Zoo Quest..

A (pretty much) non-wildlife visit to Marwell, the first since taking 'The Chickenpox Kid' probably sixteen years back. A Grey Wagtail was a flyover on arrival and a small patch of seed left on a fence post by the info hut was drawing in two very confiding Nuthatches, at least one Marsh Tit, the usual suspects and a Wood Mouse. Strangely no sound of any Great Spot drumming although the weather was dull and wet; Goldcrests in the woods and loads of crows feeding in the various herbivore paddocks. Rained off by 13:30.

A few photos from the jaunt.

And a link to Pip McGarry, Artist in Residence

First Peacocks and Andrenas..

...and neither stopping to pose.

Yesterday, car-less due to a flat tyre ensured some on-site macro practice.
Here Episyrphus balteatus.

Today, duty day, saw little on South Brooks with electric fence installation causing disturbance - just distant Sprawk and Raven. Good to catch up with JD/DS and R+G for the first time in a couple of years; several non-stop Brimstones and Peacocks plus a single Red Admiral but still no Adders with deer fence work disturbing a large area.

Birdwise, Marsh Harrier, three Ruff and a couple of Dunlin, singing Treecreepers and Chiffchaffs. From the cafe terrace an adult Peregrine was stirring things up.

Later on the heath just a flyover Siskin and Carey's two Andrena spp investigating or excavating holes in the sandy base of an upturned tree stump.

And finally a brief catch up re Hants, KB and ringing demos with Julianne prior to heading off.

Hottest day of year (67f being shown in car) and down to t-shirt on the way back; and I'm guessing back to multi layers and waterproofs in the next few days!!

Primrose

A Buzzard over the A27 wasn't a surprise but a pair of displaying Sparrowhawks was a little more unusual. At PB chatted to Andy and Katherine whilst watching ten Snipe, two Raven and seven Buzzards but little else. By lunchtime many Brimstones were on the wing. At Hanger View a few more Buzzards and four each of Dunlin and Ruff whilst elsewhere a few singing Chiffchaffs; sadly no other insects.

At Arundel forty or more Snipe, 750 mixed gulls included eight Meds. The distant, newly ploughed estate fields were smothered with gulls. Yet more singing Chiffchaffs plus two or three Firecrests including the one below snapped with the slow M43 zoom at 100mm on autofocus. Definitely not @recordshotmyars material.

Bittern for the masses..

A Nuthatch zipped across the road  just beyond Brook. Three of four circling Gos (above), at times quite nice through the scope but too far for the 100-400 or indeed any lens. Just single Hawfinch powering south and a distant singing Woodlark. A full Birdtrack list for this site today.

The Bittern went for a stroll out in the open much to everyone's delight.
Sadly, still no Bramblings nor Lesser Redpolls but ten or more Reed Buntings and these two spp below on and around the feeders. Elsewhere ten Goldeneyes, fifteen Goosanders, singles of Med Gull, Peregrine and Red Kite, two Ravens, ten Buzzards and a few Brimstones in the scrubbier areas.
Back home the Flower Bee was inspecting all the Daffodil trumpets alongside a Marmalade Fly.

Cumberland sausage for tea; Cumberland Little Owl for breakfast

Yesterday's cold, foggy conditions were conducive to nothing bar coffees at TH with just 50+ Turnstones.

Today's much improved conditions saw a start at Fort Cumberland where one of the two Little Owls was perched in a nook in the old fort - a Portsea Island tick!! -  four of us peering through the fence attracted the attention of the security guard plus Rottweiler!! But sadly no sign of the Black Redstart. Two Meds on the way back to the car.

Home for the scope and tripod and off to Farlington on a rising tide.

Finally, some Beardies with a smart male close in and a couple of females further off. Just one Jack Snipe, still within ten yards or so of where I've seen it before, five Greenshanks and the Water Pipit still poking around at the base of the reeds. Scanning further off produced a Marsh Harrier and a female Peregrine. A Short-eared Owl in Point Field had gone to ground but sat quietly preening for a long time allowing passers-by to get a good look at it through my scope. Looking out into the harbour gave seven Harbour Seals hauled up on the rapidly disappearing mud bank where they frequently occur and, some way in front,  a Razorbill which was a nice surprise. Good numbers of the usual waders being pushed around by the rising water

Sat and watched the owl gradually disappear into the grass whilst chatting to Simon re New Forest Honey-buzzards and their watchers/ringers.

Back home, the pulmonaria (and late afternoon sunshine)  attacted Buff-tailed Bumblebee and, rather better, the first Hairy-footed Flower Bee of the year.
As the sun dropped away a very vocal Chiffchaff was calling from Andrew's  apple tree.

Non-wildlife post..

Some street photography after picking up a power bank.

Almost Peg time..

At home the small remaining patch of pulmonaria is not yet attracting any Hairy-footed Flower Bees.

Earlier at Chichester three tightly grouped Buzzards were annoying the gulls and later one of these or another went back north. Later, first one then a second Peregrine left the cathedral. In the gardens still plenty of 'hive' bees and a few Bumbles but no hovers today. Two very low Ravens slipped across the Bishops Garden.

A short stop at Farlington on the way back produced only three Snipe, no obvious Jacks, just ten Avocets, eighty plus Pintails and sixty or more Ringed Plovers. Good numbers of Redshank weren't hiding any Greenshanks nor Spot'shanks. And yet again far too windy to hear any Beardies.

More M43 practice.

En route to and from Titchfield produced two Buzzards. Great, sunny spring weather for a half brekkie overlooking the harbour but not until the typically distant Frying Pan Spoonbill was added to the yearlist. Pretty much nothing else bar a glimpse of one harrier, five Avocets and, for the first time this year, the start of Med Gull movement and the accompaying 'yowing'.

Earlier a post from BTO gave details of Peregrine B84 at Pulborough from two years ago this month!!! Phil replied the day after the sighting and all recent Dutch, Danish and Polish BHG ring details plus local Sanderlings were returned with 24 hours. Come on BTO!!

Amazing bird up north - see here Shetland Tengmalm's

Auks

A brief window today, and triggered by AL's goingbirding posting regarding auks off Southsea Castle. A shame today was totally overcast with light drizzle and rather breezy after yesterday's very spring-like conditions, but two Shags were both easily visible as were two Oystercatchers feeding amongst the rocks. A Great Black-backed Gull and a handful of Herring Gulls were poking about with washed up starfish and a couple of Meds went east. Four Purple Sandpipers were on distant rocks and these two appeared just in front - see above, both taken with the phone, the latter through the scope.

Guillemot was going to be a year tick (and only the second one in February) but all I could find was five Razorbills. Eventually, on the point of giving up, a Guillie popped up slightly closer than the nearest Razorbill.
The auks were too distant and contantly diving for any phonescoping.

Back home within the hour.

Interesting  to see Swallow, Osprey, Great Spotted Cuckoo and LRP all recorded in the last day or so.

With the A29 re-opened, and after a brief visit to PCW for a new SD card, the White-fronted Geese at Pulborough beckoned; luckily today they took no finding being close in to Westmead, eventually having a wash and brush up in the pond (and visible from reception). Two separate Foxes were patrolling, one close in keeping all the geeses on their toes; and reserve staff activity out towards the Arun flushed up a few Snipe.

One Peregrine on the south brooks was seen later in company of a second bird high over north brooks - high enough for a passing Easyjet to be a useful pointer!! Also two Marsh Harriers and the odd Buzzard. The raptor activity was stirring up 1000 Lapwing, 500 Black'wits and three Ruff.

The sunny weather brought out at least three male Brimstones and one or two Red Admirals but no Adders as yet; maybe next week if the weather holds up.

Earlier, others had a Merlin flashing across Upperton's Field and two singing Woodlark on the heath. Hopefully the newly scraped south facing patch on the heath will prove to be a hotspot (literally) for insects this summer.

South Brooks Panorama

Alone again or... Ode to the Goshawk

Forever changes by Love

... I won't forget
All the times I've waited patiently for you
And you'll do just what you choose to do..

A solo jaunt for Gos produced a Raven escorted northwards by an irate crow as I unloaded the car, with singing Skylark and Woodlark (first new bird for the year in February) on the east side of the road. A big, glistening white blob of a Gos was obvious in the bins even before getting the scope out; it was perched up in the spindliest of the mid-range conifers where it sat watching, preening and 'muting' for half an hour. Meanwhile, a distant second was circling off into the murk whilst another close bird looked as if would come straight in head-on, but sadly veered off into the trees. The larks stopped singing and the soundscape changed to Greenfinch, Chaffinch and Mistle Thrushes; a Hawfinch rocketed past and a couple of Buzzards come over.

Finally, the first Gos hopped between trees, circled a few times and cruised off.

Poor blurry photo hand-holding the GX9 to the scope. On leaving a Sparrowhawk popped up over one of the pylons and started to display; a gutsy show surrounded by so many Goshawks!!

In need of caffeine, a quick stop at the garage adjacent to the turn off.

At Blashford, few feeder birds (and still no Bramblings), no Bitterns nor GWEs and nothing at Ivy South other than five Buzzards.

These fungi (sorry, no idea of name) and partly 'chewed' Scarlet Elf Cups were taken with the short zoom.

Quick chat with Keith and TS followed by lunch in the car - picnic area fenced off for pond excavation work.

At Ibsley concrete hide base being noisily broken up ensured the 'mound' was empty. Water Pipit, Black-necked Grebe, Yellow-legged Gull and twenty Goosanders; no obvious Casps.

Change of plan...

After today's extended bank session an intended visit to Pulborough was scuppered by a lorry spillage and closure of the Whiteways/Bury Hill area, so WWT it was instead. Over a late soup lunch several Snipe were visible from the restaurant as was a persistent Kingfisher and good old 6MZ preening away on the shingle island again. Curiously, no Wigeon today, just three Buzzards and two very high and distant kites.

Elsewhere a typically confiding Water Rail, two Firecrests, three each of Chiffchaff and Goldcrest, five Mandarins and another 30 or so Snipe.

Gleaned some advice from another Panasonic shooter and had a brief chat with Lizzie.

After closing-time a stint at the Black Rabbit carpark in company of MD produced at least eight Marsh Harriers in to the roost; unfortunately I missed the Hen Harrier which either chose to roost elsewhere or slipped in low and unseeen; six Herons went northwards presumably to some roost tree further up the valley. Despite staying until almost dark, Tawny Owl remains missing from the yearlist.

The almost spring-like conditions today were enhanced by masses of Song Thrush song both on site, along Offham Hanger and from the pub carpark, with a good amount of Skylark song beyond the river during the sunnier part of the afternoon.

Hopefully, some Adders soon with decent weather forecast for the next couple of weeks and highs of 12-13 degrees and sun.

6MZ

Robin on tractor

New kit experimentation..

With a 75 page 'Basic User Guide' and another 343 pages of  'Advanced Guide' it's going to take a while to get to grips with the new Panasonic and its quirky 1:1 macro lens. A couple of starters above.

Need a boat, not necessarily a bigger one..

Rubbish weather with rain all day and loads of surface water especially on the return journey where headlights, front and rear fogs plus double speed wipers was the order of the day - and yet some people refuse to put any lights on at all. Felt like a boat might be more appropriate!!

No real chance to try out the new camera and certainly nothing macro-able like yesterday. Snipe down to 17 only but I'm guessing many more were hunkered down out of view. A Kingfisher was just outside and reappeared later landing on the roof before making off to the new hide. I'm guessing the raised structure and support beams gives it/them somewhere to keep out of the worst of the weather.

Lots of feeder activity (usual suspects plus Nuthatch) with a Marsh Tit, only heard, but seen by others.

Pochard up to sixteen, a dozen each of Lapwing and Wigeon and both Scrape Water Rails feeding close by and unperturbed by (discrete) watchers.

Nice to catch up with M&LH (with 3 year old - star 'em young!!) for the first time in over four years.

Sadly missing glove not in lost property.

First hovers....

... plus loads of honeybees  and a few bumbles, either B. terrestris or
lucorum(agg) and a few diptera in the Bishop's Garden on a very sunny but cold and windy day. The insects were taking advantage, mostly, of Vibernum.
Birdwise just a curious Goldcrest in one of the conifers.
The hovers were all females and either E. balteatus or M. auricollis; unsurprisingly nothing more interesting.