Meon Shore and Warsash Nature Reserve Area

Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola with Sanderling Calidris alba

Sunday 7 January

What a beautiful start to Sunday with a bright, shining sun in a cloudless blue sky.  What better than to drive over to the cliff top at Hill Head above Titchfield Haven and check for sea ducks followed by a walk round the local area within the Hook-with-Warsash nature reserve.  But first, the five minutes de-icing the car's windscreen as the temperature was still only 1C at 8.45!  Not surprisingly, it was a case of six layers on the upper body, two on the legs pus hat and gloves.

Arriving at the cliff top above Titchfield Haven the tide had been on its way out for the past hour so still very little beach to sea and a case of scoping the distant water.  As I was setting up the scope a Robin was watching the activity form the adjacent tree as a Carrion Crow moved around the nearby house with the occasional Black-headed Gull passing over.  Behind the houses on the opposite side of the road I could hear a Great Spotted Woodpecker tapping from the nearby trees. back to the Solent and three Great Crested Grebes were passing by close to the shore but once focused way out a small flock of Eider were recorded. 

Shoveler Anas clypeata

Then it was move the car down to the shore front ready to check both the harbour and reserve on the other side of the road.  A pair of Mute Swans in the harbour and a couple of Mallard plus a single Turnstone.  Crossing to the viewing point the lagoon held a score or more Shoveler plus even more resting Black-headed Gulls.  Just the one Coot but a handful of Teal and a pair of Tufted Duck also seen. In the distance a Magpie but perched on the bush not five metres away a resting Woodpigeon along with a couple more further on.

Teal Anas crecca with a Shoveler

Time to scope the other side of the fence into the reserve proper where I found over fifty resting Oystercatchers along with many Teal.  To the right a dozen Canada Geese and another pair of Mute Swans.  Finally, further up the River Meon I noted a quartet of Gadwall and more Woodpigeons before deciding it was time to move back to Warsash but not before noticing the Pied Wagtail walking along the gravel behind the parked cars and, back at the harbour, the Mallard numbers had now increased and I counted over 70 Turnstones in two large flocks.

The Turnstone Arenaria interpres gathering

The journey back to Warsash to start my walk at the top of Workmans Lane took me along the narrow lane towards Titchfield and passing through Posbrook I could not but notice the very high level of the flood water and in the last field on my right before meeting the Titchfield to Warsash road a large flock of Carrion Crows along with a number of Jackdaws and Starlings plus, on the houses, a dozen or so House Sparrows.

Starting of down Workmans Lane I had both Robin and Great Tit at the first house pus a Great Spotted Woodpecker drilling away to my left. Approaching the end of the large field on my right and its winter pond both Carrion Crows and Black-headed Gulls over head and then I met the resting flock of at least a score Brent Geese along with 55 Curlew and about a score of Oystercatchers.  A small flock of Starlings came to forage amongst the larger birds and a Magpie was noted on the far side of the field.

Brent Geese Branta bernicla

Approaching the stile to enter the horse field a Dunnock was posed in the bush in front and then joined by a Blackbird. What a wet track to the far end which required careful foot placement!  Near the open field to the right a bush held a number of Linnets and a couple of male Reed Bunting whilst in the field itself many Carrion Crows along with a couple of Pied Wagtail and a lone Meadow Pipit. Checking across then flooded end to the field beyond near the small lake I could identify a couple of Egyptian Geese in the company of two Mallard and six Lapwing.  In addition to the occasional Black-headed there was also a number of Herring Gulls.

Male Reed Buntings Emberiza schoeniclus

Moving back to the lane and on down the path to the Solent shore I assed a couple of Long-tailed Tits in the tree in front and noted the resting Song Thrush high in a bush to my right. Once at the shore I was impressed to see the number of foraging Sanderling, at least sixty, along with a few Turnstones, Oystercatchers, Redshank, a single Grey Plover and Black-tailed Godwit. To my left towards the Solent Breeze development, amidst the few Herring and Black-headed I also discovered a single Little Gull. Also nearby  over a score of Brent Geese.

Sanderling Calidris alba

Moving upstream along the coastal path I first stopped at the Meandering Pool where I found, in addition to the eight Gadwall and small number of Teal, a single Little Egret, Heron and a quartet of Snipe.

Little Egret Egretta garzetta with Teal Anas crecca

Onwards to the Scrape and here, along with the eighteen Canada Geese and three Shelduck, I found a Pintail, eight Wigeon and both a Lapwing and Common Gull resting on the distant float.

Lapwing Vanellus vanellus with Common Gull Larus canus

Now well after noon so decided to take the direct route back to the car by retracing my steps along the shore and then the small path through the trees to Cowes lane.  Exiting the trees a male Sparrowhawk took off from the bushes to my right (gave me quite a start!) and stopping to check the field on my left I was not too surprised to find a fox foraging for tit-bits.  Quite a pleasant way to conclude the morning having recorded 48 species.

Distant Fox Vulpes vulpes

Birds seen:

Brent Goose, Canada Goose, Mute Swan, Egyptian Goose, Shelduck, Gadwall, Wigeon, Mallard, Shoveler, Teal, Pintail, Tufted Duck, Eider Duck, Great Crested Grebe, Little Egret, Heron, Sparrowhawk, Coot, Oystercatcher, Grey Plover, Lapwing, Sanderling, Snipe, Black-tailed Godwit, Curlew, Redshank, Turnstone, Little Gull, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Herring Gull, Woodpigeon, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Meadow Pipit, Pied Wagtail, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Long-tailed Tit, Great Tit, Magpie, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Starling, House Sparrow, Linnet, Reed Bunting.

Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa

Turnstone Arenaria interpres

Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus

Linnits Carduelis cannabina

Song Thrush Turdus philomelos

Woodpigeon Columba palumbus

Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus

Pintail Anas acuta

Sanderling Calidris alba

Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula

Canada Geese Branta canadensis with Shelduck Tadorna tadorna

Curlew Numenius arquata

Distant Snipe Gallinago gallinago

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