Warsash - Lower Hamble River

 Saturday 30 July

Lovely calm morning at 6.30 as I started my walk up the Hamble River in Warsash to just beyond the conservation area and back at low tide.  With the low, early morning sunlight a mixture of deep shadow and sudden low, bright light whenever I looked inland, whereas all the shore birds were upwards of a hundred yards out.  Wood Pigeon, Carrion Crow and Blackbird on the path between entry to the river and ferry pier and on the adjacent muddy shore both Herring and Black-headed Gulls.

Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa

To the right of the path on the muddy flats a number of Black-headed Gulls and in the deep, empty channel stretching up to the back of the reedbed a trio of Lapwing plus a well-grown Water Rail that had made a very brief appearance on the edge of the reeds.  Near the river's edge  the first of many Redshank and Black-tailed Godwits that were to be seen and on the water itself a pair of Mute Swans.

Well-grown Water Rail chick Rallus aquaticus

Moving on towards the conservation area a Curlew on both the river shore and the inland mudflats.  Two Oystercatchers also noted with one wearing a couple of identification rings. A lone Pied Wagtail was feeding on a grassy bank in the mud and then, at the conservation area, both a couple of Little Egrets and a Heron along with more Redshanks and Black-tailed Godwits.

Curlew Numenius arquata

Making my way back I added another Heron at the ferry pier and a couple of Starling on the nearby path. Just when I was pondering on the fact that I had no seen a Magpie this morning, I exited the riverside path onto Passage Lane and there was a Magpie, sitting as calmly as you like on top of a telegraph pole immediately outside my front gate; must have known he would be sorely missed!

Colour ringed Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus  - now where was he/she ringed?

Birds seen:

Canada Goose, Mute Swan, Little Egret, Heron, Water Rail, Oystercatcher, Lapwing, Black-tailed Godwit, Curlew, Redshank, Black-headed Gull, Herring Gull, Wood Pigeon, Pied Wagtail, Blackbird, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Starling.

Grey Heron Ardea cinerea

Distant Lapwing Vanellus vanellus

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