Hamble River

Sunday 11 February

Lovely sun shining through the broken cloud as I undertook my last birding walk up the Hamble River to the conservation area and back before departing for Spain on the morrow.  Still lots of Wigeon and Brent Geese to be seen the way up the river but first sighting was a Little Egret accompanied by a half-dozen foraging Turnstone.  Then the Brent Geese and the Wigeon before encountering the hundreds of feeding Dunlin.

A few of the scores of Wigeon Anas penelope

There were certainly plenty of Dunlin feeding and large groups of the flock moving around as the tide crept ever closer to the shore and the birds sought pastures new.  Not so many Teal to be seen but more than a score of Redshank even if only the two Oystercatchers and a trio of Curlew.

Many Dunlin Calidris alpina with a male Teal Anas crecca

As I moved further up river I started to come across the occasional Grey Plover along with more Brent Geese plus the resting flock of Black-backed Gulls on an off-shore exposed mud bank along with more Dunlins and a couple of Herring Gulls.

Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola

On the muddy meadow and edges beyond on the inland side of the path, first a dozen Redshank followed by a pair of Shelduck and nine Canada Geese.  The neighbouring gardens held a couple of magpie and a trio of Woodpigeon along with a distant Carrion Crow.  Once at the conservation area a distant sighting of the lone Greenshank.  Nothing to add on the return walk until the footpath leading from the shore to home when I came across a single Robin.

Curlew Numenius arquata

Birds seen:

Canada Goose, Brent Goose, Shelduck, Wigeon, Teal, Little Egret, Oystercatcher, Grey Plover, Dunlin, Curlew, Redshank, Greenshank, Turnstone, Black-headed Gull, Herring Gull, Woodpigeon, Robin, Magpie, Carrion Crow.

Turnstone Arenaria interpres

Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola

Male and female Teal Anas crecca

A few more Dunlin Calidris alpina

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