Titchfield National Nature Reserve

Thursday 17 September

With the weather much improved this afternoon with warm sunshine and almost clear skies, albeit a little on the windy side, I took myself over to nearby Titchfield Haven National Nature Reserve for a couple of hours before the site closed at 4pm.  Certainly no shortage of Canada Geese with at least 700 present along with about seven Greylag Geese.  Making my way to the entry point I managed to find eleven sleeping Sanderling on the beach and almost thirty Turnstones wondering what to do next with the water approaching high tide. 

Egyptian Geese Alopochen aegyptiaca

Also present in the harbour and on the river a number of Mallard plus Cormorants, Redshanks and a lone Little Grebe.  Even eighty Starlings congregating in the harbour and making use of the masts of the moored yachts.

Turnstone Arenaria interpres

Also in the river both Moorhen and Coot plus a couple of Cormorants and a small number of Mallards. A handful of Redshank were working the edges and all the gulls were Black-headed.

Redshank Tringa totanus

First a walk up the eastern side of the reserve where not only all the Canada Geese but a very distant, resting Buzzard and a pair of Stonechats.  This area also produced a few Herring Gulls and a single Little Egret and a Mute Swan.  Making my way back to the road I recorded Magpies and both a Green Woodpecker and a couple of Robins.

Very distant Buzzard Buteo buteo

Back to the main road and time for thirty minutes on the western side of the reserve viewing the scrapes from the Meon Hide.  Again, more than a hundred Canada Geese plus overt forty Black-tailed Godwits, fifty Lapwing a few Redshanks and at least five Snipe.  In addition to the Mallards there were scores of Teal.

Snipe Gallinago gallinago

Sleeping Sanderling Calidris alba

Birds seen:

Greylag Goose, Canada Goose, Mute Swan, Egyptian Goose, Mallard, Teal, Little Grebe, Cormorant, Little Egret, Buzzard, Moorhen, Coot, Lapwing, Sanderling, Snipe, Black-tailed Godwit, Redshank, Turnstone, Black-headed Gull, Herring Gull, Rock Dove, Woodpigeon, Green Woodpecker, Robin, Stonechat, Magpie, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Starling.

Egyptian Geese Alopochen aegyptiaca with Canada Geese Branta canadensis behind 

For the latest news follow the Axarquia Birds and Wildlife Facebook page for more photos and comments and the opportunity to share with the wider birding world.