19/03/2016 Titchfield Haven with the East Grinstead Group

Saturday 19th March 2016
Titchfield Haven NR,  Hampshire
East Grinstead RSPB Local Group

7 of us, including newcomers Elizabeth and Mark from Cowden, made the long journey to Titchfield Haven in Hampshire where we were rewarded with a great day’s birding, involving 67 species.

• ·       Bird of the day for most of us was the Eider.  We had distant views on the sea to the west of the visitors centre at the start but at the end of our visit these were eclipsed by superb close views in the sea just outside the centre.  The group of 12 included 8 drakes and was less than 100 metres away – stunning!

• ·       A Great Northern Diver, a small flock of Brent Geese, a small flock of Sanderling and a group of Common Scoter provided the support cast on the sea.

• ·       On the reserve, at least 5 Mediterranean Gulls were seen at close quarters - much to the delight of all of us.

• ·       Superb close views of 3 Snipe also added to the excitement.

• ·       The 50+ Black-tailed Godwits, the pair of Barnacle Geese, the 25+ Avocets and the Marsh Harriers were the pick of the remaining birds seen on the reserve.

Addition to BUBO 2016 UK Year List

Eider   (154)

Despite the grey skies and low temperatures we had a lovely time – so much so that we had to be asked to leave the reserve as they had closed some 15 minutes earlier!

At long last I was able to add a new species to my year list - a wait of over 3 weeks!

Trip Species List
Avocet Barnacle Goose Blackbird Black-headed Gull Black-necked Grebe Black-tailed Godwit Blue Tit Brent Goose Buzzard Canada Goose Carrion Crow Cetti’s Warbler Coal Tit Common Gull Common Scoter	Little Grebe Long-tailed Tit Magpie Mallard Marsh Harrier Mediterranean Gull Mute Swan Moorhen Oystercatcher Pheasant Pied Wagtail Pochard Redshank Ringed Plover Robin
Coot Cormorant Dunnock Dunlin Eider Gadwall Goldcrest Goldfinch Great Black-backed Gull Great Crested Grebe Great Tit Great Northern Diver Greenfinch Grey Heron Greylag Goose Herring Gull House Sparrow Kestrel Lapwing Lesser Black-backed Gull	Sanderling Shelduck Sparrowhawk Starling Teal Shoveler Snipe  Song Thrush Stock Dove Teal Turnstone Water Rail (heard) Wigeon Woodpigeon Wren Mistle Thrush Song Thrush (67)