Monday 29 November
Leaving home early afternoon for a walk alonghside the Hamble River from where it departs Southampton Water at Warsash, I encountered Dunnock, Goldfinch and Magpie before taking the adjacent footpath to the water's edge. Then it was upstream to well beyond the small, arched footbridge along the now potholed waterside track covering just over a mile before my return in calm, clear weather but cold, very cold! Immediately a couple of Dunlin and both single Black-headed and Herring Gulls before seeing my first Brent Geese, which eventually produced a grand total of almost eighty individuals.
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| Teal Anas crecca |
Once underway on the track regular appearances of individual Carrion Crow and a small flock of Starling departed the shore to the nearby trees. Lots of individual Redshank and then the first of three Little Egrets, and looking very cold and hungry. Once the first Turnstone had been found I came across the first of the ducks and on this occasion a healthy flock of forty-five Wigeon. Almost immediately thirty Teal and both species were to be further recorded in good numbers.
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| Wigeon Anas penelope |
Meanwhile, another Curlew every so often and then a Grey Plover. Not just an isolated individual as two more were to be seen as I progressed upstream. The grassy plain to the right of the path held more Black-headed Gulls and a party of eighteen feeding Shelduck. Nearer me I counted thirty Ringed Plover and a little further on a lone Lapwing. Three Heron rested towards the back of the area on the edge of the reedbed.
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| Curlew Numenius arquata |
At the water's edge my first of four Black-tailed Godwit and then a lone Kingfisher landed on the side of an old hulk before flashing away to the back of the now empty, muddy creek. That was when I discovered my first of three Greenshank and a lone Common Gull sitting on the water.
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| Common Gull Larus canus |
Almost at the turning point and I found an Oystercatcher on the shore followed by a further three as I made my way back downstream to Warsash. I was somewhat surprised to notice that a trio of Mallard had arrived at the water's edge and then as I started on the footpath away from the water towards the car park, a Wren popped up in front of me to go foraging below the bushes on the other side of the track.
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| Greenshank Tringa nebularia |
Birds seen:
Brent Goose, Shelduck, Wigeon, Mallard, Teal, Little Egret, Heron, Oystercatcher, Ringed Plover, Grey Plover, Lapwing, Dunlin, Black-tailed Godwit, Curlew, Greenshank, Redshank, Turnstone, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Herring Gull, Kingfisher, Dunnock, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Starling, Goldfinch.
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