Brief visits to Awbridge a couple of weeks ago yielded an extremely ragged Silver-washed Fritillary on buddleia near Cooks Lane, and several Marsh Tits along Coombe Lane, along with many of the usual woodland birds.

A beautiful early spring morning spent around Æthelred’s Field and the surrounding conservation area and playing fields.

The area was, as usual, alive with nature. At the pond near the village hall, pond skaters were dashing about on the surface, and nearby there were primroses.

Plenty of resident birds in full song – Goldfinches, Robins, Dunnocks – but a few lingering winter visitors too, with several Redwings ’seeping’ and Siskins ‘klewing’ overhead.

In the lovely rough area adjoining the stone circle field, a Mistle Thrush rattled, and best of all a Stonechat hunted from the fence – the first I’ve ever seen in Awbridge.

That tiny speck really is a stonechat

Meanwhile from the wet woodland below, a Chiffchaff sang, a Green Woodpecker gave a brief yaffle, and overhead Buzzards mewed.

This really is very special place, and a remarkable achievement on the part of ‘The Green Man’, Bryan Raines. With every year, new areas are enhanced, the existing habitat matures, and the biodiversity increases. Awbridge is so much the richer for it.

There are more pictures on Flickr, in the Awbridge Birds set.

I missed the reports earlier this month – good to hear that up to four Hawfinches are back at Mercer Way in Romsey (via Birdguides).

A Cattle Egret reported yesterday at Romsey – “one flew low almost parallel with the A27 heading towards the A27/A3090 junction” (via Birdguides).

A home-grown UK egret, perhaps?

Funny how often rare bird reports from Romsey are of birds flying through. The area hasn’t had a rare long-staying bird (that I’m aware of) since the Ring-necked Duck at Timsbury – last seen in the late 90s?

High time that something stuck around.

Silver-washed fritillaries were back and easy to see in their usual spots along Coombe Lane today. There were two beside the road where the powerlines cut across the valley, and two a little further along where there is another decent clump of brambles. Restless, but not too shy, one or two fed happily on the briers while we gawped.

The woodland along this stretch of the valley is looking better each year, thanks to the efforts of local conservationists. Foxgloves everywhere, lots of dappled shade – attractive enough to a doe Roe Deer and her kid, which were seen twice along the woodland edge at close range, and then skipping through a horse paddock (which the horse didn’t seem too happy about).

Considering it’s July, the presence of birds was exceptional too.

Highlight was a family group of at least six Marsh Tits, including some wonderfully fluffy youngsters, crowding together on branches and calling frenetically to one another. More were heard in a separate location, making a total of 8+.

A male Bullfinch posed helpfully beside the road, before disappearing into the trees with a female, and a Grey Wagtail flew through (good to record one again in summer).

Goldcrests ‘weedled’ away in several places, with Nuthatch, Great Spotted & Green Woodpecker heard too. A Linnet overhead was fairly unusual – I don’t see these often in the village. Buzzard, Blackcap and Chiffchaff were more expected.

Interesting too to notice tiny Toads on the move – once we had chanced across one in the leaf-litter beside the road, we kept seeing more. Makes you wonder how many hundreds – thousands? – are moving from their birthing ponds into the valley.

Image credit: Silver-washed Fritillary by Flickr user andre wind

A Black Kite reported going north over Romsey today (via Birdguides).

So far it’s been a fantastic spring for these birds in the UK, with perhaps double figures reported already. Worth keeping eyes skywards.

I missed this one when it happened, but a month ago a Goshawk was reported going north-east over Romsey.

UPDATE
On 7 May, a Red Kite reported near Michelmersh, Romsey.

The image of the Black Kite above was taken by Miguel Aguilar in the Coto Donana, Spain.

Not far from Awbridge, there’s a fantastic piece of bird-friendly habitat called Fishlake Meadows. Not the Romsey housing estate, you understand, but the small wetland that remains just north of it.

I’ve only been there on a handful of occasions, but almost every time seen or heard something good there. I believe Cetti’s Warbler and Nightingale are regular, with a great selection of wintering duck – I’ve seen at least seven species sharing the same piece of water, as viewed from a break in the hedge on the roadside. Sporadically, there have been reports of rarer stuff too.

Search online, though, and there’s virtually no information about Fishlake Meadows – its history, who owns it, whether it’s protected, or whether anyone keep a record of what lives there.

I’m interested in filling this void – so, if as one of the esteemed few who finds their way to this (admittedly niche) blog you can shed any light on the place, I’d be glad to hear from you.

Pintail image by suneko

A brief visit to the area on Easter Saturday was mainly remarkable for the weird weather – snow, rain, high winds and bright sunshine in quick succession.

The water meadows just north of the Duke’s Head look very good again this spring. A very brief look from the road produced 17 Lapwings, plus several Mallard loafing around.

Presumably regular visits would produce something rarer – perhaps a repeat showing of some of the species seen this time last year.

In Awbridge village itself, Marsh, Long-tailed and Coal Tits all calling in gardens near Cooks Lane, but little else.

(Lapwing shot by Flickr user rhys400D)

A Bittern reported today, not far up the valley at Mottisfont (per Birdguides).

Apparently this bird was flushed from a stream – a nice surprise for whoever flushed it.

After a quiet start to the season, a report today of four Hawfinches at the regular Mercer Way site in Romsey (per BirdGuides).

If these birds start to to attract a few more birders, it will be interesting to see if anything else is found there or at nearby Fishlake Meadows, which seems to be a very underwatched site.

This is illustrated by a blog post from last spring by HampshireBirder. Although I haven’t been down to the meadows for a couple of years, on occasions I’ve been there in the past I’ve often been impressed by the range of species present in a small area – and the potential for the excellent habitat there to host rarer stuff.

Incidentally, while searching the web for info on Fishlake Meadows (there is virtually none, unless you’re looking to buy a house on the nearby new housing estates), I notice a Marsh Harrier was reported there in November (per Ralph Hollins).