Pendulines at Titchfield

 

Yesterday, five Penduline Tits were found at Titchfield from Spurgin Hide, so with a ticket already booked for today I popped over, had a coffee and found that they'd  been seen briefly by an early visitor. Managed to  hobble as far as Darters Dip where Ian C told me they'd  not been refound in wet and windy conditions and that the hide was full with DC's bird group and Mark plus Dad so, after checking with MF that they'd not popped out, I gave up. This recently cut patch in front of the hide(above) was full of Teal and at least ten Snipe but sadly no Jacks. Hopefully the tits will  hang around as they did between December 2015 and March 2016 when I saw them on six dates.

Half-term WWT

Nicely organised visit to WWT, first since August, with socially distanced indoor eating as shown above. (Note the wacky new cardboard coffee cups being very efficient at keeping things hot for ages). Being half term it was fully booked so not too quiet and the usual strimming drowned out pretty much everything - new notices around the site enquire as to whether you can hear 'such and such calling' - needless to say, no!!

A Cattle Egret was hunkered down, multiple Kingfishers heard and these two Med Gulls above were part of six or more in all three age classes but none ringed. The usual four raptor species were present but Peregrine and Marsh Harrier were both absent.

Water Rail, multiple Cetti's and Chiffchaffs were heard only. 

Nice chat with a lady and grandson from Guildford.

There is a very fine line between Hobby and mental illness!!

Plagiarised/borrowed  this quotation from the American author and columnist Dave Barry. Somehow this popped up twice in recent weeks via different aspects of social  media. I suspect  he may not comprehend the use of capital aitch!!

Whilst visiting TH with M for morning coffee the WhatsApp notification for this bird sounded. Luckily, bins in car, day ticket available and M happy to snooze in car by the West entrance while I hobbled down to  the hide. Curiously the local 'togs feigned ignorance of this bird but visitors pointed it out immediately - I didn't  have time to faff about. The bird had in fact earlier been right in front of the hide giving frame filling photos but apparently everyone had been told to suppress the bird by a volunteer and no more WhatsApp messages appeared neither did it ever appear on Goingbirding!! How bizarre. Wonder what else gets suppressed.(Photo courtesy of AR)

A few days later, whilst  enjoying this....

... this happened.

So disappointed not to see Kirk, Spock, Bones and an unnamed blonde in a short red skirt materialise!!

This marks the 20,000th piece of jigsaw since lockdown - I think we'll have a rest now.