Minding my own with various tasks this morning, I was just having a haircut when I saw a message that a Hudsonian Godwit had been found at Titchfield Haven in Hants. After a sandwich at home, I decided to drive the hour to Titchfield in a warm sunny afternoon.
Last month in both Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico I had been looking at large shorebird flocks which were typically of birds in large numbers that would be considered rarities in the UK. So 250+ Semi-palmated Sandpipers, 200+ Least Sandpipers, Western Sandpipers, White-rumped Sandpipers, 50+ Stilt Sandpipers, Lesser and Greater Yellowlegs and the list goes on, and one such bird was a Hudsonian Godwit. However, like the Least Sandpiper at Medmerry the Hudsonian Godwit was not a bird I'd caught up with in the UK before now.
After sorting out parking and a permit for entry I was soon in a packed hide where the Hudsonian Godwit was with Black-tailed Godwits at the back of a scrape, over the next couple of hours it did venture a little closer and a couple of times flew a short distance which allowed a view of the distinctive black underwings. Also on the site were Bar-tailed Godwit, Common Sandpiper, Common Tern, Hobby, Marsh Harrier and lots of nesting Black-headed Gulls.
Nice way to spend a Friday afternoon.
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| The scrape at Titchfield Haven from the hide |
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| Hudsonian Godwit (r) with Black-tailed Godwit (l) |
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| Hudsonian Godwit |
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| Hudsonian Godwit |
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| Hudsonian Godwit |
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| In flight from behind |
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| showing black underwing |
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| Black-tailed Godwit |
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