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| Redshanks Tringa totanus |
Thursday 3 September
Cloudy but dry to start with sun breaking through and additional warmth by mid-morning. First a visit to the "Billy Line" at Hayling Island where the tide was full out and fewer birds than expected on show. In the top harbour from the car park a couple of Curlew plus both Redshank and Black-tailed Godwits along with a score of Black-headed Gulls. Just the single Little Egret hiding away at the outer corner.
As I moved down to the line trail itself almost a score of Barn Swallows feeding low overhead and then the appearance of a at least a score of feeding Starlings. Very few Black-headed Gulls working the oyster beds but many, many more out on the main shore beyond. However, the second bed did produce another, double-ringed, Curlew.
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| Curlew Numenius arquata |
From the main track before turning in towards the oyster beds I managed to find a trio of Whitethroats in the bushes along with a pair of Linnets and a couple of Goldfinches and a Dunnock on the path itself.
From beyond the bed on the shore two tightly packed groups of Sandwich Terns, maybe a total of forty individuals. A single Herring Gull flew overhead followed by a lone Great Back-backed Gull, both of which were picked up on the return walk resting in the first oyster bed.
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| The flock of Sandwich Terns Sterna sandvicensis |
Reaching the end of the walk a Cormorant flying in from the sea and on the mudflats many feeding Oystercatchers. Also on the mud and near the water's edge another seven Little Egrets. Then it was back along the old railway line to the car park and noting both four Carrion Crows and a trio of Magpies on the way.
Time to move on with a thirty minutes drive via Fareham to Titchfield Haven Nature Reserve. From the outside I came across many Mallards a lone Mute Swan and a dozen Turnstones in the Meon harbour whilst on the Solent shore more Turnstones along with a number of both Redshank and Ringed Plovers. In addition to more Black-headed there were also a number of Herring and at least three Great Black-backed Gulls.
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| Redshanks Tringa totanus |
Next it was the walk to the Meon Hide inside the reserve where the whole water seemed to have been overtaken by 200 Canada Geese. Still plenty of resting Black-headed Gulls and five fishing Common Tern. Also to be seen very many Teal and Mallard and, hidden amongst the geese, a lone Greylag Goose and a number of Lapwing. Off to the right a dozen feeding Black-tailed Godwits plus the occasional Coot and maybe a dozen Moorhen.
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| A few of the hundreds of Canada Geese Branta canadensis |
Looking beyond the reeds to my left a quintet of moving Little Egrets and a small number of Starlings foraging on the islands between the Canada Geese. Before leaving to make my way back to Warsash a Cormorant flew over the water and both distant Carrion Crows and a Woodpigeon were seen, making a final morning's tally of 30 species.
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| Lapwings Vanellus vanellus amongst the Canada Geese Branta canadensis |
Birds seen:
Greylag Goose, Canada Goose, Mute Swan, Mallard, Teal, Cormorant, Little Egret, Moorhen, Coot, Oystercatcher, Ringed Plover, Lapwing, Black-tailed Godwit, Curlew, Redshank, Turnstone, Black-headed Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, Sandwich Tern, Common Tern, Woodpigeon, Barn Swallow, Dunnock, Whitethroat, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Starling, Goldfinch, Linnet.
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| Redshanks Tringa totanus resting between Black-headed Gulls Larus ridibundus |
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