26th January 2020-Hayling Island oysterbeds
We came here today on another moody day. I took the first, third, fourth, fifth and seventh pictures in this photoset of views here today. I also took the second of our dog Missy. It was great to see waders such as Grey Plover, Dunlin, Redshank, Turnstone and Oystercatcher in great numbers on the ground and in the air it felt very spectacular and significant to see. Nice to witness in a great atmosphere for it. I also enjoyed seeing a lot of Red-breasted Mergansers today and I took the sixth picture in this photoset of a male and two females.
When round near the billy line entrance we also saw a second Greenshank in as many days as shown by the eighth and final picture in this photoset that I took today, fooled a little by its orange ring appearing to make it have red legs but as it revealed its legs more behind tufts of grass we could be sure it was the common for this area Greenshank. It meant this is likely a specific bird I have seen before which was interesting as when I saw one on the lake at Farlington Marshes nearby to here last January my first of 2019 I had thought it was Spotted Redshank until I got clearer ID pictures to show Greenshank so it could have been the orange ring I saw that time too. It certainly answered a little mystery from last year as I remember having one ID standard picture showing part of the leg as red as it stood behind a gull I think and then better ones clearly showing the legs of the Greenshank it was last year at Farlington. So I found this all fascinating and as what had been one of my prominent targets Greenshank has been my bird of the weekend after the view of one as my first of 2020 at Pennington yesterday.
We were in truth here to look for Black-necked Grebes out to sea today mainly as we saw here three years ago today with Greenshank too but after heavy scanning of langstone harbour we did not see any of the many reported lately. It had looked as we headed back as though it would be the inevitable first wildlife/photography weekend trip I’d had in a year where I didn’t get any year ticks which I was fine with. But all of a sudden my Mum spotted a bird in a bush beside the cycle path and we were delighted to find it was a Linnet. As it flew off soon after two more were with it and we saw one more when through the gate heading back to the car. This is a brilliant bird to see as its one you see so many more of in spring and I really see as a spring bird still. So it felt just really special to get to see some today. It is however my third year running seeing my first Linnet of the year in January after Netherton, Moray, Scotland in 2018 and a flock at Blashford Lakes in 2019. This year it joins only for my second January after 2018 for both of them Skylark on my year list already as well as other traditional springtime resident species Chiffchaff and Blackcap that I have seen in 2020.
It’s also a big bird on my year list as bird 122 meaning it’s the highest amount of birds I have ever seen in January by one. I am so proud to achieve this as I said yesterday. I can look at it as I saw 118 birds in January last year so I’m ahead and went on to see 200 in total last year my highest ever year list so who knows what could happen now. But to beat my 2018 January total of 121 which included two of my greatest ever birding days in Scotland for our Heatherlea birding bites tour which included an unimaginable amount of year ticks really of common that I hadn’t seen yet birds and rare ones I feel is amazing and something to celebrate early on for me in 2020 especially with the variety and calibre of many of the species seen this January.
This will probably be my January ending figure now as I can’t really see any other year ticks I might get at work next week now. However on Thursday I have the day off as I have been invited on a special guided walk in the New Forest as a result of a macro photography competition I entered last year with the national park authority. It’s not a birdwatching walk but who knows what you might see in the forest. On Saturday I am off to football again so next Sunday my February shall begin with a pretty decent amount of bird targets for me still to aim for before spring really springs with some of the February targets spring birds too so I am excited for the next month and my “My first ...” of the year statements hopefully will not stop too much yet. But what another great weekend I have had this time with two top coastal wild trips out and the Big Garden Birdwatch I really had a lot of fun.
Wildlife Sightings Summary: My first Linnets of the year, two of my favourite birds the Brent Goose and Greet Crested Grebe, Starling, Carrion Crow, Kestrel, Rock Pipit, Redshank, Greenshank, Curlew, Oystercatcher, Grey Plover, Turnstone, Dunlin, Black-headed Gull, Cormorant, Little Grebe, Red-breasted Merganser, Pintail and Wigeon.
