Warsash and Solent Shores

 Wednesday 6 December

Having had my thirty minute rest, I once more exited the house and headed down to the shore at Warsash to walk out to the Spit and along the Solent to the Meandering Pool before returning home.  A most enjoyable two-hour exercise and a good selection of birds as the water approached low tide.  Still a pale Sun but also the hint of a cold breeze even though the temperature had now climbed up to a magnificent 5 or 6C!

Once beyond the slipway a couple of Black-headed Gulls, Redshank and a small flock of about twenty Brent Geese. Passing the Strawberry Fields I noted the distant Carrion Crow in the trees at the top of the field whilst on the shore now many Redshank and a few Curlew and Oystercatchers.  Yet more Brent Geese.  Also noted the first of three Herring Gulls, a single Canada Goose and a couple of Grey Plovers.

Brent Geese Branta bernicla

Moving on beyond the School of Navigation pier, this exposed mud flat produced many more Brent Geese along with a very large flock of Dunlin.  A Kingfisher dashed across the shore in front of me and more scoping revealed Ringed Plover, a score of Turnstone, many Redshank, Oystercatchers and Grey Plover plus Curlew and Little Egret.  Even three Greenshank.

Continuing on towards the Spit a Moorhen crossed the narrow path in front of me and once out at the lee of the Spit even more Brent Geese and the main party of Wigeon, mainly resting on the banks and water's edge. As well as a couple or more Ringed Plovers, amongst the dozen or so Black-headed were three Common Gulls.  Looking out onto the Solent very many Carrion Crows and Oystercatchers on the exposed gravel along with a single Cormorant and on the water itself a couple of Great Crested Grebes.

Common Gull Larus canus

So on down to the Scrape recording both Robin and Blackbird as I passed through the small spinney, and then a pair of Stonechat on a bush approaching my destination . On the water forty Canada Geese along with a small number of both Mallard and Teal along with eight Pintail, and seven Shelduck.  Concealed at the back a couple of Snipe.

Pintail Anas acuta

Very little to see until I passed by the birdless gorse patch, albeit a couple of distant Magpies. Reaching the Meandering Pool more Snipe and a handful of Gadwall plus another Little Egret.  In the trees at the back a very small flock of resting Starlings atop a large tree and so to the return journey where a revisit to the Scrape produced both Little Grebe and a pair of Shoveler.  Continuing on back to the house with the tide now well out, most of the Dunlin had moved closer to the above mentioned pier but a Dunnock noted as I approached the School of Navigation and once back on the path between Strawberry Fields and the shore a trio of Robins and another couple of Stonechat.  Strange that no Black-tailed Godwits noted on either walk this morning.  Nevermind, "Where have all the flowers gone," where have all the godwits gone?

Birds seen:

Canada Goose, Brent Goose, Shelduck, Gadwall, Wigeon, Mallard, Shoveler, Teal, Pintail, Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Cormorant, Little Egret, Moorhen, Oystercatcher, Ringed Plover, Grey Plover, Dunlin, Snipe, Curlew, Redshank, Greenshank, Turnstone, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Kingfisher, Dunnock, Robin, Stonechat, Blackbird, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Starling.

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