The northern shoveler, known simply in the UK as the shoveler, they are a common and widespread duck. A male and female duck wet morning at Tichfield Haven yesterday.
Mr &Mrs Shoveler.
birds and birdwatch,
Grey Day Heron
A Grey Heron on a grey day at Titchfield Haven viewed from the Harbour road bridge.
Nature spots at Bratley View.
5-mile circular walk into the New Forest from Bratley View.
We started the day ringing Forestry England to report fly-tipping of Kitchen White goods into the National Park from the car park sadly this year there seems to be an increase in this anti-social behaviour. As we are out early we see what has been dumped the previous night, at least once a week we see something. People even dump cars and set them on fire this buggy was reported a few weeks ago!
Below a young Fallow deer she was very interested in us so I was not sure if she had seen people before.
Male Stonechat.
Spotted a few distant Red Deer.
Fishing lake.
Relaxing Great Crested Grebes on a local fishing lake.
Hold tight.
#Wordless Wednesday
In the Reeds.
Male and female Stonechats in the Reeds at Titchfield Haven Nature Reserve.
Female.
Male.
Gone fishing.
After my post last week of a Great White Egret. Todays post is a Little Egret.
UK breeding:1,100+ pairs
UK wintering:11,500 birds
Fritham Plain.
A walk from Cadnams Pool uphill to Fritham Plain and Hiscock Hill in the New Forest.
Most of the deer I spot have spotted me before I have spotted them! A good-looking Roebuck in the Bracken.
Further up the hill, we came across a Fallow Buck who was looking in really good condition and would be a formidable animal in the coming rut.
The Roe deer is a native deer to the UK where the larger Fallow deer was introduced by the Romans and then reintroduced in the 11th century, they were kept in parks as their populations increased they became an important source of venison on aristocratic tables. By the 15th century, many parks fell into disrepair and these medieval escapee deer are the foundation of the wild population in Britain today.
Passing New Forest Ponies. When a large herd gallop towards you at full speed and you are on an open plain there are not many places to hide.
Red Admirals enjoying the late summer sun. They were first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 book. They were then known as the Red Admirable.
A good number of European Hornets were on a Silver Birch tree taking sap.
A Wheatear this female bird was probably a juvenile as it allowed a close approach.
Great White Egret (again).
Some more Great White Egret pictures from this morning at Titchfield Haven National Nature Reserve 4 birds were spotted by one of the warden 1st thing – we spotted 3 individuals. There were also a number of Little Egrets and several Grey Herons. (you can see these in some of the pictures and YouTube film which gives size comparisons).
A large Egret.
It was nice to see two Great White Egrets at Tichfield Haven on Thursday. Although they were on the far side of the reserve I was able to get some pictures, they are large birds about the same size as a Grey Heron.
Population:
UK breeding:8-12 pairs
UK wintering:72 birds
Continued Reflections from my World. 