Warsash and Solent Shore

Friday 11 July

Curlew Numenius arquata in need of a good scratch!

Another very warm and sunny day so with minimum clothing and just the bins and camera headed off along the Warsash coast as the tide was half-way in to the Spit and on to the Meandering Lake, which had completely dried up and providing nothing other than a visiting Roe Deer, before retuning home by the same route, having finally recorded 24 species in ninety minutes.

Roe Deer 

Fist bird, no surprise there, was a Black-headed Gull quickly followed by the first Little Egret of the morning.  A dozen House Sparrows in the bushes near the sailing club and then a Robin on the path as I passed Strawberry Fields and a resting Woodpigeon atop a tall tree on my left.  On the shore line a feeding Curlew and then a handful of Herring Gulls as I approached the pier, and just past this landmark a score of Black-tailed Godwits.

Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo

A few Herring Gulls approaching the Spit along with a preening Cormorant and a couple of Oystercatchers.  Once alongside the Spit a large resting flock of Black-headed Gulls and another Curlew and Black-tailed Godwit.

Resting Black-headed Gulls Larus ridibundus with a feeding Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa

Walking along the Solent shore towards the Scrape a passing Magpie and then the first Stonechat.  The scrape was alive with resting birds including about 70 Avocet and, eventually, 80 Black-tailed Godwits.  Also recorded were a single Heron and Moorhen plus a Little Grebe and handful of Mallards.  Even a couple more Little Egrets and a Curlew resting on the far fencing.

Scores of Avocets Recurvirostra avosetta plus a few Black-headed Gulls

Moving on towards the gorse patch a trio of Skylarks took to the air immediately in front of me and then a few Linnets along with more Stonechats as I made my way along the narrow path next to the gorse area.  However, greatest and most pleasant surprise was finding a male Dartford Warbler just inside the fence in the healthy gorse but never exposed sufficiently long enough to get even a record photograph.

Male Stonechat Saxicola torquatus

With no water at the Meandering Lake so back the same way and picking up a Common Tern flying low and close to the shore as it patrolled southwards.  Back towards the pier the sight of a half-dozen Rock Doves and then the long-staying Yellow-legged Gull that seems to favour this area as the tide comes in.  All in all, very warm and glad to get back to cool off in the shade!

Mainly Back-tailed Godwits Limosa limosa along with Little Egret Egretta garzetta and Curlew 

Birds seen:

Mallard, Little Grebe, Cormorant, Little Egret, Heron, Moorhen, Oystercatcher, Avocet, Black-tailed Godwit, Curlew, Black-headed Gull, Herring Gull, Yellow-legged Gull, Woodpigeon, Skylark, Robin, Stonechat, Dartford Warbler, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Linnet.

Curlew Numenius arquata

Stonechat Saxicola torquatus

Very distant Linnets Carduelis cannabina

Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis

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