seen, the last being here last year.

Nice chat with a woman and her young, keen and chatty daughters in Suffern Hide.

Sadly, the motorway chaos was eastbound as well although there was no indication until it was too late to avoid it. With A27 and M275 shut I gave up trying to get back into Portsmouth and went west to Wickham/Droxford/Hambledon/Waterlooville and home, not far shy of three hours since leaving Titchfield!! Roads were finally reopened 18:30!!