Martin Mere

Marsh harrier 1 female / juv.
Whooper swan 1000
Ruff 80
Wigeon 1000
Teal 300
Shelduck 300
Tree sparrow 20

Ruff

Whooper swans.

Eccleston Mere

Water rail 1 in ditch on west side
Siskin 80 in wet wood
Snipe 10
Goldeneye 3 (2 males, 1 female)
Tufted duck 4
Kingfisher 1
Grey wagtail 1
Nuthatch 1
Goldcrest 1

The Water rail was in the ditch between the outlet and the south west corner. It didn't seem too bothered by my presence, and I just walked alongside it for a couple of minutes. Unfortunately it was too dark in the ditch for a decent photo, and it didn't stay still for long enough. It was very vocal, squealing away most of the time I was watching it.

The siskins were an impressive sight in the woods, one of the largest flocks I've seen at the mere.

Eccleston Mere

Snipe 9
Goldeneye 1 male
Pochard 2 males
Tufted duck 3 (male & 2 females)
Siskin 2
Cormorant 3
Black-headed gull 200
Common gull 30
Lesser black-backed gull 2
Herring gull 50 (mainly flying over)

Denhall Lane, Dee Estuary

American wigeon 1 male
Wigeon 200
Teal 200
Pink-footed goose 300 over

Year 256 (American wigeon)

I'm still picking up year ticks with surprising regularity, I don't want this year to end. The American wigeon showed really well in the early morning sunshine, it's green mask looking almost iridescent.

I've always had a soft spot for Denhall Lane, it was one of the first places I went to on the Dee many years ago, and the walk from here to the Decca pools is probably my favourite part of the Dee.

The views are at their best here as well, this is Moel Famau from Denhall Lane.

Tanners Lane, Hampshire

This morning I was at Tanners Lane for first light, on the Hampshire coast, to have a last look at the brents before I returned home this afternoon. There was a decent sized flock of about 800 birds, but no sign of the black brant that was reported from here two days ago. It's always a great experience to watch brents though, and this was a place I've never been to before, with good views over the Solent to the Isle of Wight and the Needles, so it was well worth the effort. There were also plenty of waders, in particular dunlin and grey plover.

Most spectacularly, while I was watching the brent goose flock, they suddenly flew up in terror as a goshawk appeared from nowhere and briefly chased them. Awesome! I've never seen any bird of prey chase geese before! Ironically, the name goshawk comes from the Old English name "goose hawk", but I'm not sure if that is because of its size or its habit of preying on geese. I found at least one photo on the internet of a goshawk eating a brent goose.

Last week it was pale-bellied brents in Ireland, this week it's dark-bellied brents in Hampshire, but wherever they are, brents always present an impressive spectacle.

A view over the Solent to the Isle of Wight and the Needles.

Lepe Country Park, Hampshire

Lesser yellowlegs 1
Redshank 2
Ringed plover 30
Dunlin 20
Turnstone 30

Year 255 (Lesser yellowlegs)

Lesser yellowlegs and Redshank. Guess which is the yellowlegs....

Ringed plover and Dunlin.

A supertanker in the Solent at dawn.

Hayling Island and Langstone Harbour

I took a minor detour off the A27 and drove the mile or so to Hayling Island, and ate my lunch overlooking Langstone Harbour. It was a gloriously sunny day, and the light was perfect, allowing me excellent views of 500 Dark-bellied brent geese, 50 Red-breasted mergansers and a nice selection of waders, including Greenshank and Grey plover.