Snow Buntings part two

A return to the Hayling Snow Buntings, now up to eight - and possibly the largest flock in Hampshire for fifty years or so - didn't go entirely to plan. Unlike the previous visit I started from the west  car park and walked west towards the area they were using last time. Trudging over the shingle, and with no birds other than a few Skylarks, three Stonechats and uncounted Greenfinches, became a little tiring. And worst of all no other birders. The sea was flat calm  and conditions were ideal for dozens of paddleboarders but nothing on the sea, not even gulls. The walk back across the shingle was dull but things perked up when I could see three or four hunched figures just a few yards from the car!! Yep, the Buntings were almost where I'd  started from, adjacent to the golf driving fence and foolishly on a public footpath and hence at the mercy of walkers and dog people. Only seven were here but as they flushed eastwards from the last disturbance picked up the eighth bird, spun around and headed back West across the shingle. Whilst loading the car a Red-throated Diver was pointed out but too far out to bother with.

The following day at TH was much sunnier, at least for the first couple of hours, and the sea was again flat calm. The Eider flock was just off the carpark and totalled 43 whilst a small group of Common Scoters, eleven in number, kept themselves to themselves. The Slavonian Grebe was again distant.

Luckily, at Eleven Acres the Jack Snipe was 'staked out by MF and others and just as well as it was well-hidden and asleep. It did eventually come out and showed well in the scope before being intimidated by a Moorhen and slipping away out of sight. The next day, in better conditions, MF managed to get some digiscoped video posted on Twitter.

Migration

Migration from merchant ships. Here

Falkland  seawatch trektellen counts. Here 

Batumi raptors trektellen counts. Here

Taddousac passerines Ebird entry. Here

British Birds account of large fall from 1965 Here

Up close and personal

 

(Above - Red-throated Diver, Snow Bunting x3, Starling)

After a few chores, and with little desire to go further, a nice walk along the Hayling shore in search of recently reported Snow Buntings seemed to fit in nicely with other plans. A birder leaving the site told me they were still there and to locate them by looking for the 'tog on the beach. A pleasant stroll in gloriously flat and mild conditions honestly meant the day would have been a success even without birds!! First up was this nice, brilliantly lit RTD on a super flat sea. A little later a mass of Greenfinches, probably upward of 75 were disturbed from the weedy outcrops, flying up into the nearest bush - the largest flock of this much-decimated species in a long time. They sat up looking superb with the sun behind me. A few Meadow Pipits were in the same area but mostly flying further before dropping down into longer grass.

Strolling a little further and a couple of SBs were obvious in the first sandy hollow running parallel to the high-tide strand line.  Two more were silhouetted on this ridge about 150 yards further along. They quickly flew straight towards me calling and landed with the first two before morphing into five birds!! Not sure where no. 5 popped up from. No other birders present and the previously mentioned 'tog was nowhere to be seen. Luckily, walkers and dog people all followed the path adjacent to the 'tree-line' or trod the firm  sandy beach exposed  by the tide, all of which meant the SBs were left undisturbed.

In the same area were good numbers of Skylarks and whilst not as immune to human presence as the buntings still provided some of the best views I can remember in years; absolutely pin-sharp, point-blank and frame-filling aided by the 12x50s, so good when a scope is too much.

Back at the harbour entrance a nice flock of 120+ Sanderlings, flushed off the beach, looked as if they were off to Eastney for a quieter time.

And in the cafe over a welcome coffee this Starling was one of many calling, twittering, whistling and croaking individuals looking for a hand-out.

Finally, on the drive out, 125 or so Oystercatchers were roosting over the tide on a small raised piece of ground with loads of Brent and a couple of egrets.

No rarities but probably the best few hours since the start of Covid.

NB

Snow Buntings are still a treat and five is the most I've  ever seen in the south with larger flocks only seen in Norfolk. A quick looked through notes showed an 18:17 advantage to Sussex over Hampshire in terms of days recorded with the total number of UK days just under fifty and the largest flock of about 100 at Snettisham over 50(!!) years ago.In most years the SBs tend to quietly go about their business picking seeds and other matter but yesterday's five were super-active chasing insects and fly-catching, something  I don't remember seeing. See third photo above. And as usual, if you stood still, they would run up within a few yards, go around carry on feeding.  Maybe return with the bigger camera/lens for second-helpings some when during the week.