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One of my clients never turned up for his 3pm appointment this afternoon in Portsmouth so, killing some time for my 6pm appointment, I headed down to Thorney to see one of the Ospreys. It was a glorious day with bright sunshine and this ‘Indian Summer’ we are experiencing seems to be going on and on.
Arriving at the end of Thornham Lane, overlooking the Landing Lights, I scanned the Lights hoping for an Osprey to be perched on one of them. No sign of one, so scanning behind the reedbed further west, I found one of the birds perched on one of the fence posts. After taking several photos, which were long distance shots unfortunately, the bird soon took off, rose high in the sky and began hovering in search for fish. Sure enough, the bird then plummeted down to the water and came up with a fish in its talons and then flew off heading west high over Thorney Island towards the harbour. A second bird then joined it and followed the first bird towards the harbour also. This was my first ever sighting of an Osprey catching a fish in all these years I have been birding.
I had plenty of time on my hands and so I just watched from the car at the end of Thornham Lane to see what else might come by. The Ospreys were another year tick and I didn’t have to wait long for a second. A Willow Warbler was heard calling in the brambles nearby and eventually it flew close enough to me to pick out its leg colour and longer wings. Yellow Wagtails were seen on and off flying overhead in different directions. But a flock of twenty birds settling down near the cow trough nearby was most unexpected. They only stayed literally seconds as they soon flew off heading west. A Common Snipe flew high over the fields heading west and a male Kestrel was seen perched on one of the Landing Lights.
One of the Ospreys returned after catching another fish in the Great Deeps, then flew over the main road and headed towards the Landing Lights. Because I was watching it through the scope and it got nearer and nearer, I soon lost it and the bird apparently landed behind the reedbed and perched on a post which was out of view according to some fellow birders.
That was an enjoyable hour or so watching such a fantastic bird. They will be hanging around the harbour probably all month hopefully. Other interesting sightings include a Temmincks Stint on Farlington Marshes, which was found yesterday on the Stream in front of the Information Centre. It was still present today but I just didn’t have the time to go and see it. Also of interest, the Hampshire Ornithological Society has forwarded my Western Bonelli’s Warbler sighting last month to the British Birds Rarities Committee for ratification. We’ll just have to wait and see.
One of the Ospreys on Thorney Island this afternoon.
