Lower Hamble River, Warsash

Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola

Saturday 14 November

Helping my friend I took seven members of her Whiteley Sustainabilty Group on a birding walk up the Hamble River from the Warsash car park to the conservation area and back.

Starting around 9.45 with clear weather but very cold we gradually made our way up river and as the morning progressed the cloud built up but with an increase in temperature.  Eventually decided I was wearing too much protective clothing!  Upon arrival a few Wigeon close to shore and we could see a Little Egret near the ferry pontoon.  Moving along we soon found both Black-headed Gull and Brent Geese before a closer look at the reeds on the meadow produced first a Stonechat and then a couple of Water Pipits towards the back and away from the path.  Whilst still at this lower part of the river we also came across a Rock Pipit on the path and time to concentrate on the muddy beach and the off-shore islands.

Curlew Numenius arquata

Good numbers of waders with maybe two score Dunlin accompanied by at least eight Grey and a few Ringed Plovers.  Nearby a couple of Curlew and many Oystercatchers and then a Greenshank dropped in for a minute or two before departing further upriver.  One of the group, Charlotte, noted the flight of a trio of Mute Swans out over the river,

Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula

Whilst we found both a Great Crested and a Little Grebe on the river on the land side in one of the large gardens a couple of Magpies and a passing Carrion Crow with a Pied Wagtail moving between the two.  at the bottom of the next garden a flock of twenty Canada Geese accompanied by a handful of Woodpigeons and even a resting Roe Deer.

Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus

Meanwhile, the yet to be flooded meadow held a group of twelve Shelduck plus a few more Redshank and also about a score of Ringed lovers.  Small numbers of both Wigeon and Brent Geese continued to be seen and once at the conservation area a large resting flock of Wigeon plus a handful of Teal.  A Cormorant flew over heading towards the Solent and a Herring Gull came in to rest amongst the Black-headed Gulls and Wigeon.  It certainly seemed very strange that, other than a single bird on the way upriver, no other Turnstones were recorded until the ten noted on the return walk.  So ended the morning, and still in pleasant birding weather, with a final tally of 27 species.

Shelduck Tadorna tadorna with a lone Curlew Numenius arquata

Birds seen:

Canada Goose, Brent Goose, Mute Swan, Shelduck, Wigeon, Teal, Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Cormorant, Little Egret, Oystercatcher, Ringed Plover, Grey Plover, Dunlin, Curlew, Redshank, Greenshank, Turnstone, Black-headed Gull, Herring Gull, Woodpigeon, Water Pipit, Rock Pipit, Pied Wagtail, Stonechat, Magpie, Carrion Crow.

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