Hook with Warsash Nature Reserve

Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe

Sunday 24 March

A bright, sunny and mainly clear morning, albeit with a strong cold wind, when collected by friends Richard and Adria o attend the morning meet of the Hampshire Ornithological Society's (HOS) walk around my local Hook-with-Warsash Nature Reserve starting at the top of Workmans Lane.  A final total of 18 members set off through the parkland to the woods behind having already recorded Blue, Great and Long-tailed Tits, Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Wren.  No sooner were we under way than we had our first Woodpigeon and Magpie along with a Greenfinch.  A handful of Long-tailed Tits were feeding in the trees in front of us and away to our right I was able to point out the two Red Kites above the trees. Then, not so much the Robin but the Firecrest that was working its way along the hedge to our left before we then also recorded a Goldcrest up ahead of us.

Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus watching me watching it!

Once walking through the trees we heard both Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers plus the sight of more Chiffchaffs and a second, female, Blackcap. The first of a few Blackbirds put in an appearance before we crossed the road and took the path down to the shore to reach the concrete block at the Spit for a rest and chance to take stock the choppy waters of the Solent (Southampton Water) and the inland side of the Spit at high tide.  A Herring Gull flew over and we noted the dozen resting Oystercatchers before also seeing a couple of Black-headed Gulls.

The Scrape

Time to walk on down to the Scrape but stop to watch the ascending Skylark with its beautiful song before noting the resting Black-headed and three Herring Gulls.  On the nearest island a couple of Oystercatchers and Moorhen before the pair of Gadwall headed off for the left-corner of the water to join a small flock of Teal and two Wigeon.  On the platforms at the back a Cormorant on the left box and a pair of Shelduck on the right box.  behind the small island to our right a lone, feeding Little Grebe and a passing Mallard.  Overhead, apart from a few passing Black-headed Gulls, a couple of Carrion Crows.

Gadwalls Anas strepera with Black-headed Gull and Moorhen

Moving through the gorse are we found not one but two Northern Wheatears followed by a pair of both Stonechat and Linnet.  Finding the second Wheatear as it moved across the ground we also discovered a feeding Meadow Pipit. meanwhile, at the back beyond the hedge and into the neighbouring field at least eight resting Curlew.  Then it was on to the Meandering Pool which produced a Little  Egret, pair of Mallard and a passing Heron.

Stonechat Saxicola torquatus

Having stopped at Chilling Head for our picnic lunch during which a few members noted the small flock of Sanderling flying southwards along the shore, we made our way up the path to Workmans Lane to enter the Horse Fields via a very muddy track.  During the walk up a couple of Rock Doves and a lovely Long-tailed Tit feeding in the trees at the top of the path.  Lots of Carrion Crows and Jackdaws on show but also a couple of Rooks.  To our right we found a solitary Egyptian Goose and at the top of the track, well as far as we could go without swimming in a muddy pool, the sight of a few Pied Wagtails away to our left along with a Meadow Pipit.  No sign of the resident, breeding Ravens this morning but the pond at the back held a number of Canada Geese plus a single Coot.  On the other hand, immediately in front of us a flock of at least an hundred Starlings feeding between bushes and the feet of the horses.

Egyptian Goose Alpochen aegyptiaca

Birds seen:

Canada Goose, Egyptian Goose, Shelduck, Gadwall, Wigeon, Mallard, Teal, Little Grebe, Cormorant, Little Egret, Heron, Red Kite, Moorhen, Coot, Oystercatcher, Curlew, Black-headed Gull, Herring Gull, Rock Dove, Woodpigeon, Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Skylark, Meadow Pipit, Pied Wagtail, Wren, Robin, Stonechat, Northern Wheatear, Blackbird, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Goldcrest, Firecrest, Long-tailed Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Nuthatch, Magpie, Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Starling, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Linnet.

Distant, concealed Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita

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