Goosander visits Bishop’s Waltham

Posted on 15th December 2020 by Richard

A pre Christmas treat for local Birdwatchers!

Goosander – Bishop’s Waltham South Pond

A Goosander isn’t the rarest of birds, but it is in Bishop’s Waltham. My Postman is born and bred here and an extremely keen Birdwatcher and he’s never seen one here before!

Having only heard about it (and I should have known as I live no more than 300 meters away from the Ponds) after it had been showing for 4 days I thought I may have missed it. On day four it was raining but on the fifth day armed with Camera, off I went, low and behold it was still there. The only problem being it was mid – late afternoon and she was sleeping in a back garden which borders the pond !

Giving me a bit of a showing

That was the fifth day, but the sixth day proved to be sunny and I ventured down there a little earlier.
Needless to say, when I stood on the east side, she was on the west and when I went to the west side, she was on the east !
Bearing that in mind I decided to stay tight, stand behind a bush and wait.

A fine pose

After about 15 minutes I was looking down at my Camera and suddenly heard the flap of wings going past me. I looked up to find it had come down no more than 20 meters away. So many times this has happened, I’ve pointed the camera and clicked only to find the rear half of a bird flying away, this time I was lucky.

The North Pond packed with Ducks, this one, just the Goosander

Where she had come from and where she was going is anyone’s guess, two days later and she departed. Safe journey and find a nice male to breed with !

A move to Bishop’s Waltham, Hampshire

Posted on 19th April 2018 by Richard

After nearly 18 years down the Lane I have upsticked and moved to Bishop’s Waltham in Hampshire; closer to the family, turned 70 with parts of my body not doing what they’re supposed to be doing so well out in the Garden etc!!
A comfortable Flat and very close to two Reserves and a short drive to the River Hamble Estuary, Titchfield and the New Forest.

Young Mallards on the march

Yesterday was my first day having a couple of good walks around and about.
First, a walk takes me 200 meters down the Road to a footpath which was once the railway line. This carries on for about 500 meters then footpaths through Farmland, fields, woodland and finishing up on the Playing Fields behind me.
There’s also a couple of nice streams running along nicely shaded glens.

Sparrowhawk – Nuthatch – Speckled Wood

The second walk is at Claylands Reserve, about a 400 meter walk away. This one’s a bit hilly but gives a nice vista, a few fields and a boggy base.

Certainly a lot to look forward to.

Bullfinch

Spring has Sprung

After the cold weather with much rain of late, it’s suddenly got silly. From single figures last week, it’s now in the low 20’s.
This certainly seems to have woken things up a bit with many Summer birds turning up and loads of Butterflies darting around all over the place.
As well as the two photos show, I saw Orange Tips, Large / Small Whites, Peacocks and a plentiful number of large Brimstones.

Comma

Next plan of action is to have a good look round ground level for any Owl Pellets and Hedgehog poos.
It certainly seems good countryside for predators and I’ve already seen Sparrowhawks, Common Buzzards plus I understand that Red Kites pay regular visits.

The future is bright as they say!

Warsash late November

Posted on 27th November 2017 by Richard

Visiting family in Southampton has the added bonus that it’s close to the River Hamble as it goes into Southampton Water at Warsash, always a good spot for Waders and other coastline / wetland birds, especially through the Winter Months.

A visit there at high tide this week gave sightings of over 200 recently arrived Brent Geese, Curlews, Plover, Turnstones, plenty of Redshanks, Pochard, Wigeon and more all along a stretch of half a mile northwards from the Hamble / Warsash ‘Pink Ferry’.

Regrettably the tide was just on the turn when I arrived so there was no sign of the often seen resident Kingfishers.
I also hoped to see the Seals who, as the tide starts going out, are seen swimming back downstream and into Southampton Water.

Female Stonechat

Meadow Pipit

Smaller bird wise, apart from the usual, just some Pipits and Stonechats.
After walking this stretch I usually drive further along to Hook-in-Warsash, have a stroll to the beach then into the Fields and Woodland where a number of Green Woodpeckers and a Little Owl are seen, but insufficient time.

Wigeon

The Southampton area is a good base for various Reserves; Arne, Selsey, Pagham and the New Forest all close by and easily reached. I’m never bored down this way!
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A walk from Conningbrook to Home

Posted on 18th September 2017 by Richard

When fully fit and motivated I can walk from home to the furthest lake at Conningbrook and back with no problem, a distance of some 5 miles.
On Saturday I was lucky enough to get a lift to the Julie Rose Stadium where I did the one way route alongside main, eco and northern Lakes then over the fields next to the Great Stour and home.

Some Fungi in a small copse close to home

Due to some Canoeists on the main lake, beside a group of nine Egyptian Geese and some Coots, it was very quiet, as were both the Eco and Northern Lakes.
No small birds visible but the northern field came to the rescue with a Great Spotted Woodpecker sitting on the tallest twig of a tree and about 50 plus Starlings.

Greater Spotted Woodpecker – Yellowhammer

Alongside the Great Stour some 30 Swallows were active weaving and skimming the water and surrounding fields…and me ! Some coming within six feet. Taking a photo was an impossibility !

The best sighting of the day though was in the hedgerows of the fields just below my house, some 20 plus Yellowhammers, easily the most I’ve seen at any one time in the 18 years I’ve been here.
Being of res status,, very encouraging indeed.

The Nuthatch saw me coming!!

Eastwell Lake

Needing to go down town on Sunday I made a detour on my return journey to Eastwell Lake. Here well over 300 Greylag and Canada Geese all mixing in.
Beside some Mallards, just a parent and juvenile Great Crested Grebe spotted.

Mother-and-juvenile-Great-Crested-Grebes

Parent and juvenile Great Crested Grebe

No shortage of Geese!

As usual, the Graveyard produced some Nuthatches but little else about.

Tomorrow I’m off to Godmersham for the Launch of the Stour Project, for which I have volunteered as a River Warden.
The river being just a few hundred meters away, this will be a joy to do and I’m sure I will be learning a lot more.
News to follow!
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Warsash Hampshire in early March

Posted on 12th March 2017 by Richard

I go to Southampton to visit family once every six weeks or, so being within a 20 minute drive away from both my daughter and son’s home, the River Hamble, where it meets with Southampton Water is a good treat for me.

Male Wigeon

One side of the River is dedicated to Yacht moorings and the other side at Warsash is marsh and reeds protected for wildlife.
When the tide is out it gives acres of what can only be called as mud with a few islands a few meters into the River attracting many waders and the occasional Seal and Kingfisher.

Canada Goose – Brent Goose – Oyster Catcher

Being early March, some of the birds are leaving. On this visit the minimum of Brent Geese were still resident but this was countered by seeing the Black Tailed Godwits getting their pinky summer colours.

Curlew – Black Tailed Godwit – Male Teal

It’s well worth a visit, you can either drive direct to Warsash where there’s free parking or leave your Car in Hamble and take the Pink Ferry accross.

The Pink Ferry – Runs when they see someone waiting

Although a ‘Reserve’ it is a public Footpath along the banks so be prepared for a number of dog walkers and Cyclists. Most have respect for all who are there though.
Unless you want to walk from Warsash to Burleston then loop around which would take you the best part of three hours, it’s one of those ‘walk up the path and back the same route’ places, but rest assured you’ll see quite a lot, especially in Winter and the changing of seasons.
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Waders, Geese, Ducks & more at Warsash

Posted on 29th January 2017 by Richard

If you enjoy watching or photographing Waders, Geese and most other Birds then Warsash / Hook-In-Warsash are certainly two great places to visit.
Being only a short drive from my daughter’s house in Netley, I always find time to pop over there for a few hours, never disappoints.

Black Tailed Godwit

If the tide is out or halfway between you’re virtually certain to see Redshanks, Curlews, Black Tailed Godwits, Turnstones, Sandpipers.
Duck wise there’s never a shortage of Wigeon, Shovelers, Teal, Gadwalls, Pochards. In Winter I’ve not yet been let down by strong attendance of Brent Geese.

Brent Goose – Turnstone – Wigeon

With only one day of my five there forecasted to be dry and even then only for the morning I drove to Warsash Car Park and walked about three quarters of a mile northwards toward Swanwick. On one side of the River Hamble you have an assembly of parked Yachts and on the east side just a footpath running alongside the water and some 50 meters or do of marsh and reed, ideal for a great variety of our feathered friends.
In fact, this was the first time I didn’t see one of the Kingfishers which sit on the fence posts or the steep mud banks 200 meters from the Car Park.

After an hour I moved on to Hook-In-Warsash, just a mile drive southward and closer to where the River meets Southampton Water.
My first patrol was to the water’s edge, usually I’ll see quite a few smaller birds but today, beside Blackbirds and Robins, was an exception.

From there it was further south to where the road ends. A walk along a Private Lane / Walkers Right of Way with fields both sides and nice hedgerows produced a Green Woodpecker resting, a Curlew in the river side field along with some wild Deer.
I was hoping I may see the Little Owl which I saw last year but it seems he or she has found a new daytime resting place.

Curlew waiting for the tide to go out

As I returned to the Campervan, it started to spit with rain. Perfectly timed and a very nice three or so hours indeed.
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Winter kicks in at Conningbrook Lakes

Posted on 26th January 2017 by Richard

After a relatively mild December and early January Winter finally kicked in and has given us to date more than a week where temperatures have only just got above freezing during the day and downwards to Minus 7c at night !

Conningbrook Lake

Luckily I got a lift to the main entrance which enabled me a one way walk home around the Lakes and over the fields.
The lakes were 90% frozen over with just a little area of open water on the east side where a congregation of Swans, Canada Geese, some Shovelers, Gadwalls, Tufted Ducks and Mallards took shelter. Oh., plus the countless number of Coots needless to say!

Goldcrest

Keeping an eye on me !

The trees around the Lake, especially between the main lake and Eco Lake were well occupied by Goldfinches, Long Tailed Tits and Chaffinches busying themselves in a short spell of misty sunlight.
The Eco Lake was bare with not even a mandatory Little Egret or Heron to be seen. Apparently the Great White Egret was about but the fog over most of the area didn’t give a view of more than 50 meters or so.

Cold birds stick together ! – The Song Thrush foraging the field

However, the area around the North Lake was quite bright. In the trees next to the Great Stour I thought I saw a Wren flitting about the branches. Upon a closer look I realised it was a Goldcrest acrobatically digging whatever he or she could from the bark of various branches.
I have to say I find these birds a real delight, the smallest European bird and weighing just under the weight of a 10p coin.

Back over the Fields

The walk back over the fields didn’t produce much although I disturbed two Common Snipe who needless to say rushed out and flew off with great speed not allowing me to get a photograph.

It was only when I got near to home a few birds appeared; a Song Thrush in the field, a Wren on the Stream bank and a few Lapwings in the field.
It seemed the greatest number of birds about were actually in my Garden!

I’m off to Southampton at the end of the week so will try to take a few hours out and visit two of my favourite spots at Warsash and Hook, both where the Hamble River enters Southampton Water. Maybe an Owl, you never know !

Great White Egret at Conningbrook Lakes

Posted on 16th January 2017 by Richard

I read yesterday there was a Great White Egret at Conningbrook Lakes so this morning, rather than take a somewhat boggy walk over the fields I decided to drive the one mile around to the main entrance, it was my lucky day!

Great White Egret and Heron Conningbrook Lakes

The Great White Egret and Heron

Not only did I instantly see Great White but it was resting no more than three meters away from a Heron. Although this would I have no doubt not be uncommon, it made for a nice photo composition.
Pity was I would have to walk past the spot sooner or later (either I would or a dog walker would), so as soon as I was about 50 meters away they both flew off to the furthest most point of the main lake.

A mixture of Greylag and Canada Geese – Female Chaffinch

Four Tufted Ducks – female Chaffinch

In fact, today was just about the busiest I’ve seen it there this winter; I would estimate 300 Greylag Geese, 50 Canada Geese all mixing well with the usual Coots, Wigeon, Gadwalls, Mallards and Tufted Ducks.

Long Tailed Tit on Riverbank

Small bird wise, some 20 Goldfinches were alongside the entrance drive, 30 or more Chaffinches in an area where they’ve just efficiently cut back some of the Reeds, a few Goldcrests and a large number of Long Tailed Tits were flitting around almost all parts of the Lakes.
Surprisingly, there was nothing on the Eco Lake.

One’s jumping the Queue !!

The Kent Wildlife Trust along with Connington Lakes have been doing some grand work clearing some of the Reeds and bush over the last few weeks, all great to see and have no ending opportunities for Spring and Summer bringing in more Birds, Butterflies, Reptiles and more.

Bewick’s Swans at Dungeness

Posted on 8th December 2016 by Richard

I don’t recall Bewick’s Swans at Dungeness last year so was very keen to see them when I read on a Blog that upwards of 14 had turned up in the last week.

Being my only day spare this week and fearing they may move on I headed down there quite early. Regret to say when I arrived it was thick fog and I couldn’t see further than 50 meters or so.
Not being able to wait until late afternoon when they would fly in to roost, I headed off to the Old Lighthouse and around the main Reserve circuit. Each step seemed to clear the fog.

By the time I had to head home I thought I’d just give the ARC Hide one quick glance to see if they arrive early, low and behold, two did at 12.30pm!
I have to say, what majestic creatures they are. At first they were pretty distant, then slowly but surely they swam over to the small Island about 100 meters away and I managed a few shots.
It’s interesting I saw these on the day ‘The Swan Lady’ landed her Microlight at Dover after following their passage from Siberia. You can read about her journey here

Left; Shelduck – Right; Pied Wagtail on Power Station wall

One interesting thing around the Old Lighthouse was seeing quite a number of Bumble Bees still present, especially as the last few days hasn’t seen a temperature above 5 degrees and well below freezing at night.

Apparently a Peacock Butterfly and Red Admiral have been spotted around in the last few days. Is this worrying? I know these creatures can often appear in December, the concern is when it’s every year. Times and climate are changing!

Wildlife Diary

Recording wild life through the year around Hampshire, Kent and elsewhere

Tag Archives: Ducks