Warsash and Solent Shore

Thursday 30 October

Dry, a little cloudy and calm as I set off for the Warsash shore leaving the morning Dunnock feeding in the garden.  A quintet of Brent Geese and a Black-headed Gull plus a few Oystercatchers as I passed the slipway and once up to Strawberry Fields with  two dozen Woodpigeon and a few Carrion Crows over head, chance to look down on the shore and see the many Brent Geese along with scores of Redshank, Turnstone and Oystercatchers.  Also present a small number of Black-tailed Godwit and a single Curlew.

Brent Geese Branta bernicla with Turnstones Arearia interpres and an Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus

Once past the navigation pier chance to see a few Herring and the main flock of Black-headed Gulls along with many more Redshank and, especially, Brent Geese.  At the end of the Spit a lone Cormorant and the first of two Herons seen during the morning.  A lone Little Egret was working the Spit itself and held approximately 140 Wigeon.

A few of the many Wigeon Anas penelope

On down to the Scrape where just a single Little Grebe present but on the way I did record five Stonechats and a Robin.  Overhead the quartering female Kestrel entertained both myself and Paul Willis who I came across at the same time.  Continuing on down to the the Meandering Pool I found many Skylarks in the gorse area along with a couple of Meadow Pipits.

Female Kestrel Falco tinnunculus

A look in again at the Scrape on the return journey found the arrival of eight Mallards and a single Teal on the small island to the right front.  The photograph well illustrates the difference in size between the two duck species.

Teal Anas crecca (left) with male Mallard Anas platyrhynchos

Back at the Spit with the tide now on the turn many Wigeons again and on the muddy shore between the water and the navigation pier about fifty resting Black-headed Gulls and a lone Greenshank. A pair of Pied Wagtails were on the grass at entrance to the navigation work area but nothing new from there till back home.

Greenshank Tringa nebularia

Birds seen:

Bent Goose, Wigeon, Mallard, Teal, Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Cormorant, Little Egret, Heron, Kestrel, Moorhen, Oystercatcher, Black-tailed Godwit, Curlew, Redshank, Greenshank, Turnstone, Back-headed Gull, Herring Gull, Woodpigeon, Skylark, Meadow Pipit, Pied Wagtail, Dunnock, Robin, Stonechat, Magpie, Jackdaw, Starling, Goldfinch.

Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis

Little Egret Egrett garzetta

Turnstones Arenaria interpres (left) with Redshanks Tringa totanus 

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