'Booming' Bittern & Black-winged Stilt.

Saturday 27th April 2024.

The female Black-winged Stilt on the Links Pool (right) shares a stretch of mud with Mallards and Avocets. Yet another superb scarce bird to be found in Hampshire this month.

I think this April could go down as one of the best ever when it comes to rare birds in Hampshire. With the likes of Marsh Sandpiper, Hoopoe, Alpine Swift, Montegue’s Harrier and Purple Heron being seen this month, the fine run of these amazing birds continued today when a female Black-winged Stilt had been found this morning on the reserve of Hook-with-Warsash. I have been very lucky in seeing two of the above birds and now we had the chance of seeing the Stilt this morning. Not only did we get to see this superb wader, but there (for me) was something even more amazing to come later in the afternoon. The day kicked off with Andy Fisher’s moth box, which, unfortunately, pulled in no moths whatsoever overnight. Not a great start to the day (it was raining overnight so I didn't put my own moth box on), but it was going to get better. We took in three locations today and spent a lot of the day with good friends Matt and Emma Parkes and also got a chance to increase our birding year list too.

Above, this Seal was fishing off the beach in front of the shelter at Gilkicker. Below, Sandwich Terns resting on the buoy in the Solent with the Isle of Wight in the background.

Above, a trio of Whimbrel were flying east over the Solent and below, a female Wheatear on the beach were a regular feature during our time at Gilkicker.

Top three photos of the Wheatears at Gilkicker this morning.

Gilkicker, Gosport:

After having fun and games with the ticket machine in the car park by Gilkicker, we eventually joined another birder and both Matt and Emma in a sea-watch. Geoff, Andy and myself had already missed a pale-phased Arctic Skua by around ten minutes (I blame that ticket machine!! Grrrrr!) that had sped off east over a very calm Solent, but we quickly got onto our first Whimbrel of the year. At least 5 more birds were seen including a small flock of three birds all heading east and some uttering their distinctive call. Hirudines were trickling in low over the sea that included both Swallows and Sand Martins and offshore, good numbers of Sandwich Terns were fishing and at least two Common Terns headed east too. A Seal was fishing just offshore and was even seen wrestling with a large fish. On the beach, a few Linnets were seen, but at least four Wheatears were flying up and down the beach and looked stunning in the weak sunshine. We soon got the message that a Black-winged Stilt had been found on the Links Pool at Hook-with-Warsash. The sea passage here went very quiet and so we made our way to our next destination.

Above, this male Linnet was one of several by the beach at Hook-with-Warsash and below, the two Whinchats out in the fields south of the main pools.

Above, 'top togger' Emma concentrating on her subject and below, one of the many Avocets on the Links Pool.

Above, the Holly Blue butterfly enjoying the Gorse flowers and below, one of several Wheatears present on the reserve. This one is a female.

Above and below, this showy Skylark was present on the beach amongst the Sea Kale.

Above, another female Wheatear on the beach here and below, flowering Sea Campion growing on the beach.

The female Black-winged Stilt with an Avocet (digiscoped photo).

Hook-with-Warsash:

Parking up in Hook Park Road, we made our way to the reserve and passed some fellow birders, they confirmed the Stilt was still there an hour ago. Excellent. But also a couple of Whinchats and Wheatears too! Even better! It didn't take too long to walk along the shingle on the edge of the beach to catch up with fellow birder, Simon King, who kindly let us use his scope to view the pair of male Whinchats perched within the dead Gorse Bushes. We do not often get to see ‘Spring’ Whinchats, but there were two scrumptious birds in front of us. Linnets were all around and the occasional Swallow and Sand Marten was flying over our heads too. After enjoying our second ‘year-tick’ of the day, we caught up with both Matt and Emma Parkes watching the female Black-winged Stilt still on the Links Pool on a thin stretch of mud within the pool. The last time I saw this species was on Sidlesham Ferry Pool,  the successful breeding birds from Medmerry RSPB Reserve.  The bird was busy preening during our time there and only occasionally moved away from its location, but eventually, it disappeared entirely even though we never saw it fly away. But it turned out that the bird had moved behind a stretch of reeds. Also present were up to 5 Common Sandpipers, which were also new for the year for us all; about a dozen Avocets and a gorgeous pair of Little Grebes in their fine summer plumage. While watching the Stilt through the scope, a pair of Stonechats were seen in the reedbed behind as well as a Sedge Warbler. While chatting to the Parke’s, a blue butterfly flew past us and fortunately, the butterfly landed close by on some Gorse, which turned out to be a Holly Blue.

Above three Swifts with a House Martin over Fishlake Meadows. Below, the Garden Warbler that was seen briefly.

Above, the Garden Warbler about to fly off into deeper cover and below, this Chiffchaff was seen bringing in feathers to line its nest just below us by the Canal Path.

Fishlake Meadows, Romsey:

What better place to finish off a superb day's birding? There was a long list of good birds seen here today and something the three of us were going to remember for a long time too. Though it was overcast and we knew rain was coming in later this afternoon, it didn't take long to find our first Swifts of the year. In fact, there must have easily been around 30+ birds flying over the reserve looking west over the reserve from the Canal Path and also among them were both Sand and House Martins and a few Swallows too. A great start. Close by, with Cetti's Warblers, Chiffchaffs, Sedge Warblers, Reed Warblers and Blackcaps singing all around us, a Garden Warbler was singing its heart out within a Willow tree. The bird showed only briefly now and then, but remained faithful to the area throughout the afternoon. While checking the Hirundines and Swifts, Andy spotted a Hobby flying over the far side, but it disappeared quickly into the woodland. Thankfully, the Hobby came out again and this time showed very well and was joined by a second bird, both hawking over the reserve throughout the afternoon. A pair of Ravens flew over the reserve and headed off north to add to an already growing list of excellent sightings and it got better.

Above and below, this Hobby was soaring over the reserve which was one of two birds present here today.

Above, clumps of Yellow Iris were flowering and below, this was one of many Sedge Warblers seen today. Delightful birds.

Meeting up with both Matt and Emma again, they told us they were chatting to a birder who claimed he had seen a Black Kite (a serious rubbing of chin on that one!) earlier today over the reserve. He also told them that the flooded fields to the north of the reserve held both Little Ringed Plovers and Yellow Wagtails and so we all headed in that direction. Earlier today, a putative Iberian Chiffchaff was seen and heard in the location we were making our way too and we believe we actually saw and heard the bird. My theory is that it was a Willow Warbler that also sang the Chiffchaff song as part of it and not a classic Iberian Chiffchaff after comparing it to the bird Andy and I had in a Winchester wood a few years back.

Above, another Sedge Warbler in full song and below, Emma found this female Blackcap up in a tree beside the Canal Path.

This Roe Deer was seen north of the reserve.

When we reached the said field to the north of the reserve, the area held good numbers of GreyLag and Canada Geese as well as a single Egyptian Goose. Pied Wagtails were everywhere with at least a dozen birds present and we even found a juvenile bird among the adults that had us scratching our heads for a while. There was no sign of any Yellow Wagtails that we could find, but a female Grey Wagtail popped up and showed very well and then the shout went up from Matt that he had found a Little Ringed Plover hiding in the muddy area within the field. Not one, but three were found in total and there we added another new species for the year. Also present were at least three Little Egrets and up to 5 Lapwings present among all the other birds. Emma found a Red Kite flying high overhead and further out in the fields, a Roe Deer came out and stared at us before walking back into the woods. On our way back, we saw a carpet of Cuckoo flowers on the adjacent field and at least three Muntjac Deer were seen in the woodland on the opposite side.

The Black-winged Stilt at Hook-with-Warsash.

We all decided to make our way to the screen overlooking the pools, but the deep water on the footpaths held me, Geoff and Andy back and there we said goodbye to Emma and Matt. Earlier, Matt had picked out a small flock of Common Terns in the same pool, but they were distant. But from the same stretch of footpath, we heard our first Bittern ‘boom’. I have never heard a Bittern  in the 40+ years of birding and have to say, I think we were all not only surprised, but even elated. Earlier at this site, Andy was sure he heard the Bittern ‘boom’ from the Canal Path. I even got a text from Emma asking if we heard the Bittern ‘boom’ too! The rain started to fall now and so we ‘hot footed’ it  back to the car, but not before ‘clocking’ a Marsh Tit to add to our impressive list of superb birds today. Great company, great birds and a ‘lifer’ too!