Throu' The Lens
  • Home
    • Images >
      • New Photos
      • Moor Green Lakes
      • Keyhaven/Pennington >
        • Farlington
        • Christchurch Harbour Area
        • Rye Harbour Nature Reserve
        • Titchfield Haven
        • Rye Harbour Nature Reserve 2
        • Mallorca
        • Cyprus
      • Lanzarote
      • Costa Blanca
      • Other Locations
      • Lockdown Birds
      • Blog
  • Contact

A Great Month

3/1/2014

0 Comments

 
From last month, where they wasn't much to report, to this month, where there is plenty to report, all down to being able to get out more and dodge the rain. On the 3rd I went to Lepe, Hants, to see the overwintering LESSER YELLOWLEGS, which frequented the pool at Stansore Point. I was in good company with my fellow 'Compost Club' friends, Gordon, Tony and Steve, the more eyes to find birds the better I say. The bird was there and giving good views as it fed fairly close to the fence. From Lepe we went to Keyhaven/Pennington, where the highlight were two RAVENS feeding on carrion at the Fishtail Lagoon. Unfortunately the wind was blowing a gale in off the sea, which made keeping the telescope steady virtually impossible.
The male SMEW that I had missed in January, returned to Moor Green Lakes, Berkshire and on the 9th, I managed to see it. It stayed for most of the month off and on and stayed in close company with the GOOSANDERS. The 10th saw the 'Compost Club' at Blashford Lakes, Hants, where we had great views of a BITTERN, whilst a MEALY REDPOLL turned up on the feeders. A BLACK NECKED GREBE and RED CRESTED POCHARD completed a very good day.
It was off to Southsea, Hants, on the 19th. After parking the car I walked to the seafront next to Southsea Castle, where a SHAG was fishing close inshore in front of me. It took no notice of my close proximity and carried on fishing. Shortly afterwards it was joined by another SHAG which joined in with the fishing. A very short distance away in front of the castle, were twelve PURPLE SANDPIPERS, busy feeding in and around the rocks at the waters edge. The birds were very obliging when having their photos taken and weren't the slightest bit perturbed when a dog passed close by, they just carried on feeding. From there it was on to Farlington Marshes, Hants,  where the footpath, which runs between the sea and reserve had suffered a lot of  damage from the recent storms that the country has had recently. I counted eight SLAVONIAN GREBES scattered about the sea and probably a lot more that I didn't see. On the far side of the harbour were a pair of LONG TAILED DUCKS, a bird that I had not seen for a number of years, so I was very pleased to see them again. 
A report of a male SCAUP at Moor Green Lakes on the 22nd, had me making a flying visit to the reserve and as luck would have it, it was still there when I arrived, a very smart looking duck. The weather forecast for the 28th for the Lymington area was mainly rain with sunny intervals, which Gordon and I chose to ignore and how pleased were we that we did. The day turned out mostly sunny and quite warm in the morning with some cloud and strengthening wind in the afternoon, but no rain. Birdwise it seemed as though we couldn't go wrong, our first five birds were BAR HEADED GOOSE (probably an escapee but no visible leg rings), a female MERLIN, very good views of the LONG BILLED DOWITCHER, LITTLE STINT and a GREAT NORTHERN DIVER, swimming close to shore near the Jetty, fantastic. Later on we spotted another GREAT NORTHERN DIVER in the channel near to Keyhaven Harbour. A really good birding day which ended a great month. 
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Hi, I'm Roger Milligan. I have been interested in birds since I was a boy growing up in south east London, which was a long time ago. I now live in Farnborough, Hampshire.

    Archives

    June 2022
    April 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    March 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    July 2011

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.