A trip to Pennington and Farlington Marshes.

Saturday 3rd September 2022.

There were some very interesting birds to try my luck with today, notably the long-staying Pectoral Sandpiper and Little Stint at Pennington Marshes and last night, a Bluethroat had been found at Farlington Marshes at the back of the Lake and a Wryneck near Havant Thicket. I was hoping the Bluethroat was found early morning down Farlington Marshes, but I was already past Fareham on the motorway, Pennington Marshes bound, when the news broke out the bird had been found again.

Above, a Maiden's Blush was a nice monthly addition. Below, my second Currant Pug of the year. Both in Andy's garden this morning.

Before all this excitement, Andy Fisher had his moth box on overnight and there were a few moths to go through and a nice cup of coffee to devour before making our way westbound. A total of 36 moths of 13 species was reasonable seeing it had been light for almost 2 hours before checking his moth box. A Currant Pug, Light Emerald and Maiden’s Blush were new additions for my September moth list.

A Light Emerald moth was just outside Andy's back garden.

The following moths were present in and around his moth box:  

• 6 Willow Beauty
• 1 Bright-line Brown-eye
• 3 Setaceous Hebrew Character
• 11 Square-spot Rustic
• 1 L-album Wainscot
• 3 Vine’s Rustic
• 1 Currant Pug
• 1 Light Emerald
• 1 Maiden's Blush
• 3 Agriphila geniculea
• 2 Agriphila tristella
• 2 Clepsis consimilana
• 1 Rusty-dot Pearl

There was a huge number of Starlings behind Butts Lagoon as we made our way to the Pec Sand.

It took just over an hour to get to the Lower Pennington Lane car park and thankfully, there was a spare parking space in the very small car park and so after chatting to a fellow birder within the car park and giving us the good news that the Pectoral Sandpiper was still present on Butts Lagoon, off we went. On the way there, we came across a superb Clouded Yellow butterfly and I was in luck as the butterfly landed on the rough ground, giving me enough time to take a few photos of this attractive butterfly. A Common Whitethroat flew low over the bushes briefly and a Yellow Wagtail flew south overhead. 

Up to 3 Clouded Yellow butterflies were on the wing during our trip here including this individual which kindly landed on the ground, instead of speedily flying past us! Below, Andy's first Little Ringed Plover of the year landed on Fishtail Lagoon. 

Getting onto the seawall, a passing small wader flew past us and landed on the mud on Fishtail Lagoon. It was to be Andy’s first Little Ringed Plover of the year, a nice adult too. Well pleased with this start, we made our way where several birders were watching something from the seawall. Before reaching them, there was a flock of small waders feeding on the muddy stretch of area in front of the reeds and with careful scrutiny through the 15 or so Dunlin (some most certainly looked slightly different from one another), we counted at least 7 Curlew Sandpipers (at least 15 were present on the complex of pools later in the afternoon) among them and showing much closer than the birds I saw at Farlington Marshes yesterday. Moving on, we joined some other birders present and got quickly onto the superb juvenile Pectoral Sandpiper that was showing very well below us on a small creek, alongside 3 Knot and another Dunlin. The bird showed superbly well all the time we were there and I knocked off some lovely images of this delightful American wader. I questioned one of the guys present here if there were any Little Stints present and he told us that three birds were present with the Curlew Sandpipers further back!

Top photo: Dunlin were in good numbers on Butts Lagoon. Other photos, up to 7 close Curlew Sandpipers showed well on the mud. 

So, after watching a Greenshank flying west in the distance and on the shore behind us, good numbers of Ringed Plover were present, we retraced our steps back to where we saw the Curlew Sandpipers and re-checked the Dunlin. There was most definitely NO Little Stints there and I am pretty convinced some of the Dunlin had been mistaken for the Stints. On a positive side, I found our first White Wagtail of the year feeding erratically on the mud just in front of the reeds; for there were thousands of flies on the mud. While searching through the waders, a female Reed Bunting popped out briefly and Andy shouted out that a Peregrine was flying over the saltmarsh with prey in its talons; but I failed to locate the bird. I did, however, find a smart Bar-tailed Godwit feeding with nearby Curlew on the Saltmarsh. There was a trickle of Hirundines flying south, both Swallows and Sand Martins and in the opposite direction, we saw several large skeins of Canada Geese flying north over the Solent from the Isle of Wight.

Above, some of the images I managed to grab of this superb juvenile Pectoral Sandpiper this morning. 

A bit disappointed in not seeing a Little Stint, I noticed later at home on Hants Birding that a Little Stint had been seen exactly the same time we were there on Butts Lagoon???? I’m sorry, I do know what Little Stints look like in all plumages and there was certainly no sign of any when we were there. Even the 9 Curlew Sandpipers reported seem excessive although some may have flown off? Still, a superb trip here and could we get lucky with Bluethroat on Farlington Marshes on the way back? A Kestrel was seen hovering above the scrub as we neared the car park. 

There were three very close Knot showing very well below the sea wall.

After grabbing a load of nosh from the Garage on the way back, we made our way to Farlington Marshes and parked up in the very busy car park. Some idiot decided to get stroppy with me about where I parked, despite him parking so badly that two cars could have parked in his spot. So I asked him to move his car so I could get in. He did and then drove off! Just laughable, some people. We grabbed our gear and joined the large group of birders already assembled on the sea wall of which a lot of them were the ‘Lazee Birders’ and a few well known birders present. 

Two of the Knot below the sea wall with a Dunlin in the centre at Butts Lagoon.

It turned out that not only a Bluethroat was present at the back of the Lake, but a Spotted Crake as well, which really whetted the appetite. Apparently, the Bluethroat was very elusive and during the time we were there (about a couple of hours), it only popped out once and was seen only by a lucky few as it perched on a reed stem and then flew back in again! Ger-rumble! Then Kevin, one of the ‘Lazee’s’, shouted out that a probably Crake was showing in the same place at the back of the Lake. This I did manage to get onto, but only briefly and it certainly did look like a Spotted Crake, small and dumpy, but the shout of Water Rail went up and our hearts sank. However, I am still not convinced and possibly both species were present? Another ‘Lazee’ reckoned he got a view of the bird's bill and was convinced it was a Spotted Crake and accepted it. Two bird theory perhaps?

The White Wagtail seen on the dried up pools on Butts Lagoon. That was a nice bonus.

During our time there, there were 7 Curlew Sandpipers present at the far end of another Lake and talking to local birder Jason Crook, he said there were 11 birds here earlier this morning, which included two adults and 9 juveniles! Also, a Little Stint was present as well! Bugger! Out in the harbour, someone spotted a Peregrine chasing a Pigeon over the harbour heading north and getting on the bird, we all watched the hapless Pigeon get caught by the raptor as the bird then settled on the mudflats to enjoy eating its victim. Mother nature is merciless with us watching the world's fastest bird catching its prey. The Osprey was seen distantly perched on the trees on North Binness Island.

The female Peregrine enjoying its fresh kill of a Pigeon within Langstone Harbour.

There was a Wryneck reported at a place called Peartree Green Nature Reserve of which some of the ‘Lazee’s’ departed for the bird. Hopefully, they got onto the bird and another Wryneck was reported from the New Forest today also. There was one here on Farlington Marshes seen by Jason Crook earlier this week, so it's worth keeping our eyes peeled now one of the busiest months for scarcities and rarities has arrived. Keeping an eye on the Whatsapp Lazee Birder site, the Bluethroat reappeared briefly again for about a minute and a juvenile Garganey was on the Lake late afternoon.  

The juvenile Pectoral Sandpiper on Butts Lagoon.