I Just Had To!

Well, it's been a while. I've finally arrived at my new abode but still have loads to do at the old one before we hand the keys back. I just can't believe how much useless tat we've managed to accumulate over a mere four years. Still, another week or so and I should be back out birding, and let's face it I need to be because I fear I'm lagging behind a teeny bit in the patch yearlist stakes! I did take a break from all the moving mayhem on Monday, when I drove over to Hampshire for the Spanish Sparrow and the Dark-eyed Junco. I don't know how I held out so long for the Junco because it's a bird with a bit of a history for me, after having missed one in Somerset in the most horrible fashion. Read about it here if you like.  I remember at the time Gavin's words of comfort were something along the lines of " Don't worry there'll be another in the next 18 years or so". Turned out to be just a knock over three until this one turned up so I was pretty keen to see it. Bun had already been to see both birds twice already, but took pity on me and kindly accompanied me. "The Junco's easy" he said, so we went to the Sparrow first. Fortunately it was showing really well in a garden and the kind owner let us in to look through the window. There were only a couple of people in the kitchen so I asked if I could bring my scope in to take a photo, Not at all easy though  because the bird was too near!! Gorgeous bird, but then I'm biased because I love me Sparrows and this was an Uber-sparrow if ever I've seen one! I was soon itching to move on and try for the Junco, so we made the short drive to Hawkshill in the New Forest and joined a small crowed in the bird's favoured locality. We waited, and waited, and waited. There were plenty of Chaffinches and Reed Buntings showing down to a few feet on several seeded areas but the Junco appeared to be hiding in some dense foliage on a fallen tree. The bird showed briefly a few times and on each occasion I missed it, I was starting to get rather worried, 'the curse of the Junco' was going to strike again! It didn't I'm relieved to say and eventually got I to see it too. The long, cold wait of  two and a half hours was well worth it.What a smashing little fellow he was! I managed to snatch a few digiscoped shots as he sat in a tree thinking about dropping down to a seeded area, then had superb close views of him feeding too. On the way home we received a text from Ian M on patch, there were two Golden Plovers on Bridge Marsh, not an easy bird on patch most years, so it was a race against time to get back with enough daylight to look for it. We arrived just in time to scan over the Ploverless fields in the half-light, can't win 'em all!

The Sparrow was this near! (3x zoom on compact camera)

Spanish Sparrow

The Dark-eyed Junco's favoured area.

The Twitch. 

Why is there always somebody wearing a bright red hat!?

Chaffinches showing well.....

...as were the Reed Buntings

Here's a close up view of that weird shaped bill in action.

My first view of the Junco was this. 

I managed to get this record shot and thought that would be it, but then I got these...

What a little gem!

My favourite shot

It Was All So Horribly Predictable

Yesterday the humble Axe Estuary saw numerous visitors all hoping to see the Caspian Gull which had shown on the three previous days, some spending many many hours waiting patiently and hopefully, scanning the hundreds and hundreds of gulls, but alas, it was a no show. So when I received a text from Gav this lunchtime it was a horribly predictable one " Caspian Gull opposite Coronation Corner again". I immediately felt pangs of sympathy for all yesterday's unfortunates. Didn't stop me popping over there to 'fill me boots' though. I'd been unwell when it was showing so well on Wednesday. If you dipped yesterday and are reading this, firstly why? And secondly, you may want to look away now!

Sticks out like a sore thumb...when it's there!

Big Billed, Saggy Bottomed Gull

Erm?... It's erm?.....Oh yes, that's it....Stunning!

Saggy Bottom

Firstly, just in case anyone cares, sorry for lack of blogging recently I've just been too busy because we are in the process of trying to move house. We have somewhere lined up now and are just waiting for the green light, hopefully all being well we'll be in by the second week of January. I really needed to have a break and get out in the field today and despite the persistent rain decided to pop down Seaton Marshes to try and see the December Wheatear. Leaving this until the nineteenth of December probably wasn't the best plan I've ever had. It wasn't there needless to say. I was just trudging back to the car when I got a text from Gav, which said "Caspian Gull at Coronation Corner now!" I took this as an order and dutifully drove round there straight away. It was a full scale local twitch and I think Gav was pretty surprised when I was the first to arrive. This was my second Caspian Gull on patch and it was much further away than the last one. Still, I was able to see all the salient features reasonably clearly (when Gav pointed them out that is!) including a very obvious 'ventral bulge' which I thought made it look a bit like it was 'wearing a nappy', a nappy requiring urgent attention! I took a few snaps but none of them came out particularly well.

My clearest shots were always when it was head on which didn't show much

except perhaps the whiteness of the bird's head.

This is a heavy crop of the photo above, quite awful I know

 but it does show that 'saggy bottom' beautifully!

As well as having no time for birding I haven't managed to do much astronomy either (feel free to stop here if astronomy bores you), seems like ever since I brought myself a good telescope the weather's been almost permanently cloudy, or windy or usually both! I have had some more superb views of Jupiter though and got a 'record shot' of it showing the Great Red Spot (which is actually a beige spot this year) and one of its moons, Io.