Hampshire - 25.1.26

Killdeer

I joined Brendon Fagan for a trip down south and our first stop was a new site for me. Ripley Farm Reservoir had held a drake Baikal Teal a few years ago but this time it held something from the other side of the planet in the shape of a Killdeer. It was almost 20 years since I’d seen my one and only in the UK with one at Blakeney Freshmarsh. It showed well on the far bank of the small reservoir though occasionally disappearing behind some furrows.

Also on the water was an adult Little Gull which I failed to see last year.

Little Gull

After our fill of these two we headed down the road to the village of Avon where after a bit of a wait we finally saw our intended target when Brendon picked out the big lump of a White-tailed Eagle as it headed south. It was one of the Isle of Wight introduction birds but it’s good enough for the year list!

White-tailed Eagle

News of a Red-necked Grebe at Hythe marina saw us heading over but upon arrival a strong wind and heavy showers made looking for it tricky and as such we didn’t see it. I did however find a Great Northern Diver so it wasn’t a total loss.

Great-tailed Grackle

Our final stop was in the village of Holbury where after a short wait staring into a small front garden out popped a cracking male Great-tailed Grackle. It’d first been seen on the coast but had moved inland after a couple of days. It was a wild bird from America but as they’re not known as a long distance migrant and it most likely arrived on a boat docking at Southampton it isn’t tickable though if I’d not seen them before in America it would’ve been a world tick but not a UK tick!