In search of Crossbills in the New Forest. Sadly, the weather was dull and the light was poor. However, the day was successful with several large flocks spotted high up in the pine trees and flying overhead. I managed to get a few record photographs, but I hope to try again on a brighter day to get some better shots.
Male birds are Red and females Green. I spotted a couple of Crossbills earlier in the year (when they were a first for me), link below.
After a morning’s walk in the New Forest with little about. We headed back to the car park and spotted a Kestrel hunting. She was using a dead tree to eat her catch. This gave a photo opportunity.
Male and female kestrels are different. How to Spot the Difference – Males and females have distinct plumage. The male has a blue-grey tail and wings, and a chestnut-brown back with black spots. The female has a brown tail and wings, with darker brown streaks on the feathers.
Were the River Test meets Southampton Water is the small town of Eling. Eling is now part of the city of Southampton, has a long history of its own. The quay dates back over a thousand years; a medieval tidal mill was the centre of settlement it was once a hub for industries such as shipbuilding and timber. Today, the mill is open to the public, the area has light industry, and private boat mooring.
A walk early this morning, started from Eling and followed Southampton Water down towards Marchwood. The unofficial path follows the water opposite the city’s container terminal, giving both views of the workings of the docks and mudflats.
Engineers need a head for heights for pilon work!
Some interesting wildlife on the walk. Starting with Little Egret.
Egyptian geese. This goose is related to the Shelduck. It was introduced to ornamental ponds, but escaped into the wild, where it’s now successfully breeding. In 2009, it was officially declared a non-native species.
Very distant Kingfisher.
Female Reed Bunting.
Scarlet Ibis, not very clear pictures, but this bird was some distance off. A surprise sighting of a non-native Scarlet Ibis! It seems several of these South American natives escaped from a local bird park a few months ago.
A museum visit today.
Holland 1 was the first submarine commissioned by the Royal Navy. She was the first in a five-boat batch of the Holland-class submarine, launched in 1901. She sank 12 years later in 1913 when under tow to be scrapped following her decommissioning. She was recovered in 1982. She was preserved and put on display at the Royal Navy Submarine Museum, Gosport.
Museum film below.
Like little Bulldozers on the beach, turning over seaweed and stones, looking for little invertebrates on the tideline, Turnstones do what their name suggests.
Turnstone on Meonshore.
More from the Raptor Centre.
Striated Caracara, this bird is a bird of prey, but it spends a lot of time on the ground. They are native to parts of South America and the Falkland Islands.
Kookaburra. These birds are the largest members of the Kingfisher family. They are native to eastern Australia. They eat insects, reptiles, snakes and small mammals.
Photo-heavy post.
Something a little different today, we spent the day at a local Raptor centre. So all photographs are captive birds.
https://www.libertyscentre.co.uk/about-us
Great Grey Owl. This Owl is the world’s largest species of owl by length. It is distributed across the Northern Hemisphere. The wingspan can exceed 5 ft, They breed in North America.
A smaller Owl, although not much smaller, is the Siberian Eagle Owl. However, they have a wingspan of 6ft.
One of our native Owls is the Barn Owl. Tiny compared to the 2 previous birds, the Barn Owl has a wingspan just over 2 & half feet. Normally, I have to get up at 05:00 hours to watch our local birds!
Harris Hawk. They are native to the Americas. However, they are a popular species in falconry and are often used for pest control in the UK,
Hazzard, Hazzards are a very rare hybrid of a Buzzard and a Harris Hawk.
Golden Eagle. I have only ever seen a pair of Golden Eagles once in the Highlands at some distance away, so it was a treat to see this bird today. With a wingspan of nearly 7ft, they are a big bird.
Last night we saw a supermoon. A supermoon occurs when the moon reaches its closest point to the Earth. It was also the first full moon in October, which is also known as a Hunter’s Moon. The name dates back to historic preparations for winter in the Northern Hemisphere, where people would hunt and preserve meat. It’s also called Harvest Moon – recalling a time when farmers would use the moon’s brightness to collect crops in the evening.
An early morning walk up the Hamble River. This part of the river is tidal, so it is always good for waders. The light at this time of day presents some challenges in taking pictures with the sun low. As always, lots to see, Curlews and Greenshanks are regularly on the river here, and always a favourite to get photographs of.
Curlew.
Greenshank,
Blacktailed Godwit numbers are increasing on the Hamble as we move towards Winter; they are less colourful this time of year.
This lone Juvenile Ringplover came quite close as the tide came in.
This Curlew took objection to the approaching Godwit!
I have seen reports since the Lockdown of Seals on the river at this point, but until this walk, I had not seen one. Normally, what I think is a Seal turns out to be a mooring buoy.
Another fungi walk in the New Forest this morning. All pictures today were taken with my phone, which it edited into a short film -so a bit of fun.
Sadly, too many people are foraging for fungi in the New Forest and spotting edible fungi is now difficult in many areas.
Continued Reflections from my World. 