Hayling Island

Sunday 23 March 

calm and overcast with a few breaks in the cloud for my short visit to Hayling Island this morning.  With the northern car park full I pulled up in the lower Billy Trail car park next to the travelling refreshment van with the tide well out.  A good-sized flock of about forty Brent Geese on the mudflats along with a number of Black-headed Gulls, a dozen Oystercatchers and a few Redshank.

Mediterranean Gulls Larus melanocephalus

Moving on to the main breeding lagoon I passed both Woodpigeon and magpie to find hundreds of noisy gulls taking up territory including over a hundred Mediterranean Gulls with the remainder, apart from a quartet of Herring, being Black-headed Gulls.  Off to the left a lone Little Egret.  Continuing on along the path, a few more Redshank and a single Great Black-backed Gull.

Mediterranean Gulls Larus melanocephalus

Once t the top bay next to the northern car park another Little Egret plus a small number of Dunlin along with 45 Black-tailed Godwits, most now in summer plumage, and a couple of Oystercatchers. Off in the main main a single Mute Swan.

Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa

Walking back along the now tarmacked main trail both Cetti's Warbler and Chiffchaff before finally coming across a Robin.  And back at the car and chance for a finally check on the Brent Geese on the mudflats below I also found more Curlew and two Whimbrel.  Time to head back home and both Rock Dove and Jackdaw noticed on the roofs of the neighbouring houses.

Curlew Numenius aquata

Birds seen:

Brent Goose, Mute Swan, Little Egret, Oystercatcher, Dunlin, Black-tailed Godwit, Whimbrel, Curlew, Redshank, Mediterranean Gull, Black-headed Gull, Herring Gull, Great Black-baked Gull, Rock Dove, Woodpigeon, Cetti's Warbler, Chiffchaff, Robin, Magpie, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow.

Mediterranean Gulls Larus melanocephalus (top) with Black-headed Gulls Larus ridibundus (centre and below)

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