Sunday
14th February Fresh NE sunny intervals
A
milestone reached yesterday, 1,000 miles cycled this year so far.
Today
starts with more of a push than a cycle. Along the canal path from
Titchfield village, which is a beautiful brook-like waterway instead
of a traditional tow path and barge wide canals that I am more used
to, I stop when a birder shows me a barn owl sleeping in hole on a
twisted tree. It is a beautiful sunny day and the light is clear and
fresh.
The way
deteriorates into a muddy swamp with places where the canal is
overflowing. There is a target bird that has been reported somewhere
along this mire and so I persevere, laugh and push, curse and wade.
The bird is a water pipit and after an hour of searching and getting
extremely wet and muddy feet, and getting the bike clogged up also,
there has only been one pipit. It flies up from a wet area of
grassland with rushes but disappears without giving views.
I continue
to search. I continue to push.
A phone
call from Phil Andrews can only mean one thing, a very rare bird is
somewhere nearby.
“Forget
the water pipit,” he shouts. “There is a red-flanked bluetail at
Lymington!”
The final
half mile of mud and water are negotiated and once on the road again
I cycle towards Southampton. I get to Warsash and check the phone for
messages. There are two; a voicemail from Sue at Titchfield Haven and
a text from Phil.
Phil's is
“Sods law mate. Pendulines are showing at Titchfield. Sue's
voicemail declares the same. Sue, one of the wonderful staff at
Titchfield, had heard of my visit yesterday, knew I needed to see the
birds , found my blog and then mobile number and then sent the
message. Partly it is Sue's kindness in letting me know but it is
also the fact that I think that I will have more chances to see
red-flanked bluetails later in the year, I turn around and cycle as
fast as possible to Titchfield Haven,
On
arriving at the reserve, the bike is stowed away in a shed once more
and I run along the path and broadwalk towards Meadow Hide.
On turning
towards the hide I see a small group of birders looking towards an
area I know to have the necessary reedmace. I put my thunb up to ask
whether the birds are on view. A positive thumb comes up from one of
the volunteers and I run the final thirty yards, well float there
really.
A female
penduline tit is on a reedmace head plucking, feeding and
releasing wafts of fluff towards us.
Over the
next two hours birders and interested general public come and go and
the birds, two of them, both females stay on view busily feeding. One
group of birders are the young at heart RSPB Dorking group. Lovely
people.
Just past
3:00pm the birds go and I head back to the visitor's centre. I thank
Sue profusely and sincerely for her message and head towards Fareham.
I have seen forty one birds species today including barn owl, cetti's
warblers and black-tailed godwits. The penduline tits though are a
'good one to get.'
The year
list still stands at 164. This is still nineteen ahead of where I was
this time last year.
The list
can be viewed on Bubo on the BUO 2016 year list,:-
http://www.bubo.org/Listing/view-all-lists.html?showlists=1,BOU,1,2016,0
19.68
miles 556 feet elevation up 3543 elevation down
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