A dash around five local areas over four hours and just 3 miles walked added some new-for-years. At the harbour entrance several large yachts performing tight manoeuvres kept birds at bay with just a distant Shag of note. The usually disturbed Sanderlings chased off Hayling eventually settled on the Eastney side. A cute 'pup-faced' Common Seal slipped past heading further into the harbour whilst avoiding the yachts.
At the castle a wind-driven high tide spraying over the promenade plus lots of pedestrians meant that the Purple Sandpipers had decamped to the usual green buoy.
Inland, at the park, a Firecrest, the first for nine months, was the best bird with Sparrowhawk and Marsh Tit more expected but little finch activity although the large numbers of people prevented a walk through the upper carpark area. A Bank Vole popped out by the drinking pool.
Back on the coast the usual suspects but no obvious Jack Snipe amongst the fifteen or so Commons at the Farlington Lake and the highlight being a Peregrine which flushed thousands of birds from Dunlin to geese; a Lapwing was very lucky and jinked out of the way at the last minute and the Peregrine gave up and departed south-west. With the high tide keeping the waders on the islands a scope and tripod would probably have produced a few species more.
Total so far 84 spp
