Warsash and Solent Shore

Wednesday 29 November

Jobs sorted and the sun actually shining albeit cold and cloudy outside, I decide to take a walk along the Warsash shore and on down to Southampton Water and the Solent.  The water was barely thirty minutes away from high tide so some very close Brent Geese, Redshanks and Turnstones as I made my way to the path alongside Strawberry Fields.  An as soon as I reached the first bushes a small number of feeding House Sparrows and a male Blackbird on the footpath ahead.  Overhead the first of very many Carrion Crows and a lone Greenfinch atop a distant tree.

Brent Geese Branta bernicla

Continuing on down to the School of Navigation a Robin or two in the nearby shrubs and bushes and a foraging Magpie whilst on the water itself the first Little Egret and a couple of Black-headed Gulls. Looking across to the Spit I could see a lone heron and many more Brent Geese as a dozen Canada Geese flew over me.  Once nearer the spit and with the sun behind me, I counted ninety resting Oystercatchers along with a few Wigeon and Teal plus a dozen Redshank.  However, it was the resting half-dozen Curlew that caught e attention.  On the open water out in the Solent a single feeding Black-throated Diver.

A few of the Wigeon Anas penelope

Reaching the Scrape I was surprised to see so few birds taking their rest during the high tide period.  Just a few Black-headed and a single Herring Gull along with six Shelduck, a Little Grebe, a trio of Mallard and hardly more than a handful of Teal.  A Moorhen made landfall on the larger island in front. Off the far left I found a few Gadwall but these were very much dwarfed by the twenty Canada Geese accompanied by a single Greylag Goose.  Then, right at the back of the water, I was able to pick out a half-dozen Snipe.

Distant Snipe Gallinago gallinago with a lone Teal Anas crecca

Moving on down to the Meandering Pool only produced a single Little Egret but in the trees to the back not only a single Woodpigeon and half a dozen roosting Starling but a score of sleeping Curlew in the back field.   But then, hidden away in the distant grass, a resting Roe Deer. Turning and making my way back home I came across a Kingfisher in the reeds to my right as I reached the Spit and then another Wren on the path as I approached Strawberry Fields.  Just the thirty species in almost three miles but good to be outside as the dry weather persisted with increasing cloud and a disappearing sun.

Record shot of the distant Roe Deer Capreolus capreolus

Birds seen:

Greylag Goose, Canada Goose, Brent Goose, Shelduck, Gadwall, Wigeon, Mallard, Teal, Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Little Egret, Heron, Moorhen, Oystercatcher, Curlew, Snipe, Redshank, Turnstone, Black-headed Gull, Herring Gull, Woodpigeon, Kingfisher, Wren, Robin, Blackbird, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Starling, House Sparrow, Greenfinch.

Very distant Black-throated Diver Gavia arctica

Sleeping Curlew Numenius arquata

A few on the 90 Oystercatchers Haematopus ostralegus

Brent Geese and Wigeon in the lee of the Spit

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