Titchfield Canal, Meon Shore, Hill Head and Weston Shore, Southampton

 Wednesday 4 February

Lovely calm and sunny day and not too cold, eventually reaching about 10C by midday.  Down on the Meon shore at Hill Head and Titchfield Haven by just after 10 and a good-sized flock of Brent Geese out on Southampton Water.  But from the waterside car park and nearby road bridge most bird life was to be seen in the Nature Reserve with a good number of Black-headed Gulls and Shovelers in the main lagoon.  Looking over into the reserve proper plenty of lapwing and Shoveler plus a number of Shelduck and resting Wigeon.  In with the Wigeon many resting Oystercatchers and the occasional Coot and Canada Goose also recorded.

Moving on past the marina to check the resting birds on the far side of the river mouth I found very resting Black-headed Gulls and a few Herring Gulls.  Indeed, in amongst all the gulls and Oystercatchers also a singe Great Black-backed Gull.  On the shore near the river mouth about a dozen foraging Turnstone.  Out on the water moving towards the river mouth a pair of Mute Swans.  Eventually, I continued on to the bathing huts and took the steps up to the cliff top for a better view of the man water and was rewarded with the sight of eleven Eider Ducks.  Finally, nearer the shore, about a core of feeding Black-tailed Godwits.  Making my way back to the car along the road I cam across both Rock Doves and Woodpigeons on and around the houses.

Turnstones Arenaria interpres

Time to move and back to Titchfield to take a walk down the canal path.  But first a short walk up the canal past the horse paddock where I found not only most of the field flooded but much water overflowing from the canal to my path.  A Blackbird as I started off and in the garden of the first house, making use of the provided feeder, Long-tailed, Blue and Great Tits.  (Should have taken the photos then as the birds as disappeared when I returned less then ten minutes later.)  having to stop half-way along the path because of the flood water I managed to scope the distant field and wet area and found a pair of both Mute Swans and Mallards and the also a pair of Greylag Geese.

The overflowing River Meon at Titchfield

Back across the road to the main canal path westwards and noting the road now closed because of flooding but another Blackbird and Blue Tit as I started off.  My first bird was a resting Buzzard before getting my first look at the Bridge Street Flood.  Lots of Black-headed Gulls and resting Wigeon plus a number of Coot but difficult to make out anything else.

The resting Buzzard Buteo buteo

Approaching the small bridge on the right the amount of flood water was very obvious but I did find a trio of Herring Gulls resting on the grass to my left. Both Carrion Crow and Magpie noted and then a score of Canada Geese at the back of the flood water as Approached Posbrook Flood and a fly-by of a Cormorant.

Reaching the avenue beyond the bridge a pair of Dunnock and the the call of a Green Woodpecker from in the trees on the far side of Posbrook Flood.  On the water a number of Black-headed Gulls plus a quartet of Shoveler with a Heron resting on a tree next to the water.  At the far end a few more Coot and a couple of Teal.  Making my way back to the car park I had a Great Spotted Woodpecker in the trees to my immediate left and then finally caught up with the sight of both Wren and Robin.  An added bonus was finding a couple of Redwing in the small trees on the other side of the car park.

Distant shot of the resting Heron with Black-headed Gulls on the water

Still only 11.15 so decided to take the opportunity to take the thirty minute drive over to Weston Shore at the top of Southampton Water to see if the Great Northern Diver was still about as it had been seen earlier in the day.  No such luck and the tide now fully in with very many Black-headed and Herring Gulls out on the water.  Similarly, loads of Carrion Crows in the are, both on the car park wall and neighbouring trees.  Further north five Mute Swans and well out in front of at least a dozen Great Crested Grebe.  Also present a number of Rock Doves and passing Woodpigeons.

On my back to Warsash, arriving about 12.40, I stopped for a few minutes at nearby Sophie's Pond and managed to find a Moorhen hiding in the edges along with the resident pair of Mute Swans and a handful of Mallard, so giving a final total of 39 species for the morning.

Pair of Mallards Anas platyrhynchos (drake on the right)

Birds seen:

Greylag Goose, Brent Goose, Canada Goose, Mute Swan, Shelduck, Wigeon, Mallard, Shoveler, Teal, Eider, Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Cormorant, Heron, Buzzard, Moorhen, Coot, Oystercatcher, Lapwing, Black-tailed Godwit, Turnstone, Black-headed Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, Rock Dove, Woodpigeon, Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Wren, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Redwing, Long-tailed Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Magpie, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow.

Turnstones with a Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus

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