Our Souls Were Singing, Do you Remember, Never a Cloudy Day

Early morning at the beginning of September and the early autumn migration was beginning to build.

It had been a wonderful Summer, seemingly endless clear skies but inevitably the days were beginning to shorten and with it brings change.

To witness some of nature's movement first hand, I had agreed to meet Chris just after sunrise at Gilkicker Point near to me along the shores of The Solent.
This is a busy shipping channel at all hours of the day and a Grimaldi Lines vehicle carrier was slipping through the calm waters to unload it's cargo a few miles away in Southampton Docks.

Early morning golden sunlight is such a good time for photography.

There are always lots of pleasure craft around too. This one clearly not just sailing for fun...

I love the way the mist leaves a shroud in the valleys on the Isle of Wight. Sometimes they spill onto the water or even fill up the Solent itself. This is looking across to the town of Ryde some five miles distant.

Although bird movement across the water was limited, there were plenty of Hirundines spinning around over our heads and across the common behind us. Mainly consisting of Swallows with a few Sand Martins in between.
They were feeding to prepare for the long journey to Africa which lay ahead of them, constantly chattering to each other as they whirled around our heads and dipped low around our feet.

Warblers are another draw along this stretch of coast as they too feed up before the long trek south.

We came across Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Common and Lesser Whitethroat, all feeding in the scrub across the shingle and common. The latter and more rarer bird we managed to catch up with for a few distant shots.

Close inshore a couple of  Sandwich Terns in Winter plumage called and hunted for fish. These will migrate south too, going as far as South Africa although some individuals overwinter in this country, even as far north as the Forth of Firth in Scotland. The oldest ringed bird was 30 years old.

More shipping headed along the Solent. This Brittany ferry was leaving Portsmouth for France.

The only scheduled hovercraft service in the world was leaving Southsea but it's destination wasn't as far as the ferry, just the slipway on Ryde.

All sorts of vessels cruise these waters. This is a research vessel. Possibly being used for the cables being laid from France to the mainland where a controversial electricity station is being constructed. Later on next year she is being sold to New Zealand by the owners.

Enough of the man made, it was back to nature.
Gilkicker Fort which was earmarked for development but is now back in limbo had wildlife taking back what it sees as rightfully theirs. In this case juvenile Starlings.

We negotiated it's perimeter and headed back to the vehicles for the short journey west along the coast to Titchfield Haven nature reserve to try our luck there, as it was still relatively early.

We parked by the harbour wall and walked to the visitor centre to check sightings and obtain our tickets for entry to the reserve.
The bridge that spans the mouth of the Meon River as it spills into the Solent can often produce sightings of Grey Mullet as they move up river from the sea on the high tide to feed, then return as it subsides.

Before we entered the centre it's always good to check the wild flowers nearby in case of butterflies. We were right to do so, as a Small Copper nectared on the Ragwort. One of my favourite butterflies albeit a little far away across the fence.

The west side of the reserve was first on the agenda with it's shallow scrapes, ideal for ducks, geese and waders to feed in.
My first sighting of a Green Sandpiper this year was a welcome one.

Migrant Hawkers sped around in front of the Meon Hide we were sat in. Eventually one rested a little way in front of us.

Common Sandpipers are regulars this time of year as well as the Green and one flew and landed before us.

Compare the Common (above) with the Green (below) The green is marginally larger, darker, whereas the lighter 'Common' has the white underside extend up around the edge of the wing towards the neck. One of the reliable diagnostics to differentiate the two.

Common again..

...and back to the Green

Then something that threw us a bit of a curve ball. At first glance we thought this to be a Wood Sandpiper which had been seen around the Haven recently but on closer inspection it proved to be a juvenile Redshank. Normally their legs are exactly as it says but some individuals, including juveniles can have yellow legs which is similar to the Wood, which again can be mistaken for another type of wader, the Lesser Yellowlegs. Pretty obvious stuff this bird naming lark?! 

As we exited the Meon Shore hide, another cluster of Ragwort growing outside drew our attention. Another Small Copper was nectaring on them, nice stroke of luck and no fence to stop us getting up close and personal this time....

Fully satiated with stunning views of this beauty, we carried on along the winding gravel path to the next hide, stopping off to gather views of late flying Dragonflies by the tributaries and the Darters dip pond. As it happened we came across a Red Darter. Very common this time of year and a sure thing to spot them basking and hunting in the late Summer sun.

They do have a propensity to rest on wooden boardwalks and railings, soaking up the heat.

Another late flyer is the Migrant Hawker. I'm not sure of it's migratory movements but I am sure they breed in this country. Doubtless they used to migrate here and climate change has helped them to establish a breeding population. Either way, they do like to perch in the perpendicular when at rest giving great opportunities for a close up...

I always think their eyes are like looking into different worlds. They have incredible vision which is needed when flying at such speed looking for prey and trying not to become prey themselves.

We had a third destination in mind before the day was out as our eyes cast a sad glance upon this male Common Blue which was fading markedly. It wasn't long for this earth as the season drew to a close.

Our last stop of the day was some twelve miles East. We were back at Farlington to see what was about. This place can throw up all sorts of things and being on the cusp of migration, even more so.

This is a large peninsular jutting out into the channel which divides Langstone and Chichester harbours right on the Hampshire and West Sussex border.

We took the path to the small information hut next to the lake which spills into the stream on the northern edge of the reserve.
Our first encounter was with more Migrant Hawkers hunting at the top of the lake.

The path eventually exits onto the eastern wall. The tide was coming in and many waders were roosting, waiting for the tide to recede before they could commence feeding.
Grey Plovers, many still in their impressive black, white and grey summer plumage waited patiently out on the exposed islands and marsh.
An Osprey had been seen regularly here in the last few days. Many pass through this important feeding site before heading across the channel on migration to Africa. We looked towards North Binness Island in Chichester harbour where it roosts but there was no sign of it on this occasion.

Either something spooked the Plover or they decided on a better place to settle as the majority flew off.

It was still relatively early for the Winter migrants to be here en masse such as the Plovers but a few trickled through as we made our way around the southern tip of point field - an area usually associated with Short Eared Owls in Winter.
A large flock of Curlew flew in from the West and landed in the reserve.

Although a quiet time at Farlington, it's always nice to walk around here when the weather is calm and very warm as it was today. This is an exposed place with no shelter and we have been caught out here before.

Along the fence line by the main lake on the western edge we spotted four Whinchat, albeit a little distant. They are another bird heading South for the Winter.

As the area is so flat, we cast one more look east towards North Binness to see if the Osprey had landed back in the trees there. It had ! We agreed the walk back for closer views was a little too long plus we had been lucky enough this year for closer views of them so we decided to head back to the car park and home. 

The title of this post is a line taken from the track 'September' by Earth Wind and Fire