After PW's explicit directions it seemed rude not to have a drive over for Lymington's Marsh Sandpiper on Normandy Lagoon, a site I've never visited and a species I've only seen twice in the UK and neither in Hants.
Just before getting ready to depart on Wednesday the cool weather and morning's forecast had me re-thinking and opting for Thursday. Big mistake!! Arriving today after a tedious drive through the M27's seemingly continuous roadworks and slowed by a stranded Porsche in the outside lane, it was soon apparent that the bird had either moved locally or, more likely, departed permanently overnight. Lots of birders scoping in all directions and generally chin-wagging. Oh well.
Still, a Lesser Whitethroat singing on arrival plus a little sunshine and things could be worse. Cetainly the view out to the Island, Hurst Castle and the Needles is pretty neat!!
The lagoon had plenty of raucous terns including my first Littles of the year, always a delight. An earlier Curlew Sandpiper had gone to ground but a nice range of Bar-tailed Godwit plumages and, best of all, this summer plumage Spotted Redshank; also a mix of Dunlin plumages and the odd Whimbrel '7 whistling' out on the salt marsh.
An inbound Raven looked to be carrying an egg, presumably from a Black-headed's nest on the salt marsh; it stirred up all the Avocets as it went over.
Stonechat, song-flighting Meadow Pipits and a few Linnets were the only passerines of note.
Wednesday was just a chore day with a local walk although it was nice to see a Common Seal from the car on the way home. On the patch a hover popped into view and turned into this Dasysyrphus tricinctus, not a species I see too often; this Misumina vatia was polishing off a fly on the same patch of Alexanders.
A Green Woodpecker was very vocal in the roadside trees but mostly invisible and alerted me to this male Sparrowhawk, a bit distant for a macro lens!! It was in the same clump as last year's pair so maybe there's a nest nearby or in the offing. Later it or another was harassed by a gull and stooped down into the island's largest tree as I've seen them do before. A single calling Swallow went overhead.
Both male and female Melanostoma scalare and this Green Shieldbug, Palomina prasina were in the hedge adjacent to the tarmac path.
It was too cold for bees with just a few A.flavipes, a few worn and unidentifiable individuals, plus singles of A.fulva and A, haemorrhoa neither of which were keen on being photographed.
