A flash of yellow in the New Forest draws one’s eye to this Gray Wagtail in the grass.
Gray Wagtail.
Author: Andy Finnegan
7am at the sea.
Early start to walk by the sea. Little Egret fishing at low tide.
Bucklers Hard.
Today, a walk along the banks of the Beaulieu River leads to the historic village of Bucklers Hard. It is a village stuck in time. It was a hub of past shipbuilding. More than 50 wooden ships were built for the Royal Navy from New Forest oak. Vessels built included HMS Agamemnon, HMS Euryalus, and HMS Swiftsure; they all fought at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. When the Napoleonic Wars ended, shipbuilding at Buckler’s Hard declined markedly. This decline was also due to the new iron warships.
Today the Hard is a peaceful haven.
Sea Spray
I spent an hour well-wrapped up from the cold wind and watched the incoming tide. I saw a few Turnstone dodging the spray along with some Sanderlings. You have to wonder how these small birds survive the power of the sea.
A rare duck.
A first in the wild on the South Coast for me today. A Long-Tailed Duck in Southampton Water off Hill Head today.
The Long-tailed Duck is a winter visitor to UK coastal waters, arriving from their arctic breeding grounds. The majority of these wintering birds in the UK are seen in the north, around Shetland, Orkney, and northeast Scotland. Smaller numbers are found further south along England’s east coast.
These sea ducks were formerly known as the “Oldsquaw” .
More from Hill Head.
General views along our local coastline.
Some wall art along the way.
Nature and people can mix with a little understanding.
Hill Head.
Sitting on the spit as the tide changes and the Sanderlings arrive. they wait for the tide to drop so they can feed on the beach.
You looking at me!
Another deer stalk in the New Forest looking for some handsome Fallow Bucks. A few shots of the best lookers.
Frog Spawn.
Today (3rd February) in the New Forest we spotted our 1st Frog Spawn of 2025;
First Chicks.
Yesterday (2nd February) I spotted my 1st chicks of 2025. I saw 2 Little Grebe chicks. They have survived from the nest I spotted a few weeks ago on the icy pond on 12th January.
Continued Reflections from my World. 