Swanwick Lakes is a local nature reserve which has been re-wilded from the clay pits of the old Burseldon Brick Works. Our walk today shows how the return to nature of an old industrial site can work.
Female Mallard.
Coot family.
Common Lizard.
Mouse.
A female Redstart in the New Forest. I did spot some Male birds but did not get any photos. The male bird is more striking and more colourful
Male Stonechat New Forest.
Local roebuck a deer we have seen locally for a number of years so nice to see him again.
An evening watching the sea from Meon Shore.
A Great black-backed gull on the beach.
I try and get out in the environment not only is it physical exercise it is mental exercise. I always take a camera with me I never know what I will see on my trips out. A couple of times a week I go to the coast on Southampton Water. There were 3 Grey Heron fishing together at the Haven this morning. The 1st 5 pictures are of an adult bird the other pictures show young immature birds probably born last year.
The collective noun for Herons is a ‘siege‘,
Heron eat, lots of fish and eels, but also small birds such as ducklings, small mammals like voles and amphibians.
Not the well-known fizzy drink but the number of relatively newly hatched Mute Swan cygnets on Hatchet Pond in the New Forest.
I will say no more and let the photographs do the speaking – the only words I could find were ” just so cute.”
Yesterday we collected our trail cameras placed at a Badger Sett in the New Forest. It was great to see several Cuckoos en route (see yesterday’s post).
Got a bit muddy in the process trying to get some photos of a small fungus.
In the UK and Ireland, it is known as the Bog Beacon,( in the USA it is commonly referred to as the Swamp Beacon.) This little fungus occurs only in very wet places and looks like a flower popping out of the water.
1st New Forest Pony foals of the year were also spotted during today’s walk.
The camera had some good Badger footage.
Wordless Wednesday.
Common Terns have returned to the Solent and Southampton Water in the past week – I always look forward to their arrival and their numbers are increasing daily as they reach our shores from Africa. My 1st pictures this year which I am very pleased with. I have until September to practise when they will again leave.
Continued Reflections from my World. 