New Forest Birding

Friday 27 August

Dull as with friend Hazel Croft-Phillips we drove over to Normandy Lagoon on the Solent coast south of Lymington arriving for a 9.40 circuit of the lagoon.  As we set off Robin and Dunnock on the road and both Woodpigeon and Carrion Crow as we crossed the field to the sea wall and picking up both House Sparrow and Blackbird as we approached the gate.

Once up on the sea wall very obvious that virtually no birds to be seen but a distant Cormorant. Scoping the area we found a handful of mallard and then the first flock of Ringed Plovers.  At least forty individuals accompanied by a few Dunlin but then checking the neighbouring islands found another two resting flocks, but this time also including a couple of Redshank.

A mix of Ringed Plovers Charadrius hiaticula and Dunlin Calidris alpina

A large flock of Starlings flew in and across the lagoon and then we found a Great Black-backed Gull off to the far right and close by a trio of Grey Plovers.  Nearby the handful of Oystercatchers were suddenly joined by scores more.  On the far right back island not just a few more Dunlin but also a score or more resting Lapwing.  But only one Little Egret on the lagoon.

Ringed Plovers Charadrius hiaticula

No sooner had I found the first Pied Wagtail of the morning than Hazel managed to find us a single Meadow Pipit.  At this point fifteen Canada Geese flew in off the Solent and alighted on the water.

Redshank Tringa totanus (left) with mainly Ringed Plovers Charadrius hiaticula

Having found the missing Little Egret we also noted the resting Grey Heron behind the bird.  Making our way back to Acre Pond and then the car we encountered a couple of Black-headed Gulls and a Magpie before another Pied Wagtail.  Once back on the road we then found a pair of Chaffinches and a Great Tit.  The final bird here was a Buzzard atop a pole as we set off for neayby Lower Pennington Lane and the Pennington Marshes.

Just over the hour at Pennington with hardly a drop of water to be seen; no lakes nor puddles, just dried, caked mud.  Obviously, hardly a bird to be seen. As we started our anti-clockwise loop a large passage of Starlings above us and a couple of Woodpigeon, Herring Gull and Carrion Crow overhead.

Once at the dry Fishtail Lagoon a distant pair of Mute Swans then up onto the sea wall to check the open water. Here, bird life at last with a resting mixed flock of gulls along with nine Cormorant and six Eider Ducks.  On the water close by a further three Eiders and a single Great Crested Grebe.  Moving on a small flock of fourteen Lapwings flew over us and then on the old irons sticking up near the "pier" about ten resting Turnstones.

Turning inland to make our way back to the car a Jay took off from the bushes on the right and the left-hand side produced a single Whitethroat.  The final walk also produced a handful of Linnets and a pair of Magpies to take the morning's final tally up to 34 species.

Birds seen:

Canada Goose, Mute Swan, Mallard, Eider, Great Crested Grebe, Cormorant, Little Egret, Heron, Buzzard, Oystercatcher, Ringed Plover, Grey Plover, Lapwing, Dunlin, Turnstone, Black-headed Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, Woodpigeon, Meadow Pipit, Pied Wagtail, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Whitethroat, Great Tit, Jay, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Linnet.

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