Black-throated Diver off Redbridge Wharf.

Saturday 25th November 2023.

The Black-throated Diver on the River Test.

It was just Geoff Farwell and myself birding today as poor Mr Fisher had a touch of Influenza to deal with. Our goal today was to see the Black-throated Diver on the River Test from Redbridge Wharf, a site where Andy Fisher and myself saw the immature Iceland Gull earlier this year. The weather was simply superb, with hardly a breath of wind this morning and a clear blue sky. However, it was very cold with a heavy frost in places. In fact, temperatures rarely got above 5 degrees. 

Above, some of the photos I took of the Black-throated Diver on the River Test. 

After parking the car, we made our way over the railway bridge and then bumped into both Emma and Matt Parkes who gave us directions on where to look for the Black-throated Diver they had successfully seen earlier. Then joining several other birders, who pointed out where the bird was, we were quickly onto the bird swimming with a Great Northern Diver on a very calm River Test. Though distant at first, the birds eventually came in very close and showed extremely well hunting for crabs and shellfish. It was a photographer's dream this morning and many photos were taken of these superb birds. The Black-throated Diver sighting now puts me on 202 species in Hampshire for the year and 208 for the year and we still have another month to go. Will we have a Hampshire Waxwing to finish off the year?

Above and below, one of the Common Sandpipers by the bridge on the River Test.

Above and below, a couple of photos of the Great Northern Diver.

Above, the female Marsh Harrier making its way towards Lower Test Marshes and below, a skein of Canada Geese heading up the river.

Both the Great Northern and Black-throated Diver were joined by a nice selection of birds at Redbridge Wharf. Also swimming on the still water were at least three Great Crested Grebes (that also came fairly close in). Two Common Sandpipers were seen by the road bridge to the east and a Kingfisher was seen twice also by the bridge. A Chiffchaff was heard calling in the trees behind us and overhead, a female type Marsh Harrier flew high towards nearby Lower Test Marshes. On the opposite side of the River, we could see a good number of Wigeon grazing on the marshes along with a few Curlew and a couple of Little Egrets. The area looks totally undisturbed and potentially a good area for some birding.  Fellow ‘Lazee’ Andy Tew joined us and after having a good chat, especially about the ‘suppressed’ Red-backed Shrike that was on Testwood Lakes for nearly a week (that really didn't go down well among the ‘Lazee’s!)Geoff and I made our way back to the car. On the way back, I finally met up with Christine Whiffen (I use a lot of her photos on my blog) who drove down from Norfolk to see the Divers!

Above and below, a Great Crested Grebe trying to swallow a large fish it had just caught. Another bird was looking on in front of the Tern Hide.

Above, this group of four Great Crested Grebes were joined by a fifth bird. Below, a small flock of Shoveler flying over Ivy Lake.

Our next stop was to be Blashford Lakes; a place Geoff has only visited once and so we headed for the Tern Hide first to check out Ivy Lake. On the way there, while driving along the Roger Penny Way (B3078), I saw my first Fieldfares of the season, with two birds perched in a nearby bush and also a pair of Redwing flying over the road and into nearby woodland. From the Tern Hide at Blashford Lakes, I was scanning over the lake and I saw something odd. I thought I was seeing things and told Geoff I thought I had seen some Hirundines and so I set up my scope and yes, I had found a pair of Swallows chasing insects over the water at the northern end of the lake. I think this is the latest I have seen Swallows in the UK by some distance. Other sightings included a pair of Great White Egrets preening at the far end of the lake and a Green Sandpiper flew over the lake close in and disappeared north towards the Goosander Hide.

Above, a Coal Tit and below, a female Siskin. Both birds were by the car park within the reserve Centre.

Three female Goosanders flew over and landed out of sight behind the spit in front of the Goosander Hide and a distant Red Kite was seen soaring to the north while a Common Buzzard was noted perched in a tree, also at the northern end of the lake. There were plenty of wildfowl on show, though distant, that included Pintail, Shoveler, Teal, Gadwall, Mallard, Pochard and Tufted Duck and at least 6 Goldeneye were present including two drakes. Small numbers of Egyptian Geese were on the east side of the lake and good numbers of Great Crested Grebes were present including one individual that was seen trying to swallow a huge fish it had caught (see photos).

Above, a clump of Clouded Funnel toadstools. Below, another flock of Shoveler going over.

Above, this Coot was fishing right in front of the Ivy South Hide.

We eventually took a walk around the Reserve Centre, a brief stop in the Woodland Hide (it was like being in a freezer in there!) and then off to Ivy South Hide where we had a good array of wildfowl to sift through. Gadwall, Teal, Shoveler, Wigeon, Tufted Duck, Pochard and Mallard were all present in good numbers and at least four Grey Herons were present resting in the reeds or trees along with many Cormorants. A Kingfisher could be heard several times behind the Hide, but no sighting of the bird, unfortunately. We then took a walk around the perimeter where we saw some Nuthatches, a few Siskins and some interesting Fungi that included a clump of Clouded Funnel toadstools.

Above, some Gadwall came in front of the Ivy South Hide with an inquisitive Black-headed Gull.

Above and below, this Grey Heron also flew past close to the same hide.

Our final stop today was to be Blackgutter Bottom for a possible Hen-harrier or Merlin and I think we had both. Though it was cold, I was well wrapped up, but the wind got up after an hour and so we made our way back to the car and home. But during that hour, we first saw a Common Buzzard get up from the small clump of trees and then rise to soar around the area and head off over the heath. A couple of Stonechats were seen and also a small flock of Meadow Pipits close by and after 30 minutes or so, I spotted a Hen-harrier hunting low over the heath on the horizon to the south. Unfortunately, it was right under the sun, so all we saw was a silhouette, but I was sure I saw some grey on the bird when it flew past a distant tree that was behind the bird. We were hoping it would fly in our direction and at first, it looked as though it was, but it returned back to where we first saw it and eventually disappeared south and out of view.

Two record shots of the distant Hen-harrier at Blackgutter Bottom.

Later, I found a falcon species perched in a distant tree to the west. We really needed to use the scope but I had left it in the car and so we waited for the bird to fly. It looked good for a Merlin, but when it did fly due to a family walking their dog nearby, only Geoff saw it and he said he wouldn't rule out a Kestrel, but on close inspection on my laptop, it did look like a Merlin. Not a bad day birding with some great sightings today and though a very cold day, at least the weather was superb.      

This Nuthatch showed well along the wooded trail behind the Centre Car park.