This morning we met at Keyhaven with the intent on concentrating on Wader identification and ageing but it turned into a Raptor day to. We started with Turnstone flying in and landing on the seawall waiting for the tide to go out a little so they could feed on the shore edge. These gave a good opportunity to see first winter and moulting adult plumages. As we walked the seawall we searched for more waders and found them, Curlew, Ringed Plover, Black-tailed Godwit, Redshank, Dunlin and Grey Plovers. A flight of ten Knot flew off the marsh and headed off towards Hurst Castle. What was nice we had fairly good views of most and able to find first winter and adult birds.
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| Sum/plumage Grey Plover Keyhaven © Nick Hull |
A little further on looking over a patch of scrub and gorse where we usually find Dartford Warbler and we found two, but soon realised that there were more birds feeding around in the sunny warm sheltered patch. Watching for and checking out every movement we started checking off more species, Blue and Great Tit, Dunnock, a Robin then three Common Whitethroat, a juvenile Redstart, Lesser Whitethroat, Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff.
Fran spotted a bird of prey fly through low most certainly a Sparrowhawk from her description our first bird of prey of the day. We moved on looking for more waders and found Snipe, Redshank and Greenshank, then Pauline picked out a distant Wheatear which turned in to two as we got closer. Keyhaven lagoon produced Grey Heron Little Egret and one or two Teal, but a distant raptor turned out to be a Common Buzzard (2nd BoP), followed very quickly when I picked up a female Marsh Harrier (BoP N0.3). We checked out Fishtail Lagoon but added Teal, Mallard and a flight of Gadwall over. The lagoon were very full of water and even the island were covered possibly why there were few waders present but Little Grebe was new for the day. As we approached the Butts lagoon we had our fourth bird of prey with a Peregrine that stooped into a small flight of Swallow and Sand Martins but missed and lost interest and headed off towards the Isle of Wight.
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| Stretching Little Egret Keyhaven © Nick Hull |
Out on the Solent I managed to find a couple of Eider and a small group of Sandwich Tern were roosting out on one of the points of the marsh. We were about to head off towards the ancient highway when Liz and Pauline almost simultaneously called Kingfisher, a blue flying dart streaked up the drainage ditch and settled down on a dead elder some way off before heading off out of sight. Looking over the new gravel pit lake we found a number of roosting gulls and Joe found a Common Sandpiper. We were adjacent to the balancing pond when Joe spotted another raptor about the same time Liz and I heard a Peregrine calling but Joe said I think I have a Sparrowhawk. As we watched we saw the Peregrine make a couple of passes at Joe's bird, before moving off. I realised it was too big for Sparrowhawk and my first thought was possible a roaming Goshawk. I went for my scope and as soon as I found it and had a better view as the bird soared I saw a long tail broad wings and a small head and barred tail. There was no bulging secondaries or white fluffy vent area it was more buzzard like, I then saw the barred tail and barring on the underwing and it became obvious that it was a Honey Buzzard not atypical plumage as it was quite pale individual. (BoP No.5). As we watched it climb and pass overhead we watched a Sparrowhawk and then a Kestrel (BoP No.6) had a little go at it and saw it on its way toward the Isle of Wight. A very nice finish for the morning birding.
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