Barry Stalker - Birding Basingstoke & Deane

Hampshire birder focusing on Basingstoke & Deane district; well someone has to! Keen twitcher but mostly just adding to my Hampshire list nowadays.

[Barry Stalker - Birding Basingstoke & Deane @BirdingDeane]

@tomjbirding Amazing job. What was the turnaround time, Tom?

[Barry Stalker - Birding Basingstoke & Deane @BirdingDeane]

Grasshopper Warbler on the River Loddon this morning. An excellent find by my son on his local patch, and my first in the borough since 2021.

[Barry Stalker - Birding Basingstoke & Deane @BirdingDeane]

@MOTHIDUK @Birduder344 Thanks both.

[Barry Stalker - Birding Basingstoke & Deane @BirdingDeane]

@MOTHIDUK
Hi Sean, any idea what this is please? Seen in my garden yesterday.
Many thanks

[Barry Stalker - Birding Basingstoke & Deane @BirdingDeane]

@HWarlow Raviliouseque

[Barry Stalker - Birding Basingstoke & Deane @BirdingDeane]

Incredibly confiding Hoopoe in Popley, Basingstoke, this morning. My third in the borough and the local highlight of the spring thus far.

[Barry Stalker - Birding Basingstoke & Deane @BirdingDeane]

@macinnes_john @joannemacinnes Been a couple of times and on both occasions enjoyed glorious weather. Even more memorable was a Corncrake in the hotel garden whilst we were taking tea!

[Barry Stalker - Birding Basingstoke & Deane @BirdingDeane]

Great-tailed Grackle showed ridiculously well at Holbury, late morning. A bird I’d hitherto not bothered to twitch, but as I was sort of passing on the way back from Ripley Reservoir, I thought why not. A little too confiding for comfort, but seems to be thriving.

[Barry Stalker - Birding Basingstoke & Deane @BirdingDeane]

@LewisStuff @01000011S Just driven up through France - six hours with zero roadworks. No litter out there either. Get back here, M27 down to one lane, M3 slip road shut, M271 completely closed, eventually joined M3, down to one lane north of Winchester & flashing lights warning of a stretch of M4 shut!

[Barry Stalker - Birding Basingstoke & Deane @BirdingDeane]

Late to the party as usual, but managed to slip away from the metropolis of birding that is Basingstoke and Deane, for Hampshire’s first Hudsonian Godwit, which gave great views at a surprisingly gloomy Titchfield Haven this morning. Superb find by @MarkFra64259515

[Barry Stalker - Birding Basingstoke & Deane @BirdingDeane]

Juvenile White-tailed Eagle, south of Kingsclere this morning. I literally had to throw the car into a hedge and jump out to obtain these images, before it disappeared over the tree line towards Overton. Becoming annual for me! 😂

[Barry Stalker - Birding Basingstoke & Deane @BirdingDeane]

Unexpected Barn Owl during a grim WeBS at Overton first thing this morning - incredibly an additional three others seem during the morning, including two hunting together at Overton Hill. Also, this Great White Egret, keeping to the footpath at Lower Ashe Farm.

[Barry Stalker - Birding Basingstoke & Deane @BirdingDeane]

@CliveMcKay1 Hello Clive, sure no problem.

[Barry Stalker - Birding Basingstoke & Deane @BirdingDeane]

More crap images, though to be fair they were taken straight into the sun and at distance. Marsh Harrier is a good borough bird though - this one being mobbed near Brown Candover this morning; one of the Alresford Pond birds presumably.

[BirdGuides @BirdGuides]

The RSPB is celebrating 40 years of Eurasian Stone-curlew conservation, with numbers of the wader having doubled in Britain during that timeframe: https://t.co/aun9Gc4pRP

[Barry Stalker - Birding Basingstoke & Deane @BirdingDeane]

Snatched images of local displaying Goshawk this morning. Always one of the highlights of spring, especially locally, which is otherwise dead!

[Barry Stalker - Birding Basingstoke & Deane @BirdingDeane]

A little too distant & misty for the camera, but excellent ‘scope views of Hampshire’s first Black-throated Thrush at Lindford this morning, which now seems to have picked up a tick on its right eye. Thanks to @UKTwitcher & @LewisStuff for arranging access & marshalling.

[Barry Stalker - Birding Basingstoke & Deane @BirdingDeane]

Grey Partridge in north Hampshire this morning. Four seen in an hour or so, but not my regular site for GP (where they’re not released), so need to investigate the provenance of this population.

[Barry Stalker - Birding Basingstoke & Deane @BirdingDeane]

At least one Brambling, but probably more, in a large mixed flock at Pyotts Hill, Old Basing, this morning, comprising mostly of Linnet, but also good numbers of Chaffinch and Y’hammer plus a few Reed Bunting & even one or two Greenfinch; probably 300 plus birds.

[Barry Stalker - Birding Basingstoke & Deane @BirdingDeane]

Hawfinch in grim light at The Mill Field LNR, Old Basing, mid-afternoon today; my first in the borough for four years. Not my favourite site it has to be said, as there’s too many dogs running loose for my liking, but glad I dropped in for an hour today.