Dorset Holiday Day 12

Our last full day! My brother had an open day for his placement next year, which was in Gosport. Adjacent to Gosport is Titchfield Haven NNR with its ever resident Greater Yellowlegs, so that is where I got dropped off for the day.

I arrived to the news the Greaterlegs was in front of the hide, but picked it up on the river, as viewed from the road. It was fairly close and I got some nice views in the morning light before it flew off after about half an hour. I later watched it distantly from the Suffern Hide, for about an hour intermittently, before it flew off again late afternoon, when I was picked up by my parents.

-Greater Yellowlegs

 Between watching the yellowlegs I wandered round the reserve on Scrapes Trail, looking in the hide. In the first hide it was a very similar composition to my other visit here. However, that was rudely interrupted when the birder next to me pointed out a couple of Bearded Tits in the reeds right in front of us. It was the best view I have ever had of the species, and this included a superb moustached male. I was able to get some pretty nice shots and what was the best encounter I have ever had with this species.

-Bearded Tit

 On the path further round, at the Pumfett Hide, there were a few more nice additions to the day list. There was an Avocet in front of the hide which looked quite nice in the light. There were a few Juvenile Mediterranean Gulls too, as well as an adult. They were a plumage tick for me, as I have never seen juveniles looking as fresh as this. A final bonus was a Fluvlous Whistling Duck, which is obviously an escape but I seem to recall is resident. It was distant but was still nice to see. I would hazard a guess that this was the source of the ruddy shelduck reports earlier in the week.

-Avocet

-Juvenile Mediterranean Gulls

-Fulvous Whistling Duck

The other hides were quiet, mainly composed of commoner wetland species such as a nice Greenshank on the river with the Greater Yellowlegs. It was a nice comparison between the two species, but it was distant so I could not get a photo. Common Sandpiper, Redshank and Black Tailed Godwit were also all present, while Common Terns were fishing all the bodies of water. It was a pretty sweet day overall, a nice way to end the holiday.

In the evening we headed up the Nightjar point again and were rewarded with good views, but the views were far more inconsistent than they had been the previous night, with long periods where the birds had gone quite. That being said there were occasions when they were flying round our heads calling, which was awesome as per.

Species List:

Titchfield Haven NNR: Turnstone, Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Greater Yellowlegs, Redshank, Common Tern, Linnet, Oystercatcher, Black-Headed Gull, Herring Gull, Great Black-Backed Gull, Lapwing, Black-Tailed Godwit, Moorhen, Coot, Mallard, Mute Swan, Cormorant, Avocet, Teal, Grey Heron, Gadwall, Starling, Blackbird, Magpie, Bearded Tit, Chiffchaff, Whitethroat, Canada Goose, Common Sandpiper, Sand Martin, Kestrel, Shellduck, Stock Dove, Mediterranean Gull, Shoveler, Marsh Harrier, Reed Bunting, Little Egret, Greenfinch, Wren, Blue Tit, Goldfinch, Bullfinch, House Sparrow, Robin, Song Thrush, Greenshank, Carrion Crow, Long-Tailed Tit, Dunnock, Willow Warbler, Jay, Great Tit