Dungeness - Glossy Ibis and Bittern

A stunning day at Dungeness RSPB reserve, with hardly a cloud in the sky.  My family came with me today so I was hopeful that we'd see something interesting.  We weren't disappointed!  The Hanson hide at the ARC pits was the first point of call.  A male smew, several red heads and a few golden eye were present on the ARC but the real highlight was a bittern just 10ft from the hide. 

We watched the bittern creep through the reeds, before submerging its entire head and probing deep into the base of the reeds.  We watched this unusual (or at least rarely observed) behaviour for several minutes.  A sudden splash and the bitterns head emerged, a large pike speared on its beak, bloody and thrashing about wildly.  The bittern took several minutes to swallow the fish, only to regurgitate and start all over again.  It was a breathtaking spectacle and something I wont forget in a hurry.

Later on at the rspb reserve, numerous ducks included a female scaup and lots of pintail.  Large numbers of wigeon, across the site, regularly rose into the air to evade the attention of persistent marsh harriers. Other birds of note were a firecrest and cetti's warbler.

The final highlight of the day was the sight of a glossy ibis.  This rarity was observed feeding on pasture close to the access track.  The bird was surprisingly inconspicuous amongst a group of coots.  The ibis finally sought solitude from the many lenses and green anoraks, flying west and out of view.

Rye Harbour Nature Reserve

A good day of birding on a rather overcast day at Rye Harbour Nature Reserve included fantastic views of bittern and water rail in front of the Castle Water Hide.  Other birds on Castle Water included several snipe, large numbers of common duck species plus several pintail.  

Raptor sightings included several marsh harrier over the reedbeds and a common buzzard passing over at height.  A peregrine perched for several minutes on a fence post across from the castle water hide for several minutes before departing unnoticed.  A male sparrowhawk was observed actively hunting along the gorse fringe to the water whilst a female of the same species attempted to flush birds from the reed beds in the distance. 

Finally on the walk back to the car I was treated to wonderful views of a barn owl quartering the rough grassland.  The owl hunted for several minutes, before catching and immediately swallowing a field vole.  Small mammal specialists such as owls must have struggled during the recent cold spell so it's reassuring to see one hunting so successfully.  The owl continued to hunt before plunging rapidly into the edge of the reed bed.  It remained there for several minutes before emerging with a water vole grasped in its talons.  The vole looked far too large to eat as the owl carried its quarry off over the reed bed.  A pair of kestrels looking for an easy meal harassed the owl several times in an attempt to steal its prize.  The barn owl eventually found solitude in a lone tree on the horizon before the light faded to dark and it was time to head home. 

Hengistbury Head

29/12/2010.  I love this place! There can be few places in the UK which support such a variety of habitats.  Looking out to sea I recorded four velvet scoter, several red-throated diver and a couple of eider whilst the harbour supported a mass of birds including a female scaup and a couple of golden eye.

Signs of otters are becoming
 more frequent in Christchurch



  

Other birds of note included several avocet feeding in the harbour lagoons and a sparrowhawk hunting along the footpaths.  However, the highlight of the day was a male kingfisher fishing along the edge of the harbour at high tide, a mere 2m from the busy footpath and scores of visitors.  

Also of note was the presence of three otter spraint sites.  Two were recorded along the harbour shoreline and a further site was located on the bridge near the Solent Meads golf course.  It's exciting to know they're about and when the weather improves I'll be taking the kayak out to see if I can spot one.