Sunday 12th February - Frozen

Saturday was freezing, and Saturday night even colder, at home the temperature was -8c and it was a few degrees colder in Hindhead. Saturday was largely spent around the house with Han and Adie.

Starting at Fishbourne Creek on Sunday morning, it was bitterly cold, with a fairly low tide, the ice encrusted mud flats just needing Polar Bears running around to complete the scene. Fishbourne can be a good place in Winter for over-wintering waders you would normally expect to see in Spring, which is what I'd hoped for. There was a good number of commoner birds in the channels, plenty of Dunlin, Grey Plover, Black-tailed Godwit, Ringed Plover, Common Snipe, Wigeon, Teal, Pintail, Shelduck and Littile Egret. It took a quite a search before I found a Greenshank and then further up the wintering Little Stint. With cold toes and watering eyes I slowly wandered back picking up 2 Spotted Redshanks, and in the flock of Brent Geese a Black Brant. It was a decent haul of birds and only theWhimbrel eluded me.

I next called in at Hayling Island (just over the county border into Hampshire), where there has been a Shorelark present and it was being well watched on shingle bank when I arrived. There were also 12 Black-necked Grebes offshore with good numbers of Goldeneye and Red-breasted Mergansers.

I decided to head back to Thorney Island, calling in at Warblington on the way and was lucky enough to see the Cattle Egret as soon as I arrived, as it has a habit of being fairly elusive.A Great White Egret had been reported on Thorney Island and I had my hopes up of having a 3 Egret day - not often achieved in the UK but becoming easier with the expanded ranges of the 3 Egret species. Thorney Island is predominantly a military base, with a footpath which circumnavigates the island. There are viewing opportunities at the security gates but this often gets mixed reactions from the Sentries on duty !. I headed down the East side footpath with another birder, who was pursuing the same bird, as far as the Security gate which allowed limited views back up the channel. Other than Marsh Harrier, Buzzard and another Greenshank we saw very little, then approaching the cars again 2 other birders were waving frantically as they had the Great White Egret visible behind some reeds, a great way to end a rather cold day out.

Back at home, 6 Bramblings were seen ! Never had this many at Greyhound.

View across first field.

Hazel catkins were frozen

Long-tiled Tit 

More Brambling Pictures

Redshank at Fishbourne

Black-tailed Godwits

Arctic Tundra ? - view across Fishbourne Creek

Cattle Egret - Warblington

Brent Geese at Thorney