Workman's Lane, Warsash circuit

Dartford Warbler Sylvia undata

 Wednesday 20 April

All calm and peaceful as I prepared to set off on my circular walk along Workman's Lane Warsash to the shore, then northwards as far as the Scrape before returning and taking the alternative route to the bottom of Workman's Lane before finally taking a walk around the horse field and back via the top, gravelled lane to the car.  A most enjoyable 7 plus kms in calm, dry weather and a warming sun when out of the cooling breeze.

First birds of the morning the local Carrion Crows quickly followed by a Magpie and Blackbird.  Both Blue and Great Tits were active and then a Greenfinch on the wires as a Linnet dashed across the lane.  Lots of singing Robins but almost at the bottom of Workman's Lane before actually seeing the first individual.  Similarly, the same with the Dunnocks albeit they showed very well.  And with a number of Wood Pigeon moving around I made my way down the narrow path towards the shore finding a small party of House Sparrows, a couple of Wrens and numerous Chiffchaff.  A Collared Dove appeared on the tack in front of me as I approached the little pond on the left and sitting on the fence wire crossing the field on the opposite side a female Stonechat.

Dunnock Prunella modularis

Not only the tide well out but also the birds!  Relatively few Oystercatchers compared with previous visits and barely a half-dozen Black-headed but a score of Herring Gulls.  Checking the gulls I also picked up the passing Common Tern and a feeding Little Egret on the shoreline.  Working my way along the cliff top at the shore a couple of calling Cetti's Warblers and looking out to the water's edge a single Brent Goose.

Little Egret Egretta garzetta

Approaching the Meandering Pool  I watched the arrival of a half-dozen Starlings to the grassy area of the gorse patch and there, lying of the grass sunning itself, a rather magnificent Fox.  Gave me the eye and then decided to wander off into the gorse bushes.  Once at the water, a couple of Shelduck and a rapidly departing Snipe.  At the far end a Shoveler and four Teal.

Fox Vulpes vulpes

The walk along the every narrow path next to the fence between the Meandering Pool and the Scrape produced no less then three Dartford Warblers a quartet of Linnet and pair of Dunnock, and on the path at the end the first of two Meadow Pipits.  The Scrape itself was quite quite with just a pair of Mallard, a single Little Grebe and Coot, and the pair of nesting Mute Swans with less than a dozen Back-headed Gulls in the area.

Record shot of the Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis

The return walk towards the Meandering Pool produced a couple of Sky Larks, a third Dartford Warbler and then the first Whitethroat of the morning. Before regaining Workman's Lane I had added no less than four more Whitethroat albeit I suspect one may well have been a Lesser Whitethroat but no time to check the leg colouring before the bird disappeared into the deep brambles.

Jackdaw Corvus monedula

It was the final part of the walk around the outside of the horse fields that first produced a pair of Canada Geese followed by the pair of Egyptian Geese with their six active goslings.  Towards the end of this stretch both a Whitethroat and more Greenfinches before finding a small party of foraging Jackdaws.  Then back to the car with sightings of Robin, Chiffchaff, Dunnock and both Blue and Great Tits.

Distant record shot of the Egyptian Geese Alopochen aegyptiacus and their goslings

Birds seen:

Brent Goose, Canada Goose, Mute Swan, Egyptian Goose, Shelduck, Mallard, Shoveler, Teal, Little Grebe, Little Egret, Coot, Oystercatcher, Snipe, Black-headed Gull, Herring Gull, Common Tern, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, Sky Lark, Meadow Pipit, Wren, Dunnock, Robin, Stonechat, Blackbird, Cetti's Warbler, Dartford Warbler, Whitethroat, Chiffchaff, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Magpie, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Starling, House Sparrow, Greenfinch, Linnet.

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