Cold weather at Dungeness

Posted on 11th December 2017 by Richard

With the weather being cold one day, mild the next, wet the next and windy the next, the Birds seem to be in a constant state, maybe like us humans, in constant confusion as to if it’s December or Spring !

Caspian Gull

RSPB Dungeness

The main Reserve area was very active with Waders and other Wetland Birds with the highlights being Caspian Gulls seen very well from the Firth Hide and a male Kestrel who sat rather nicely on a tree beside the gravel road leading up to the Reserve Shop and Offices.
Also around this area were probably 600 Cormorants and a good mixture of Ducks and Geese

Some of the many Cormorants

I passed some Bewick Swans in the fields north of the Reserve., but being not the best place to safely stop, I hoped to see them fly into the ARC.
I drove there, but owing to some work going on plus a bonfire on one of the Islands, there was nothing there.
On that note I have to say a good word for the Interns, so nice to see young people doing work which they both enjoy and work which is beneficial to the future of Wildlife.
On a political note, what a shame that these youngsters study something that’s close to their heart rather than study something which is close to their wallet. They can’t earn a lot, so all respect to them.

Male Kestrel

After that I drove down to the Power Station and parked the Van next to the Old Lighthouse; nothing around there, or in the shrubs / Gorse lading up to the Boird Observatory.

All in all, not a special day for spotting anything, but offset by a fairly dry and light day.

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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Egyptian Goose at Conningbrook

Posted on 21st February 2017 by Richard

Another nice surprise

Conningbrook Lakes is definitely coming up with a few surprises at present, in the last few weeks I’ve seen a Goldcrest close up, a Bittern and now Egyptian Geese.

Fair enough they’re not endangered, not are they ‘official’ but the fact remains that up to a few years ago they were only seen in Norfolk, but now for whatever reason they’re being spotted more and more in the Home Counties.

Once again it had been a walk over the fields and eagerly anticipating something on the Eco and main Lakes, it wasn’t until I got back to the Northern Lake did I get today’s nice surprise.

I was actually standing quite still with eyes peeled to see if I could catch the Bittern in full view when I heard the sounds of heavy wings flying overhead.
I knew what they were straight away as someone else had spotted them on the nearby fields some weeks ago. There were three of them.

As always, a rear view shot, but in some ways better because it shows their feathers and assortment of colours up quite well.

Other than that it as all quiet on the western front. A couple of Stonechats were resting on the telegraph cables next to the railway line and a Wren was doing a Monty Python silly walk along the barbed wire barrier fence.

Every day produces something.
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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.

Conningbrook Lakes first day of Winter

Posted on 1st December 2016 by Richard

Being the meteorological first day of Winter I thought it would be nice to have a walk around Conningbrook Lakes this morning.
The Weather forecast was for it to cloud over at 10am and as the last two nights have produced below freezing temperatures, I wrapped up with four layers.
Needless to say they got it wrong and clear blue sunny skies prolonged all day – I was boiling !

The Eco Lake was pretty much frozen over with no birds on or around it but the main lake was very busy; Greylags, Shovelers, Tufted Ducks and Pochards were the main stay with a sprinkling of Great Crested Grebes and Gadwalls.

Pochard – Male Tufted Ducks – Pied Wagtail

Very noticeable was the lack of small birds about, just Long Tailed Tits, Wrens, Blackbirds and every one’s favourite, the Robin ! I did mis-time a photo of a Pied Wagtail though. As often the case, getting a shot of a bird taking off is quite accidental !

Look out for Hedgehogs

The very mild Autumn has bought about a bit of a nightmare situation for many Hedgehogs. Many have been born quite late and will not have had time to get themselves up to the necessary weight for hibernation, 600 grams.

Should you see any Hedgehog walking about now, please report this to a local RSPCA or The Hedgehog Protection Society. They should be safely tucked away by now and any still out and about have little chance of survival.

More on Hedgehogs here on the main web site

Wildlife Diary

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

Tag Archives: Geese