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| Water Pipit Anthus spinoletta |
Saturday 8 November
A dry, sunny day forecast and my first opportunity to visit Calshot Spit and see if, after three days, the Boat-tailed Grackle was still about. The area is, probably less than a mile away from home but that would mean either a long swim or a boat ride! Hence the hour long drive up and around the north of Southampton before heading down through the New Forest to the mouth of Southampton Water opposite the Isle of Wight. So, leaving early and not too much traffic about I was on site just after 8.30 and the tide still out exposing lots of mud on the northern inside of the Spit. Greeted on arrival in Calshot by Magpie, Woodpigeon and a cock Pheasant I then found the inner shore full of waders with about 120 Dunlin and 70 Ringed Plover along with maybe 50 Oystercatchers, 30 Turnstone and 8 Curlew.
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| Dunlin Calidris alpina |
Parking the car and making my way to the castle and RNLI boathouse a couple of Pied Wagtails foraging around the parked boat trailers and an immature Herring Gull resting on the pier gate but no sign of the Grackle. A search of the shores both sides of he area also failed to find the bird so, unfortunately, had to conclude that the bird had made its departure. Not surprisingly really, given the number of watchers, especially the camera brigade who despite their long lenses always want to almost stand on their target, that had actually been able to visit the site during the week.
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| Curlew Numenius arquata |
Making my way back to the inland shore a small flock of ten House Sparrows and once at the grassy area above the shore chance to see the rest of the foraging and resting birds. A Little Egret plus eight Black-headed Gulls and even a few Starlings. Nineteen Brent Geese had arrived in the past fifteen minutes so very much cackle rather then grackle! And at the back of the area three Redshank. As I made my way back to the end of the Spit alongside the canal on my right a Moorhen lifted itself out of the water and up the shallow bank.
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| Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula |
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| Great White Egret Ardea alba |
Checking the inland pool I had a very close Little Egret and three more towards the back. Also at the very back a single Great White Egret. Further away to the left three Redshank and close by six Greenshank, which also drew my attention to both a Moorhen and hen Pheasant at the edge of the reeds. Nearer to me, a handful of Turnstone at the pool's edge.
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| Little Egret Egretta garzetta |
The grassy (closed) parking area held both a Pied Wagtail and a Blackbird and making my way round I also found both Robin and a Cetti's Warbler. In the trees at the back Magpie and passing Carrion Crow and returning to the road near the outflow gully I was suddenly surprised to see a small brown bird appear in front of me and rather than a Dunnock, the bird remained a few moments to let me get a closer look and delighted to discover it was a Water Pipit, first of the year. Great way to end the visit and as I departed a quartet of Chaffinches on the road.
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| Water Pipit Anthus spinoletta |
Birds seen:
Brent Goose, Pheasant, Little Egret, Great White Egret, Buzzard, Moorhen, Oystercatcher, Ringed Plover, Dunlin, Curlew, Redshank, Greenshank, Turnstone, Black-headed Gull, Herring Gull, Woodpigeon, Collared Dove, Water Pipit, Pied Wagtail, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Cetti's Warbler, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch,
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| Ringed Plovers Charadrius hiaticula |
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