A good day at Hayling Island & Warblington.

Saturday 1st February 2025.

This gorgeous Sandwich Tern was off the Oysterbeds and more were seen in Chichester Harbour.

Another good days birding with Geoff and Andy which took us around Hayling Island and we finished the day around the fields and Cemeteries at Warblington. Though there was hardly any wind (except by the seafront), it remained a very overcast day with thick clouds making the light not that great for photography, especially for distant birds. On a positive note, I notched up another 8 new species for the year, while Andy grabbed 9 species today. 

Sandy & Black Point, Eastoke, Hayling Island:

A dull grey start to the day made photographing the distant birds very difficult, hence no photos from this area bar this one of the harbour entrance at Sandy Point. 

We had a good trip here at these sites, which kicked off with a good look at the harbour entrance. From the Lifeboat Station, a female Common Scoter was sitting on the calm water within the entrance and at least two Great Northern Divers were present there. Looking further into Chichester Harbour, I found my first Sandwich Tern of the year flying low over the harbour heading west. Through the scope, I picked up several Mergansers and Great Crested Grebes and even found a pair of Slavonian Grebes that eventually made their way to the harbour entrance and were joined by one of the Great Northern Divers and the female Common Scoter. Yesterday, 8 Slav Grebes were found late in the day here at this site.

High tide was around 1.30pm today, hence why I decided to go here first and view the birds on a rising tide. The sand bar just north of East Head held a drake Eider resting out of the water and was later seen flying low over the harbour and heading south. We made our way down past the Sailing Club to view the waders from Black Point where, among many Oystercatchers and lesser numbers of Curlew, I found a couple of Knot feeding together to add to both Andy and my year list. Not a great deal else to be seen here, so we made our way to Sandy Point again and viewed the Gorse bushes for a possible Dartford Warbler. Both Pete Gammage and Keith Turner were here and as we joined them for a chat, Pete picked out not only a drake Common Scoter heading east low over the sea, but a large flock of FIFTEEN Red-throated Divers heading distantly westbound high over the Solent. Another new bird species for our growing year list. Sadly, no sign of anything lurking in the Gorse bushes but there was a pair of Teal on the pool in the distance.

Hayling Oysterbeds, Hayling Island:s

This Sandwich Tern flew close past us when we reached the Oysterbeds.

Our next stop was to be the Oysterbeds and as the tide was nearly at its peak, the waders were pouring in to roost on the exposed islands by the Beds. From the Car Park, we enjoyed a hot tasty snack from the nearby Greggs and I picked out Andy’s first Med Gull of the year nearby resting on the water. Also from the Car Park, two Goldeneye swam close to one another: a drake and what looked like an immature drake. Three Black-necked Grebes were easily picked up within the harbour, well south of the Oysterbeds on a flat calm water along with good numbers of Mergansers and Great Crested Grebes.

Above, this adult Med Gull was joined by a second bird and below, a showy flock of Turnstone close to the footpath.

Above, at least a dozen Turnstone were just below where we stood on the spit and below, our first Rock Pipit of the year finally gave itself up.

When we reached the end of the spit overlooking the harbour, more new birds for the year started to appear. At last, our first Rock Pipit flew towards us and landed below us on the rocky shoreline and showed well. Andy managed to pick out a Greenshank over on the far side of the Oysterbeds, another new species for the year and on the main pool, two more Med Gulls swam with at least three Mergansers. I gave a good scan over the islands looking for a Peregrine, but it was on my third sweep that I found a female bird sitting on South Binness Island to add to my year list. The waders passing by kept us busy most of the time and looking skywards, three Ravens were flying together and circled round and round for a while till flying off east. As we passed the big main pool, a gathering of 5 Little Grebes were present with the Mergansers to round off a good trip to this part of the Oysterbeds.

Above, three photos of the Ravens over our heads at the Oysterbeds. Note that one of the birds was upside down! Below, a drake Merganser caught a fish.

Above, a mass of waders jostling for a space on one of the islands and below, five Med Gulls together on the island near the Car Park. One of the birds was in full summer plumage.

We made our way eventually around to the Hayling Billy Line where we found out that the area south along the Bill Line was blocked and so we had to turn back and walk back the way we had come. A bloody headache indeed! Before that, I checked the islands the waders were resting on and found two Whimbrels together sleeping quietly on the rising tide. These were also my first of the year and totally unexpected too, though I did hear a rumour that at least one bird had been wintering here. Despite a damn good search through the scope, I could not locate any Bar-tailed Godwits, though some other birder said they had seen two here around 1pm! Fume!

The two sleeping Whimbrel in the northern end of the Oysterbeds.

Warblington, Hampshire:

Up to 7 Cattle Egrets were seen with Cattle south of Pook Lane.

My last stop today was for the Cattle Egrets in the Cow fields around Warblington. We reached Pook Lane and quickly had a good look for the Barn Owl in one of the nearby trees. Sadly, it was nowhere to be seen. Last year, the bird was getting disturbed by not only ‘toggers’, but other interference from non-birders too and there have been no further reports of the Owls since, I believe.

A Cattle Egret (left) and a Little Egret by the Cattle and below, the Green Woodpecker in the south Cemetery. 

Looking south into one of the Cow fields, it was ‘Bingo’ as we found a total of 7 Cattle Egrets stood motionless by a herd of Cattle. There was a huge number of birds present here including up to 100+ Stock Doves, 40+ Wood Pigeons and at least 50+ Jackdaws as well as a large flock of Starlings all in this one field! The Cattle Egrets were my first of the year and my 8th new bird today. Two Little Egrets were also among the other Egrets too and a male Kestrel was close by to add to an impressive number of birds. Wait for it, wait for it………..Andy got his first Rook’s of the year flying over, lol!!!

Above, the Greenshank on the Oysterbeds. A second bird was on the big pool by the Hayling Billy Line. Below, some of the Mergansers and Med Gull on the Oysterbeds.

Not done with Warblington, we parked up by the Church and tried our luck for Green Woodpecker within the nearby Cemetery, just south of the Church. I have previously been lucky with Green Woodpecker sightings here in the past and sure enough, we found one over on the west side of the Cemetery. That put a big smile on Andy’s face. Not an awful lot else seen here as we made our way then to the new Cemetery, east of the Church. We came across a large flock of Collared Doves that were taking advantage of the exposed hay bales by the farm along with several Chaffinches and Goldfinches. At least five Little Egrets were with the Cattle north of the new Cemetery and a male Kestrel flew low over the Cemetery and headed off south to round off a very good day’s birding again.