A UK robin-sized chat, the wheatear is a summer visitor, arriving here in early March and leaving in September for its African wintering grounds. There were several of these good-looking birds on Hurst Spit today. They are mainly ground-dwelling birds. It hops or runs on the ground looking for food.
Today we took a small ferry to Hurst Castle. On the spit, there is a lighthouse.
Hurst Point Lighthouse was built by Trinity House in 1867 to guide vessels through the hazardous western approaches to the Solent
The lighthouse was automated in 1923 and is now monitored and controlled from Trinity House’s Planning Centre in Harwich, Essex.
The old keeper’s cottages have fallen into disrepair.
Along the River Hamble from Warsash, a favourite short walk for Sunday morning. Nothing new today but some old favourites
The tide was on the turn and starting to come in.
Blacktail Godwitts – there were good numbers of these waders, which have now lost their summer breeding plumage.
A high number of Little Egrets were on the river and in the surrounding areas.
Turnstone
Ring Plover.
Ring-necked Parakeets in Southampton Park, enjoying Beech nuts at breakfast time this morning.
Photo blog.
Photo Blog.
Today we walked into an area of the New Forest where we regularly walk about a six-mile circular walk. We know the area and its wildlife well. This time, it was heartbreaking to see the fire damage and total destruction to part of the walk.
On the 9th August 2026, a van caught fire on the A31 dual carriageway where it crosses Heathland close to Ringwood in the New Forest. Fueled by prolonged severe heatwave and drought conditions across the UK, the vehicle fire rapidly spread into the surrounding national park. 23 drivers had to abandon their cars as the fire spread. The wildfire damaged more than 100 hectares (247 acres). The fire was declared a major incident, and firefighters fought the blaze, even pumping water across the forest from a lake 5 miles away in special pipes they had to lay. The road was closed for 2 weeks. The emergency response was stood down on 23rd August.
Fire break cut into the heath.
Hythe Pier stretches 700 yards from the centre of Hythe to the deep water channel of Southampton Water. It is the 7th-longest pier in the UK. It carries a pedestrian walkway on its northern side and the Hythe Pier Railway on its southern side.
The railway is the oldest continuously operating public pier passenger train in the world. The narrow gauge trains date from WWI, now electric but originally battery powered, they were used in a mustard gas factory.
Gulls and Terns plus the odd fish.
Cattle Egret numbers in the UK are rising. These small white herons are mostly found in southern England and Wales. They often spend time close to livestock like sheep and cows and grab the insects and worms their hooves disturb. While watching Highland Cows in Titchfield Haven Nature Reserve, true to their name, 4 of these birds flew in to feed.
Continued Reflections from my World. 