Meon Shore and Titchfield Canal

Cormorants Phalcrocorax carbo

Sunday 6 August

Out before 8 and a clear blue sky but with a cold breeze. twenty minutes later parked up on the Meon Shore outside the Titchfield Haven reserve with the beach and low tide to my right.  There followed almost an hour checking both the the shore and pool at the bottom of the reserve to my left on the other side of the road.

Immediately visible the small number of fishing Common Terns with a few more resting on the pebbled beach between the mudflats.  Also close at hand a  number of Black-headed Gulls along with a single Little Egret and at least twenty foraging Turnstones. Moving towards the Meon harbour I also recorded both a handful of Redshank and a few Herring Gull.  Inside the harbour a couple of Coot and a core of resting Mallards.

Fishing Common Terns Sterna hirundo

Crossing the road I made use of the bridge and the mirador to check the reserve's pool and found four Cormorant along with more Coots and Mallards plus a female Great Crested Grebe and her two well-grown youngsters.

Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus and with two youngsters

Moving to the northern end of the shore's car park very little different below me on the beach but further away a good number of gulls, a few Oystercatchers and a a trio of Carrion Crows.

Moving back to Titchfield so that I could check the small copse behind the car park and walk along the canal path and back, I found very few birds.  The vegetation was quite high and giving very narrow views of the main water to my left and, indeed, the large lake was almost completed hidden for the same reason. The car area produced the first of a number of Woodpigeon along with a male Blackbird. Then, starting off down the narrow path I saw the resting Kestrel atop the power line pole.

Kestrel Falco tinnunculus

Checking what could be seen of the water away to my left I found a couple of Coot and a quartet of Mallard.  Hiding in long grass at the back of the water eight resting Canada Geese.  Continuing on down towards the bridge a number of feeding Barn Swallows above the field and a distant Heron was joined by a second. A pair of Magpie were resting in a distant bush.  As I approached the deserted pond  I observed that the Barn Swallows had been joined by a number of feeding House Martins.

Once in the avenue beyond the bridge both Chiffchaff and Chaffinch were recorded and above me a calling the resting Buzzard.  Just beyond I came across the Green Woodpecker and soon time to start the walk back to the car.  A Black-headed Gull was seen a the back of the pond and a Cetti's Warbler suddenly let forth its call from immediately in front of me.  Finally, a short walk along the road to look at the back of the flooded area which produced another Magpie, a Carrion Crow and a pair of departing Feral Pigeons.  And then, back at the car, a Robin appeared to make a final total of 32 species for the morning.

Common Tern Sterna hirundo

Birds seen:

Canada Goose, Mallard, Great Crested Grebe, Cormorant, Little Egret, Heron, Buzzard, Kestrel, Moorhen, Coot, Black-tailed Godwit, Redshank, Turnstone, Black-headed Gull, Herring Gull, Sandwich Tern, Common Tern, Rock Dove, Woodpigeon, Green Woodpecker, Barn Swallow, House Martin, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Cetti's Warbler, Chiffchaff, Magpie, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch.

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