Titchfield Haven by Amy Robjohns

Titchfield Haven

This guest blog written by avid patch birder Amy Robjohns and we would like to thank Amy for taking the time to write a very nice piece about her patch in the Solent, she has also provided some photos too of her patch and some of the birds recorded there over the years. We are sure you will enjoy thus guest blog and we hope to have more guest blog posts about other patches in the near future too.

River Meon at Titchfield Haven

My local patch covers Titchfield Haven National Nature Reserve, a mosaic of wetland habitats including a large reedbed stretching up the valley, man-made scrapes, water meadows, and the mouth of the River Meon. Also within the boundaries are some areas of farmland, the Titchfield canal path which follows the River Meon from the sea to Titchfield village, and the seafront. The area is approximately halfway between Southampton and Portsmouth on the Hampshire coast, opposite Cowes on the Isle of Wight, and where the Solent is widest at 4 miles. As a result, Hill Head isn’t the best seawatching site but still enjoys some of the spring passage of skuas and terns along the south coast, albeit in smaller numbers. Over the past decade it has been mostly wonderful watching the seasons change and daily variations, with many excitement moments such as finding rarities or patch gold or enjoying a magical day of migration.

In a typical year, the first 3 months should yield common wetland species like the overwintering ducks, Brent Geese offshore, common passerines, Cetti's Warbler, Marsh Harriers, Glossy Ibis and some waders. Hill Head doesn't get the variety and numbers that some coastal sites gets but the Sanderling, Ringed Plovers and Turnstones and usually joined by a couple of Dunlin. While Redshank, Oystercatchers and Black-tailed Godwits alternate between the reserve at high tide and often the seafront at low tide. 2 Curlew still frequent the East Meadows. Occasionally local Golden Plover (usually found on nearby farmland) pop onto the scrapes, and sometimes Ruff appear amongst the Godwits, though it's been a while since that happened. Other winter waders like Greenshank, Grey Plover, Knot and Bar-tailed Godwit are passage birds for us. Calm winter mornings are often good for Bearded Tits pinging in the reeds by the west entrance and searching for Water Pipits along the canal path or hoping one pops up on a fence post by the Frying Pan! Glossy Ibis feels strange to type alongside common species but as after returning for their third winter, I suppose the group of 3 are now winter visitors in the Lower Meon Valley. They're often on the floods by Titchfield and present most of the year except, presumably, to breed.

Offshore, the 3 commoner divers are often seen during winter with Great Northern present most days while Black-throated is the most scarce but usually seen each year. In theory Razorbill and Guillemot should be seen on calm days, but recently they've been more of a winter storm bird with such storms might also yield Kittiwakes. Calm seas are also good for scanning for ducks - Eider overwinter here and Common Scoter (though fewer than previous years). Always hope for a Velvet Scoter or Long-tailed Duck! Great Crested Grebes form good rafts offshore and this winter was unusually good for Red-necked Grebes. More realistically, scarcer grebes to look for are Slavonion and Black-necked. 

As spring gradually begins, Avocets tend to reappear from February with numbers building in March. They breed on the scrapes alongside Black-headed Gulls. By mid-March and onwards into April and May, migration should be underway, including Mediterranean Gulls. This spring has been... odd. Hopefully most migrants just passed us by due to the clear conditions. Usually I'd hope to catch up with common migrants like Wheatear, Garden and Grasshopper Warblers, maybe Redstart and Whinchat (easier in autumn), Garganey, and waders including Common and Green Sandpipers, Little Ringed Plovers, Bar-tailed Godwits and Whimbrel. The latter two can pass through the Solent in large numbers if conditions are right! 

South Scrape

Another key target in spring are skuas and each spring seems to be worse for sea watching... Still, with luck there should be Arctic Skuas going through and hopefully Great and Pomarine Skuas. Joining them should be a tern passage, Kittiwakes, Gannet and Little Gulls. Common Terns breed on the reserve and Sandwich Terns linger offshore, but the rest are passage migrants here. 

Fast forward to late June and July - waders are returning! With luck there should be a nice mix of common passage migrants including Wood Sandpiper. The post breeding tern roost starts to form too, initially with local birds, and grows as terns pass through. On a really good day 6+ species can be present! Common Terns are the main species with smaller numbers of Sandwich and (hopefully) some of the migrant terns. Last year the Hampshire Roseate Terns joined the roost with their youngsters. It was wonderful to see them. Frustratingly, the roost forms during the summer holidays and despite Hill Head being internationally designated, disturbance is a big problem. Another important roost site (on Hayling Island) was abandoned due to very high levels of disturbance but for now the other roost sites  - Hill Head and Calshot - persist. 

The Dorset Forster's Tern even gave a fly-by visit in May 2023!

August and September also should be good for passerine migration again with classic common migrants expected. On a good day there could be 10+ warblers (not yet had more than 10 but theoretically possible!). Always hoped for are Pied Flycatchers which are scarce here. Late August through to late September is Yellow Wagtail time where they roost in the reedbeds at Titchfield Haven. It's enjoyable watching them flying around and dropping into roost. One night a Tree Pipit joined them but I'd usually expect those earlier in the day!

By October many migrants have gone through but there's the chance of Yellow-browed Warbler and, maybe, Ring Ouzel or Woodlark. Also on the move are finches and I've found October (& late September) best for Brambling, Redpolls and Siskins. The ducks and Brent Geese are returning too.

Throughout the year species like Spoonbill, Great White and Cattle Egrets are possible and increasingly common. Spoonbills have been present for much of this spring. 

Whiskered Tern that Amy found feeding over the floods on 27th May 2020

There's always the possibility of a rarity or scarcity too. Ironically this article was typed in the Hebrides with the news of a Hudsonian Godwit on the scrapes... Hopefully it'll linger! That aside, I have been lucky enough to find some rarities and scarcities on patch including Caspian Stonechat in 2016 which hopped up onto a fencepost during a foggy May morning. Also Whiskered Tern over the Floods amazingly 30 minutes or so after stumbling across a Marsh Warbler, Forster's Tern during a late May seawatch in 2023 (the Dorset bird), White-winged Tern, Purple Heron and Aquatic Warbler, amongst others. Most recently, finding a Caspian Gull was an exciting and long awaited addition to the Titchfield Haven list! The first sighting was in January offshore, and then it or another reappeared in March by the Frying Pan.

A male Caspian Stonechat, the bird Amy found during May 2016. 

Finally, there have been many enjoyable days during spring and autumn with what felt like a bird in almost every bush or evidentially lots on the move! 15th September 2019 was one memorable morning. Walking north along the canal path it quickly became apparent that a fall of Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs had occurred. I estimated at least 50 Blackcaps along the lower half of the path, though they were mobile and hard to count. It was wonderful to see so many, and with them were various other common migrants including a couple of Spotted Flycatchers. Late October provided another smaller fall including 2 Ring Ouzels which were very nice to see. 

April Round-up 2025

 Hello from the PWC team!

April was certainly an interesting nationally, the month started very cool and at times could have been said to have felt more winter like than spring like but by the end of the month the temperatures had warmed up considerably - although there was very little in the way of April showers! Which has probably not helped to bring down any cross country flocks of waders or terns inland. The influx of Hoopoes was still on going during at least the first couple of weeks but there was also some very notable species on patches (my favourite being John Bowler's Crane on Tiree) across the countries as well as arrivals of common summer migrants occured almost across all of Britain and Ireland but it has seemingly felt very hard going for any passerine arrival here on the south-east coast! Although there has been a trickle of scarcities and good offshore passage here at least. 

Fingers crossed the last couple of weeks of May produce the last sprinkling of spring migrants, although with persistent northerly winds in the forecast it doesn't hold much hope but over the last few days there has been an increase in Temminck's Stints, with an incredible flock of nine in Norfolk, so maybe this week one will turn up on your patch? Get checking those water bodies and muddy edges! End of the month of the month will hopefully bring Red-backed Shrikes, Icterine and Marsh Warblers etc... we hope you have an enjoyable and successful month! Please continue to let us know all about it by using our hashtags #PWC2025 and #patchbirding on either Twitter (or X) and Bluesky. We will also try to use as many pictures as possible in our monthly reviews. We are sorry if our engagement on social media has been slow lately, birding and other commitments like jobs have made keeping up with things tricky, but we will try to catch up!

Crane, Balephuil - John Bowler

The Scores: 

Well, it feels a bit wrong saying 'congratulations' to Jason Spinks, but he is in the lead of total points up until the end of April in the 3km patches with 221 points from 153 species at Dungeness Bird Observatory. Trevor Girling at Titchwell RSPB a close second with 214 points. 

In the comparison table, some patches are on absolute fire, with six patches reaching the 90% or above mark by the end of month. Paul Whitehouse at Stanley Ferry Flash and Southern Washlands 3km² on 97% already, with 85 points recorded. Ben Moyes already on a whopping 178 points at Swillington Ings in West Yorkshire, some feat this early in the year, this score putting him on 94% comparatively. In joint third, Dan Webb at Sellack and Tom Shields at Colwick on 92%. 

Leading scores by mini league 3km²:

Coastal East England: Trevor Girling, RSPB Titchwell Marsh - 214 points

Coastal Scotland: Andrew Whitehouse, Girdle Ness and Torry  -113 points

Coastal South England: Jacob Spinks, Dungeness Bird Observatory 3km² - 221 points

Coastal West England: Sean OHara, Leasowe/Meols/Hoylake - 133 points

Coastal Wales: Alex Jones, Rhyl - 97 points

Inland Midlands: Pete Sofley, Ladywalk NR - 139 points

Inland North England: Ben Moyes, Swillington Ings - 178 points

Inland Scotland: Alex Ash, Kilmacolm - 68 points 

Inland South England: Geoff Wyatt, Day's Lock Oxon, - 135 points

Inland Wales: Nicholas Beswick, Mynydd Llangatwg - 58 points

Estuarine: Gordon Hodgson, Frampton, Splatt & Saul Warth - 148 points

Islands: John Bowler, Balephuil - 168 points

Top Comparative Scores:

Paul Whitehouse, Stanley Ferry Flash and Southern Washlands 3km² - 97%

Ben Moyes, Swillington Ings 3km² - 94% 

Dan Webb, Sellack 10km - 92%

Tom Shields, Colwick Park 3km² - 92%

Phil Woollen, Mollington 3km² - 90% 

Neil Burt, Godinton, Hothfield & Singleton 3km² - 90% 

Inland North, England:

The first six places hasn't changed hands since last month! Ben Moyes at Swillington Ings, West Yorkshire with a very productive month adding 52 points on from his end of March score (end of April score 178), highlights include Osprey, Arctic Tern, Wood Sandpiper, Whimbrel and Grasshopper Warbler. Duncan Bye at Wheldrake still in second, with 147 points but Ciaran Rowett at Martin Mere WWT is quickly catching up with 145 points scored so far, with months highlights being Wheatear, Whimbrel and a good day on the 28th with Cuckoo, Grasshopper Warbler, Wood Sandpiper and site tick Wood Sandpiper. Lee Wiseman at Gourthwaite Reservoir in North Yorkshire at fourth, scoring 124 points, with best birds being Med Gull, Little Ringed Plover and the continuing theme of Osprey. Mike Leakey at Bishop Middleham in fifth had a Wood Sandpiper. It has clearly been a very good month to get one of those on your #PWC2025 in the Inland North minileague! A battle for sixth with Darren Best, Swinemoor, and Phil Woolen, Mollington, on 92 and 91 points respectively. Nigel Harris at Middletons in County Durham finished on 87 points, but with five patch firsts - Black Redstart, Grasshopper Warbler, Ring Ouzel, Red Kite and Common Sandpiper. Paul Whitehouse is hot on his heels with 85 points. Gavin Orr at Pontefract Park/Racecourse ended April on 81 points, with the months highlight being a Wheatear. 

Whinchat, Swillington Ings - Ben Moyes

Inland Midlands, England:

Pete Sofley still up top with 139 points from 119 species at Ladywalk Nature Reserve, highlights being Little Gull, Garganey, Marsh Harrier, Grasshopper Warbler, Arctic Tern and Whimbrel, a classic April mix. Steve Atkinson is a very close second, with 133 points, and a decent comparative score of 84%. His highlights include Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Garganey and Curlew Sandpiper. In third, Andy Sims at Boultham Mere/Swanpool, Lincolnshire, finishes the month with 110 points closely followed by Brian Hedley also in Lincolnshire, a good local battle, with 105 points. Brian's highlights include Wheatears, Green Sandpiper, Red Kite and Yellow Wagtails. Tom Shields at Colwick Park in fifth with 100 points. Steve Lister, the legend of Swithland Reservoir where he has been patching for 35+ years, scored a Ring Ouzel, a patch lifer bringing his patch life list to 197 species, not long till the massive 200, which would be ace for a Leicestershire reservoir! His end of month score came to 93 points. Dan Leadley finished the month off with 63 points from 61 species at Dereham in Norfolk. In the 10km patches, Tom Shields is up top at Nottingham Trent Valley, recording 126 points from 110 species, with the clear highlight a Ferruginous Duck. Dan Webb at Sellack second with 117 points, with his highlights being a Blue-headed Wagtail and Cetti's Warbler. Dan is on an excellent comparative score of 92%. Steve Lister at Loughborough third with 105 points, Richard Harbird at Redditch in fourth with 96 points and William Lambourne in fifth at Ledbury with 87 points. 

Inland South, England:

Geoff Wyatt still in the top spot, with 135 points at Day's Lock, Oxon with highlights being Crossbill and Greenshank. Then it gets very tight in the league, with 20 points separating the next eight competitors, all it takes is one little purple patch in this league and you could be right up there. Freddie Matthews in Winchester still second, but Matthew Dick at RSPB Lakenheath on 109 points a very close, third trailing by only one point, his best bird of the month being a Wheatear, a patch tick. Conor Mackenzie at Sutton Courtenay also not far behind, with 107 points scored. John Pritchard at Ver Valley is fifth in the minileague with 103 points, but he noted a Corn Bunting, the first patch record in 10+ years as well as a Grasshopper Warbler. Gareth Casburn at Ardley ERF on 100 points recorded Whimbrel and Great White Egret, while Neil Burt at Godinton, Hothfield & Singleton in Kent is doing very well comparatively, already recording 90% of his previous annual total, his current score is 95, and needs to beat 106! Highlights for Neil include Black Redstart and Cuckoo. Ian Bennell at Tring Reservoirs, College Lake and Pitstone Quarry had a superb day when a female Baikal Teal graced his patch, a county first. He ends the month on 93 points, as does Gareth Blockley at Grimsbury Reservoir and East Banbury. Charlie Joseph's patch highlights for the month were Firecrest and Linnet over at Weald CP & Bentley Area. In the 10km patches, Dave Helliar leads the charge with 116 species racking up 132 points, a good 88% of his comparative score, highlights were Goldeneye, Redstart, Little Ringed Plover, Dunlin and Nightingale. Also doing well comparatively is Alan Dawson, on 88 points putting him on 83%. Jeff Gooding finishes April on 56 points, a respectable 76% comparatively. 

Yellow Wagtail, Ver Valley - John Pritchard

Coastal East, England:

Trevor Girling at RSPB Titchwell Marsh still running top of the leaderboard for this minileague, with 214 points. Jack Pettit at Spurn comes second so far with 191 points, highlights being seven Cranes and a Temminck's Stint. James Brown in the Lowestoft area sits in third on 173 points, he had some brilliant birds including Pallid Harrier, Hoopoe and Purple Heron. Stuart Ainsworth at Gibraltar Point NNR is fourth, with more class birds recorded such as Western Subalpine Warbler, Hooded Crow, Raven and finding two Blue-headed Wagtails. Other side of the Lincolnshire coast, Owen Beaumont at Saltfleetby-Theddlethorpe Dunes NNR is on 157 points. Next, Duncan Watson at Tynemouth is on 115 points, patch ticking Avocet during April then its quickly followed by John Chapman at NE South Tyneside on 114 points and Will Scott at RSPB Bempton Cliffs on 113 points, Will's highlight of the month certainly being an out of season, close in, Cory's Shearwater. So a very tight battle at the moment between these three competitors. Paul Newton at Hawsker Bottoms to Robin Hoods Bay is on 92 points, who's highlights include Sedge Warbler and Marsh Harrier. In Will's Bempton village patch, Black Redstart was the bird of the month. Over in the 10km patches, Nigel Lound is in pole position with 208 points at Gibraltar Point, but notable highlights in the league include Paul Newton finding a Hoopoe in the Whitby area and Paul French had Temminck's Stint, Garganey and a flock of Spotted Redshanks in his 10km from Easington.

Coastal West, England:

Sean OHara at 

Leasowe/Meols/Hoylake is on 133 points, a great 82% so far of his comparative score. He is still unfortunately though, the only competitor in this league, despite the boundaries for this league spanning north Cornwall, Devon and Somerset coasts, a smidgen of Cheshire but also Merseyside, Lancashire, and Cumbria coast in the north. Please do get involved! 

Coastal South, England:

Jacob Spinks is up top of this minileague, over at Dungeness Bird Observatory with 221 points, his highlights include finding Wryneck, Serin and Hoopoe in the space of a few days, as well as picking up the Beachy Head drake Surf Scoter flying east offshore. Kevin Rylands at Dawlish Warren is second with 146 points, recording some good records like first Redstart in three years, third ever April Spotted Redshank and the first to be in summer plumage since 2011. Amy Robjohns at Titchfield Haven area is third, tallying up 141 points by the end of the month. Jonathan Burton at Chyngton Farm to Cuckmere Haven in Sussex notched up 93 points, highlight for Jonathan include Black-tailed Godwit, Red Kite, Corn Bunting and Whimbrel. Kevin Rylands other patch, his window in Teignmouth is doing well with 53 species and 60 points so far, with the best birds being first site record of Pale-bellied Brent Goose but also Bar-tailed Godwit and Whimbrel. In the 10kms, Jacob Spinks at Dungeness twitched Red-rumped Swallow and Black-winged Stilt on the RSPB reserve there, bringing points total to 248. Bob Ford, commendably walking from his Weymouth home get his points total to 171, putting him in second. His highlight being a Subalpine Warbler. Amy Robjohns at The Solent (Calshot to Portsmouth Harbour) is in third with 143 points. 

Estuarine:

Gordon Hodgson at 

Frampton, Splatt and Saul Warth on the Severn Estuary ended the month on 148 points, after having a very good month including White-tailed Eagle, Osprey, Ring-necked Duck, Glossy Ibis, Arctic Terns, Little Gulls and Yellowhammer. Continuing the Severn theme, Peter Hazelwood at Oldbury Power Station recorded 118 species to get to 131 points, with highlights being 27 Little Gull, Cattle Egret and Greenshank. Jackie Binks in third at Garston Coastal reserve/Oglet with 120 points. John Conlin-Hulme at Paull, on the Humber scored 108 points, with the best being an American Wigeon and Black Redstart. 

Ring-necked Duck, Frampton patch - Gordon Hodgson

Islands:

John Bowler at Balephuil is on the top spot with 168 points, with some very notable birds including a Crane, which was his first there in 24 years and only Tiree's second recorded, and more landmarks with this bird is that it was his 300th species for Argyll! A superb way to complete this milestone too. Other good records included Ring Ouzel, Lapland Bunting, Black Redstart and Corncrake. David Roche in second with 146 points on Papa Westray got very excited with a Pochard! David Parnaby in third on 132 points and Steve Dudley came in fourth on 117 points, it is sounding a bit desperate on the latter patch, with "Nowt noteworthy for here" mentioned, but then again, spring always starts late on the Northern Isles, and I am sure by the end of May and June all the Shetland and Orkney patches will have had a better time of it. Sean Morris has two patches on the Isle of Rum, one at Kinloch and the other at Kilmory, both end on 94 points but the former is on a great run with 81% comparative score. In the 10km patches, John on Tiree is on 177 points, dipping the first Alpine Swift for Tiree but did get a less than annual Spotted Redshank. Steve Dudley on Westray found an Osprey, a new Island bird for Steve and only the fourth confirmed island record. Sean Morris on Rum a close third with 115 points and Mark Lawlor in fourth with his patch Hommet to Rousse, Guernsey, on 92 points, which gives him a massive comparative score of 88%, surely that will break 100% by the end of the year?!

Whimbrel, Papa Westray - David Roche

Inland Scotland:

Alex Ash at Kilmacolm still up top with 68 points while Lee Hesp at Strathyre is picking up pace with 43 points, 61% comparatively. Lee's highlights being Cuckoo and Common Sandpiper. Over in the 10km patches, Mike Hodgkin is still up front with 116 points at Penicuik and Allan Kelly in second with 95 points. 

Coastal Scotland:

This brilliant league is still really close at the top, with four points separating the top three and six separating fourth and fifth! Andrew Whitehouse is now up front with 129 points at Girdle Ness and Torry, who's highlights include Glaucous Gull, Iceland Gull and Grasshopper Warbler. Rich Arthurs at Gullane/Aberlady Bay ended the month on 126 points, putting him in second while Andrew Whewell at North Berwick East is on 125 points, where Yellow Wagtail was the best bird. Nick Littlewood at Portsoy is now in fourth with 113 points, but hot on his tail is Rob Hughes at Nybster with 107 points. Nina O'Hanlon isn't far behind either with 96 points, also at Nybster. Over in the 10km, Rich Arthurs at Gullane is on 138 points, followed by Rob at Nybsyter on 129 then Nina with 119. Graham Howie at Carberry Farmland reached 109 points to end the month. 

Inland Wales:

No change in this league compared to last month. Please update or fill in your scores ready for next months review!

Coastal Wales:

No change in this league compared to last month. Please update or fill in your scores ready for next months review!

Inland Ireland:

No change in this league compared to last month. Please update or fill in your scores ready for next months review!

Coastal Ireland:

No one in this league, yet!

Under 25s:

Fingers crossed more young birders will join in during the year, please do tell your friends to sign up! A decent spread of places for patches in this minileague. 

Due to the fact Observatories are ahead in most leagues they take part in currently, we are looking to introduce an Observatories mini-league to next years competition, to allow greater competition between the Observatories but also to make it fairer, as Observatories are covered daily and are usually in very well situated places that are designated nature reserves. This would include 10km's if your radius patch had an observatory recording area in it. 

If you want to sign up still, remember it is not too late! We could all use a little extra competition! If you know any friends, even from the same patch, ask if they want to sign up! Thank you. 

Please remember to keep your scores and highlights up to date, so we can keep producing this monthly review. We will always download scores at 8pm on the 7th of the month, to allow plenty of time for your scores and highlights to be submitted. We would like to also thank you all for taking part and we are looking forward to seeing what your patch will produce this month! 

The Patchwork Challenge team