Day Listing

 I do love a day list. I keep a list every time I go birding, just something I enjoy doing. 

But you can't beat a proper day list!

In the past I've indulged in some pretty serious Hampshire day listing with a couple of friends, with our best efforts being 121 for New Year's Day, and a nice round 150 in early May. That's not happened for a few years now though, for a variety of disparate reasons.

With the forecast for today very pleasant (not much wind, sunny first thing), the tide high mid afternoon (very helpful for doing Pennington Marshes, and that was when I planned to be there) and work still in its midwinter lull (and me in my midlife can't-be-arsed-with-work-if-I-can-help-it lull) I decided a couple of days ago that, mojo permitting, I'd give it a go today. Not a full-on just-after-midnight to well-after-dark go, but a go nonetheless.

Aside from drawing up an itinerary (which I didn't manage to stick to) and checking reports of certain species online there wasn't really any preparation (a "proper" day race involves hours of recceing sites, and reams of paper tinkering with routes and timings).

Just before 7 this morning I arrived at Blackwater Arboretum in the Forest just as it was getting light and waited for the finches to leave roost. Had a real stroke of luck with a very early Sparrowhawk - just the 10th species of the day, and as anyone who's done a day list will know, if there's one species guaranteed to refuse to play ball, it's Sprawk. In hindsight its continued presence for about 10-15 minutes, repeatedly passing over the roost area, probably caused the finches to delay leaving roost, and it definitely meant virtually none perched up.

A brave/foolish Crossbill in the half light

But eventually all the species I'd hoped for here were logged, a few Crossbills a couple of Hawfinches and several calling Firecrests, plus stuff that was far from certain later, or else would have needed a stop elsewhere in the Forest, such as Treecreeper, Goldcrest, Stock Dove and Green Woodpecker. Got all of those four again later, but certainly all (except maybe Stock Dove these days) have the potential to waste loads of time on or miss entirely, so they're nice to get in the bag. Brambling was seen here too, but dozens flew up from the roadsides as I headed to the more open areas north of the A31 for the few missing species. Been really nice to see so many this winter.

The next stop had singing Woodlark even before I'd stopped the car, the first of eight year ticks today. One of my favourite of all bird songs, and nice views too. Soon after that a Dartford Warbler called and it was time to move on again, although I gave the lark more time than it might have received on a proper day race. It seemed rude not to.

Next destination was Eyeworth Pond, but en route I popped in to Cadman's Pool, which is often good for Goosander. None there today, but it did have 7 Mandarins, the primary target at Eyeworth. Carried on to the latter, however, in order to get Marsh Tit, which is always easy here, the last of the Forest birds on my route (missed Goshawk and Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, but these are the two hardest to get and can be real timewasters if you let them).

Eyeworth also had Mandarins (at least nine)

As well as a single redhead Goosander (several of these, including males, were later on Ibsley Water, but they're far from guaranteed there in the middle of the day, so another that was nice to get early).

The (very short) detour to Cadman's had been worthwhile though, because it had what was to prove to be the only Fieldfare of the day.

From Eyeworth I drove up on to the downs, to Tidpit, and here the itinerary went a little awry - spent way too long searching through the gulls in the pig fields for Ring-billed and failing. A couple of Yellow-legged though, and this spot also provided the only Bullfinch of the day (another classic potential day listing banana skin) and Grey Partridge.

  Yellowhammer and Corn Bunting were also year ticked at Tidpit

Also nice to see a few hares

Next stop was Blashford, with Bittern the first priority. It was skulking as ever, but reliably to the right of Ivy North Hide and only took a couple of minutes to locate, but any thoughts of a quick getaway were quashed by spending the next twenty minutes providing directions to about a dozen others. Every time I thought I'd escape someone else came in the hide, and "right of the swan, horizontal bulrush, etc etc" would have to be repeated a few more times.

Best I could manage through the horrible hide glass

Although most views were like this!

A few new birds were added on Ibsley Water, most importantly Pochard and a Common Sandpiper on the far bank

Common Sand, honest

The only Redpoll I've seen this year

With all the faffing about with gulls and Bittern I had wasted enough time that I could ditch plans to visit Barton for a bit, and instead headed to Normandy. Unfortunately missed a couple of Slavonian Grebes by a few minutes, but dug out the wintering Little Stint, Avocet numbers were up to 19, a single Bar-tailed Godwit was amongst the other waders on the saltmarsh, and a Spotted Redshank (plus the expected Greenshanks, 4 of them) meant I wouldn't have to traipse round Oxey.

Headed round to Pennington Marsh for a final flurry of additions, finishing the day list with Ruff, which threatened to elude me yet again (and probably would have done were it not for the mostly white bird!)

A couple of Golden Plover

And so, barring a calling Tawny Owl later (although I've yet to hear them at home this year, so that's unlikely) the tally finished on a respectable 110.

As always there were some annoying dips, but none too bad really, with the worst probably being Kingfisher, Cetti's Warbler and Egyptian Goose.

May have to try again some time . . .