Longparish with the Hampshire Ornithological Society

Saturday 17 October

A beautiful morning with clear blue skies and lovely sunshine but very cold following the recent warm weather.  Fifteen Hampshire Ornithological Society (HOS) members gathered in the village car park for a walk around Longparish under the guidance of Geoff Sharp, continually crossing the River Test and its tributaries ad various channels.  Absolutely wonderful scenery and a very good morning's birding in such pleasant company.  Collected by friends Richard Osman and Adrian Enzner at 8.15, we were on site by 9.15 having just passed a massed flock of Starlings and ready to start the walk as numerous Rooks, Jackdaws and Carrion Crows flew round overhead.

Moving rod to the nearby church car park we soon found Long-tailed, Blue, Coal and Great Tits along with many Chaffinch and a Goldcrest. Woodpigeons and Rock Dove about in the village as we turned  follow a stream alongside the road to the first bridge over the Test.  A Grey Wagtail on the lawn in front of us and a Heron resting slightly downstream on a further small bridge.  Overhead a pair of Great Spotted Woodpeckers with one conveniently resting atop the nearby tree.  No sooner spotted than four Little Egrets flew over with a few seeing the Cormorant and both Jay and Kestrel also seen by some.

Ere long we were at the pond near the trout farm with a couple of Coot and Mallard on the water and  Pied Wagtails and Robin on the banks.  A couple of Moorhen seen off to the side.  Moving on down the narrow road at the back of a field a trio of cock Pheasants and then through the hedge to take the foot path across the fields full of grazing sheep.  Amazing to see a flock of thirty Redwing fly over and many Magpies about along with a second Jay of the morning.  Seeing the activity above in the mixed Jackdaw, Carrion Crow and Rooks we managed to pick out the lone Raven making its way through all the mobbing.

Restored Upper Watermill on the River Test, Longparish

Eventually alongside the river to reach the restored upper watermill.  Here and nearby we found Cetti's Warbler and Blackbirds. Then it was on along the road and passing one of the coarse fishing ponds found both a pair of Canada Geese and Little Grebes.  Those at the back also picked out a Gadwall  and a Pied Flycatcher in a nearby small tree. For me, near the front, we had a Dunnock fly off from the verge and then the departure of a Great White Egret.  Both Black-headed and Herring Gulls flew over along with a few more Goldfinches as we moved on towards the end of the walk.

Finally, no sooner had we seen the distant pair of Red Kites than we had a pair of Buzzard immediately overhead.  After three and a half hours covering a delightful five plus miles we were back at our cars and preparing for the return journey home.  A beautiful morning's birding in great company.

Birds seen:

Canada Goose, Gadwall, Mallard, Pheasant, Little Grebe, Cormorant, Little Egret Great White Egret, Heron, Red Kite, Buzzard, Kestrel, Moorhen, Coot, Black-headed Gull, Herring Gull, Rock Dove, Woodpigeon, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Redwing, Cetti's Warbler, Long-tailed Tit, Coal Tit,  Blue Tit, Great Tit, Goldcrest, Pied Flycatcher, Jay, Magpie, Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Raven, Starling, Chaffinch, Goldfinch.                      

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