Workmans Lane, Warsash

Red Kite Milvus milvus

Thursday 8 December

Shopping completed, time for an early afternoon walk down Workmans Lane, Warsash and along the sea cliff before returning to the lane near the electricity station.  Then a further walk round the horse fields before returning to the car via the upper woods.  No sooner arrived than I was seeing the first of many Robins, Blackbirds and Magpies.  Certainly no shortage of Wood Pigeons and as I walked down the lane to observe the seventeen Black-tailed Godwits in the field on my right.  Meanwhile, I could hear the constant call of Jackdaws, Rooks and Carrion Crows.  Once at the entrance to the horse fields time to take a count  resulting in in excess of 50 Carrion Crow along with approximately 30 Rook and at least a score of Jackdaw. Before leaving the fields I also recorded a male Stonechat.

On the way to the shore a single Blue Tit and then a quartet of Moorhen and seven Mallards on the small pond at the bottom of the lane.  The tide was almost fully in so just the single Cormorant and a dozen Black-headed Gulls resting on the water.  Walking along the cliff top to take the path back up top Workmans Lane a small charm of Goldfinches flew over.  More Wood Pigeons and Magpies then  handful of Brent Geese flew inland overhead and were to be later found feeding the previously-mentioned Black-tailed Godwits.

Red Kite Milvus milvus being mobbed by a Carrion Crow Corvus corone

Returning to Workmans Lane and at the entrance gate to the horse fields, a number of foraging Blackbirds and a Dunnock plus a single Great Tit in the nearby hedge.  Making my way into the fields I had a few Starlings and then as I turned to continue on to the top lane a pair of Egyptian Geese flew low over the fields and away to the south.  A Pied Wagtail was drinking below the horse trough and so on the houses at the end of the path, where I discovered a lone Herring Gull resting on the grass.  However, I was distracted and looking up watched the Red Kite being mobbed by a couple of Carrion Crows.  Only the 23 species but delighted to see both the Red Kite and the Egyptian Geese and the Goldfinches were the first seen since early October.

Birds seen:

Brent Goose, Egyptian Goose, Mallard, Cormorant, Red Kite, Moorhen, Black-tailed Godwit, Black-headed Gull, Herring Gull, Wood Pigeon, Pied Wagtail, Dunnock, Robin, Stonechat, Blackbird, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Magpie, Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Starling, Goldfinch.

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