Small Birds – Hook with Warsash in June

Posted on 25th June 2020 by Richard

Out and about again more

It’s good to get out more now, it’s summertime, no clogged up muddy boots and plenty to look for.

Hook with Warsash has been one of my favourite places since moving down this way from Kent. Situated at the mouth of the River Hamble you get the best of both worlds; coast, reed beds, fields and woods to boot.
Plus a chance to spot the Dartford Warblers amongst the bracken !

Young Dartford Warbler

Not being an early riser like a few years ago when I’d be up at ‘silly hour’ to fetch the wood in, light the Rayburn, feed the chickens and down about 3 cups of Coffee in the process, I usually arrive there around late morning armed with Sandwiches, a Thermos Flask and of course, the Camera.
Not many people about, just dog walkers and a few Birders. Luckily the Scrapes and most of the wildness is fenced off which keeps the dogs at bay and gives you a chance to rest the heavy lens on a fence post awaiting you very own spot of the day.

Linnet – Treecreeper – Whitethroat

Well, that certainly happened when two young Dartford Warblers gave a 10 second showing for a photo. These birds are the highlight at Hook with Warsash, beside the occasional rarity it’s these who birders and public alike always want to see. They’re elusive, but it’s the old right place right time scenario.

Greenfinch

All in all a good day and another day where you may see nothing for hours upon end, but something always pops up for you to rush home and upload your pictures to the PC !

Late March Butterflies and incoming Birds

Posted on 29th March 2019 by Richard

Late March, the first sightings of Butterflies

As usual, the first Butterfly to appear was the Orange Tip, one day you saw one, the next day, a dozen!

After that along came the Peacocks, Speckled Woods and Small Tortoiseshells.
Claylands Nature Reserve, just a 300 meter walk from me, has some very nice ‘wildlife maintained’ meadow, hedge, woodland and a low pasture where damp prevails. All in all a great place for Invertibrates and Reptiles.

The Peacock

Titchfield Canal Buzzards and a Willow Warbler

As Spring gets deeper, the Canal at Titchfield is producing some great wildlife.
Highlight for me was the dark coloured Common Buzzard resting on a tree no more than 40 meters away. After a good 5 minute pose, off it went on another hunt, no doubt to beat the Marsh Harriers to it !

Common Buzzard

Willow Warbler

Further down the Canal Path I saw a couple of Birders who had heard about the Willow Warbler. If not only for the lovely bird I stayed around for a while.
As always for Birders, no sooner had they gone and out it came flitting from small tree to bush to small tree.
The photo doesn’t really do the beautiful yellow pink colour justice.

Small Tortoiseshell – Speckled Wood – Greenfinch

I’ve lived down this way for a year now and still not visited everywhere I should. I’ve ventured to the New Forest, Titchfield, Warsash / Hook, the Forest of Bere and Fishlake Meadows, but still not Farlington and around the coast from Lymington to Christchurch. Hopefully soon.

All in all it’s going well, the bird species spotted number is going up by the week and I look forward to a late Spring and Summer of adventures new.

More birds inland Pembrokeshire

Posted on 10th May 2017 by Richard

Swallows

I was lucky enough to find a campsite just a mile from the coast, space for 80 Campers and Caravans, but I was only one of four people staying there.
In true anti-social fashion I found a spot the furthest away from anyone else and enjoyable the peace and smell of the Farm no end.

Fist to show up were a gulp of Swallows, a fair number of them flying at speed past my Camper just some three feet above the ground. Luckily photo wise some settled now and again so I was able to get a few half decent close up shots of them.

Swallow
Although seeing much the same amount of birds as I would back in Kent, it’s always nice to see them in another setting, so a good showing of Wheatears, Sedge Warblers,Reed Buntings Greenfinches, Linnets and more

Wheatear – Sedge Warbler – Linnet

Greenfinch – Reed Bunting – Whitethroat
There’s no doubt the fact this is a great area to visit. You have the Pembrokeshire Coast Path which goes through the places I visited; Marloes Sands, Martins Haven and up to St. Davids.

The nearest larger town with well known Supermarkets is Haverfordwest, about 6 miles inland but most of the Villages along the Coast have some smaller Stores and / or decent Public Houses !

[fblike]

February Wildlife Summary

Posted on 28th February 2017 by Richard

In general February has been an especially good month for spotting wildlife both at home and beyond. Highlights though have to be the Waxwings at East Malling and the Bittern at Conningbrook Lakes.

As the month has continued, so has the birdsong and the numbers of House Sparrows in my garden are showing a big increase over last year.
Although I’ve put various bird boxes up here and there, the house, garden and immediate surroundings are a magnet for nesting birds; the Barn, the derelict Windmill, Hedgerow, Woods and good old fashioned eaves around the house.

The Great Crested Grebes at Singleton
Since my last entry…

Singleton Lakes

Yesterday I’d heard there were two Great Crested Grebes going through their courtship procedure so popped along in the hope of getting the classic poses.
They almost gave me the classic but I think she had a headache! As soon as things seemed set, they parted not to be seen again in the hour I spent there waiting.
Maybe I’ll try again during the week.

Brent Geese flying past at Seasalter

Whitstable and Seasalter

Last Friday I ventured over to Whitstable for an Eye Clinic Appointment and having never been to Whitstable Town (shame on me – I’m a thoroughbred Kentish Man) took a stroll around.
After that I called in to Seasalter. The tide was out and when I say out, it was a long long way out. Plenty of Waders about including Curlews, 100’s of Golden Plover, Oyster Catchers and four lots of Brent Geese flying past.

Male Chaffinch and Greenfinch on Feeder at RSPB Dungeness

March will I have no doubt have much going on; the start of bird migration, the start of nest building and some creatures coming out of hibernation. Much to look out for.

Just this morning, the Jay pays a visit

Outside of the immediate areas I have six days in Southampton where I shall visit my favourite spot down there at Warsash / Hamble estuary, a possible day out to Arne or alternatively Titchfield Haven (you have to pay there though!!).
On 2nd April I have a family Party in Selsey Bill, so may take the Camper down there a few days before and explore Pagham.

Action filled !
[fblike]

Sunny day at Dungeness

Posted on 18th January 2017 by Richard

I arrived at RSPB Dungeness at 0945., clear, sunny, no wind and zero degrees.
Earler I had ensured I had ample clothing; on top I had 2 T-Shirts, 2 Jumpers, a Shirt and my thick 100% Wool Nepalese Jacket.
After about 200 meters, I was too hot !

Meadow Pipit

I started off with a quick look to see if the two Long Eared Owls were giving everyone a show, neither of them did so I wandered off around the Hides, made my way to the Viewpoint and headed back.
It was nice as unlike my last few visits smaller birds were appearing; a male and female Stonechat were busy amongst the Gorse between the Christmas and Dengemarsh Hides, this was followed by a nice pose from a male Chaffinch perched in the bushes. In fact, there were probably 20 plus there.

Male and Female Stonechat

Next stop would be the Beach by the Power Station, but as I was getting in the Car, a Greenfinch appeared just opposite.
Not only were there quite a number of small birds around but many Humans as well, the most I’ve seen there since last Autumn.
Shame is that speaking to some it seemed they were there to see the Owls and the Ringed Neck Duck. At least they saw the latter who is still displaying well at Boulderwall.
No sign of the Slavonian Grebes on the New Diggings.

Meadow Pipit on wall at Dungeness Power Station

Meadow Pipit not in Meadow! – Early morning on Reserve – Greenfinch

I parked up at my usual spot beside the Old Dungeness Lighthouse and before enjoying a Roll and brew up, looked at the Garden. Nothing to be seen but even in this cold cold weather, there are still Bumble Bees flying there.

Male Chaffinch

Onward to the Beach. I walked up to where the Nuclear Station waste water is pumped into the sea which attracts literally hundreds of Gulls weaving and ducking. With three others I searched for the Icelandic Gulls which arrived two days previous, but I’m afraid our eyes could not keep up with them.
I took lots of photos to bring home and expand on the larger screen, but couldn’t pick them out.

Some of the hundreds of Gulls around the Point</center>

On my way back to the Car, a Meadow Pipit started jumping up and down on the Power Station Wall. Most obliging it was too and I managed to get a few half decent shots.

Other than that, there were two Great White Egrets at the ARC and a Sparrowhawk beautifully posed on a dead tree which, naturally, flew off just as I clicked. A nice close up of a branch and blue sky though !

Hamble calm and still

Posted on 29th March 2016 by Richard

29th.March 2016
With my daughter and family away in the USA, I’m doing the House Sitting, sad they’re not there but a chance to pop out on daily adventure around the vicinity – today it was Hamble.

It couldn’t have been better, the tide was low which gave possibly the last chance to see our Winter migrants go off on their summer jaunts.

Black Tailed Godwits

Hamble is blessed with both Black Tail and Bar Tailed Godwits, today it seemed to be the Black Tailed showing their faces.
There wasn’t much happening really, beside the above a few Turnstones, Mallards and the odd Teal.

Some Redshanks did eventually turn up however and this gave a reasonable photographic opportunity.

Goldfinch – Chiffchaff – Greenfinch

After that I popped along to Hook-in-Warsah where again not much about, just the normal but a Chiffchaff and female Blackbird did make for a good shot.
Much noise from Buntings in the Reeds and Skylarks were obviously in attendance somewhere.

Nothing else to do I had a slow stroll along the Lane, some Goldfinches appeared and that was that.

Male Teal

Should you ever go to Hamble and would like to see a Kingfisher, try walking about 100 meters north of the Pink Ferry, there’s a bend in the Path with a Bench. Sit there and look across the pools in an easterly direction and you may well catch a glimpse of one, or two, p[erched on th fence poles or sitting on a mud bank as the tide comes in.

Over 60 pages of Garden Wildlife on the main Web Site here Nature on our Doorstep

Wildlife Diary

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

Tag Archives: Greenfinch