The highlight of a morning stroll around the reserve was a single Razorbill feeding close inshore from 1100 on the ebb tide.  On each occasion that the bird dived it appeared to chase its prey in to the shallows.  Sometimes its presence underwater was given away by a bow wave but on several occasions it actually breached the surface no more than two or three metres from the shore.  The Razorbill continued to perform as I walked along the beach to get closer.  Unfortunately when I got round to taking some photographs the bird started to move further offshore.  I did manage to get a poor record shot but I had left the exposure compensation on -2 from my previous subject.  School boy error I know but at least you can tell what it is. 

Razorbill, Hook with Warsash - 16 Sep 09. 

Southampton Water - 16 Sep 09!!!   I've got quite a few shots like this one. 

   Other highlights included the following: Yellow Wagtail - 12 (horse field adjacent Hook Valley and 1 on Links);   Wheatear - 5;   House Martin - 100s (Links) and Greenshank - 1 (Links Scrape at High Tide). 

Razorbill, Hook with Warsash - 16 Sep 09. 

   Although I have seen thousands of Razorbill this year (Bempton Cliffs RSPB and West coast of Scotland) it is not an easy species to see in Hampshire.  To get such good views on one of my local patches was a real treat.    

Good birding,

Tony T   BSc (Hons) Geosci (Open)