The three of us meet up at 5.45 am for the two-hour trip to Hampshire in the hope of seeing a lifer for all three of us that was seen yesterday at Ripley Farm reservoir.
We were told parking was bad, with not a lot of places near the farm. When we arrive around 8am, we pull into a layby and find one space there, so it's a good start to the day.
Out of the car, we take the path up the side of the farm for about a mile till it opens out and a small group of birders has the Killdeer in their scopes, and all three of us have another Lifer.
The bird is a fair way over the other side of the water, and not many photos were being taken.
It was easy to pick out as it walked about on the bank of the pool. It was bigger than a Ringed Plover with two neck bands and a longer neck and tail.
After a couple of hours watching the bird, we don't think it is going to come any closer for any decent photos, so it's off to see if we can find the Great-tailed Grackle that has been around for some time. It is only 20 miles away, in Holbury. so although it's not a bird, we can count it as a tick; we had to go for it. I have not seen one before, in Britain, and as we pull into Southbourne Avenue, we spot it before even getting out of the car.
Parked up, we spent an hour watching the Grackle walk right up to us and then flying up to a wall or the trees nearby when it would bust into a call that we all found very funny.
So off home after a really nice time, and really got lucky as the weather forecast said it was going to rain nearly all day, but we never got wet, so it was a real bonus.
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| The Great -tailed Gracle |
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| It is there just. The Killdeer. |
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| Part of the twitch. |
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| Top left corner on the ridge. |
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