Mean Harbour, Hill Head

Saturday 16 December

Lovely to have our friends from Spain, Steve and Elena Powell with us overnight on their journey back to the airport.  Come this morning it was damp and cloudy and none to warm but time to take all for a ride in the car and end up at the Meon shore at Hill Head.  A good hour spent there during which time we manage to record some great birds.  Not only Steve's first ride in an electric car but he also got chance to play with my Sony R10 Mk4 camera to check out its ease of use, etc.  So all photos below taken by Steve.

No sooner had we parked the car at the cliff top to check out the Solent than Steve had found a Woodpigeon upon which to focus and then below near the beach a small flock of Brent Goose and a gathering of Black-headed and a couple of immature Herring Gulls.  As a Cormorant flew past down Southampton Water very distant Great Northern Diver was found with the scope well out of the Solent.

Woodpigeon Columba palumbus

Taking the steps down to walk along the coastal footpath we then found a single Great Black-backed Gull whilst a Carrion Crow was curling away from us.  Approaching the harbour a female Goosander was seen to drift into same so we followed and managed to get a close sighting.

Goosander Mergus merganser (PHOTO: Steve Powel)

Meanwhile, lots of feeding activity from the resident Mallards and at least fifty Turnstone feeding below and on the path in front of us.

Turnstone Arenaria interpres

Turnstone Arenaria interpres

Next it was on to the viewing point overlooking the lagoon on the Titchfield Haven reserve where we quickly found many Shoveler and Gadwall along the a few Canada Geese, Lapwings and Coot but just the one Tufted Duck and Moorhen.

Using the cope to check out the distant water and banks within the reserve we found a resting flock of ninety Oystercatchers along with many Wigeon and a good number of Teal. A flock of twenty Curlew flew east and further into the reserve and a distant magpie was spotted.  Returning to the Visitors Centre for a coffee with the ladies we then added a handful of House Sparrows and a couple of Rock Doves few over. Whilst there we checked the Solent once again and manged to find three of the large flock of Eider Ducks that had been seen earlier in the day.  More Starlings in a neighbouring tree and then a lone Pied Wagtail on the path as we made our way back to the car, so finishing with a total of 28 species.

Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus (PHOTO: Steve Powel)

Birds seen:

Brent Goose, Canada Goose, Gadwall, Wigeon, Mallard, Shoveler, Teal, Tufted Duck, Eider, Goosander, Great Northern Diver, Cormorant, Moorhen, Coot, Oystercatcher, Lapwing, Curlew, Turnstone, Black-headed Gull, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Rock Dove, Woodpigeon, Pied Wagtail, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Starling, House Sparrow.

Turnstone Arenaria interpres

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