Pennington Marsh

Saturday 16 August

With friends Derek and Barbara Etherton staying the week-end following the end of their Greenland cruise before returning to Spain, naturally time would be found for a little birding.  So early afternoon, accompanied by Jenny, the four of us were at Pennington Marshes and parked up at the lend of Lower Pennington Lane.  No sooner through the gate than a total of six Dunnocks on the green track in front of us as we headed for Fishtail Lagoon.  A pair of Mallards and a Black-headed Gull flew over and then both above and off to our right many Canada Geese.

An almost dry Fishtail Lagoon

Stopping for a light snack on the bench overlooking, the now very dry with just a small pool of water, Fishtail Lagoon we could see the scores of Canada Geese and Herring Gulls but also a handful of Great Black-backed Gulls off to their right.  Meanwhile, as we switched our attention to the remaining water to our left, we noted the occasional Goldfinch and Linnet passing through the bushes below. Once down alongside the canal before climbing the steps to the seawall we had a juvenile Moorhen on the edges.  Just  few Oystercatchers to be seen but a couple of Ringed Plover and a Pied Wagtail at the water's edge.

From the seawall we could see distant Cormorants and many Oystercatchers on the exposed muddy banks to off shore to the right but passing Butts lagoon all looked completely empty until on the far side nest to a single Black-headed Gull we found a feeding Snipe at the edge of the reeds.

Snipe Gallinago gallinago

Stopping at the seat before turning left we were checking the Cormorants, etc when we found a single Eider on the open water between us.

Eider Somateria mollissima

Moving on we came to the just about bone dry adjacent first pool of Pennington Lagoon.  We found a couple of Dunlin but not before finding more and more Ringed Plover taking the final total to a dozen. As we turned to take the track back towards the car a small number of Barn Swallows above and then checking behind a bush Derek found a Whitethroat.  Both Magpie and Woodpigeons in the field beyond to our right. Approaching the end of the track a calling Chiffchaff in the nearby hedge.

Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula

With Jenny having disappeared to collect some very ripe blackberries, the three of us took the short walk down the lane to see what could be seen through the trees on the fresh water lake at the former Efford Landfill site.  Black-headed Gulls and a few Coot but also a single Little Grebe. In the trees between us a dozen feeding Goldfinches.

Time to head back to Warsash and as passed through Lymington both a pair of Collared Doves and a number of Jackdaws.  Then, on the M27 towards Junction 2 a Buzzard flew across the motorway.

Birds seen:

Canada Goose, Mute Swan, Shelduck, Mallard, Eider, Little Grebe, Cormorant, Little Egret, Buzzard, Moorhen, Coot, Oystercatcher, Ringed Plover, Dunlin, Snipe, Whimbrel, Redshank, Black-headed Gull, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Woodpigeon, Collared Dove, Barn Swallow, Pied Wagtail, Dunnock, Chiffchaff, Magpie, Jackdaw, carrion Crow, Starling, Goldfinch, Linnet.

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