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I took the morning off today to catch up with some ‘month ticking’ and so I headed to Thorney Island for migrants etc. It was a bright morning, though overcast and fortunately, I didn’t have to wear a fleece or coat. The pony fields were fairly quiet with just a handful of Black-tailed Godwits seen within the stream and several Eurasian Teals there also. A single Yellow Wagtail flew overhead heading north and a second was seen a while later heading west over Emsworth Harbour.
The footpath leading to the harbour wall produced at least four Common Whitethroats and two male Blackcaps, but apart from more commoner fare, there was little else of note. It was low tide within Emsworth Harbour and though I searched for Ospreys (up to four here now!), none were present. A flock of four Sandwich Terns were seen chasing each other near the village of Emsworth. On the Little Deeps, up to 5 Little Grebes could be seen including two juveniles and two Tufted Ducks were present also. I also picked up a drake Gadwall swimming on the water, which was a nice surprise. The Bearded Tits could be heard within the reedbeds but the buggers wouldn’t show today. A single Reed Bunting flew quickly into the reedbeds while a male Kestrel was seen perched on overhead wires. A flock of three Sand Martins also flew by though heading north!
The Great Deeps was a little more exciting with a Kingfisher showing very well. The bird was seen to catch a small fish then smack it on a nearby rock, devour it then flew off down the moat. At least three Common Sandpipers were counted over the moat and possibly a fourth seen flying into the harbour. A single Great Crested Grebe was fishing on the Great Deeps along with a Cormorant. Four more Little Grebes swam together here too.
I made another attempt to find the Spotted Crakes again down Farlington Marshes but the Gods were not smiling. One of the Crakes was seen well this morning at the far end of the Lake, but despite a patient wait for an hour and a half, there was no sign of the bird. Though the best time to see this species is normally early morning and dusk and I chose midday!!
Much of Saturday’s birds were still present on the Lake, which included the adult and juvenile Curlew Sandpiper feeding amongst the Redshanks. Two Spotshanks were also seen well feeding out in the open as well as the single Avocet. A pair of Greenshank was seen resting with the Redshank and a couple of nearby Common Snipe.
Good numbers of both Black-tailed Godwit and Dunlin were present on the Lake and a Kingfisher, my second of the day, flew past the far end of the Lake a couple of times. Though a good number of birders were present the Crake wouldn’t show and so I headed off home to get ready for the gym.
Left, three of the four Little Grebes on the Great Deeps this morning and left, the Kingfisher also seen on the Great Deeps.
