birds and birdwatch,

Coastal spring.

/ Andy Finnegan / 10 Comments

Down on the coast along Meon Shore and Titchfield Haven, spring is advancing. Birds are starting to pair up courtship is in the air. Soon the Brend Geese and the Sanderlings will be off to their breeding grounds. Other birds who breed on our shores will arrive Avocents have started to arrive and soon I expect to spot returning Common Terns.

Canada Geese are no native birds, having been introduced from North America some 300 years ago. After the Second World War, they spread across the UK. They are now found in large numbers. These birds do not migrate from the UK and in some areas are now considered a pest.

Cormorant and Little Greebe fishing.

Some regular birds on at the Haven.

Lapwing.

Godwit

Redshank.

The death of a King.

/ Andy Finnegan / 3 Comments

In a quiet New Forest location is a monument to an incident where King William the second was killed while hunting in the Royal Hunting Forest (New Forest) in 1100. The monument inscription tells the story on its 3 sides.

Here stood the oak tree, on which an arrow shot by Sir Walter Tyrrell at a stag, glanced and struck King William the Second, surnamed Rufus, on the breast, of which he instantly died, on the second day of August, anno 1100.

King William the Second, surnamed Rufus being slain, as before related, was laid in a cart, belonging to one Purkis, and drawn from hence, to Winchester, and buried in the Cathedral Church of that city.

That the spot where an event so memorable might not hereafter be forgotten, the enclosed stone was set up by John Lord Delaware who had seen the tree growing in this place. This stone having been much mutilated, and the inscriptions on each of its three sides defaced. This more durable memorial with the original inscriptions was erected in the year 1841, by WM Sturges Bourne, Warden.

Male Stonechat.

Raptors.

/ Andy Finnegan / 3 Comments

Raptors on film, a short film of recent local raptor encounters. Buzzards – Kestrel – Marsh Harrier.

Buzzard from trail camera others from standard digital camera. All wild birds.

Ending the week in the New Forest.

/ Andy Finnegan / Leave a comment

Another end of a week with many visits to our local National park The New Forest. It has been a good week for deer watching which makes more pictures for today’s post. {so look away if you have had enough of my deer pictures!}

Today it was back to Fallow Deer a small herd of Bucks {although they are so magnificent I feel Stags would be a better name for this breed’s males}.

Fallow Bucks.

I also spotted a Fieldfare. They are a large, and colourful thrush this was the first time I was able to capture one in a picture.

Hiding in the reeds.

/ Andy Finnegan / 9 Comments

I quote the RSPB website “the water rail is a fairly common but highly secretive inhabitant of freshwater wetlands.” Look hard at my 1st picture; this is often the best view of this rail you get!

This afternoon I was lucky that the bird at Titchfield Haven broke cover and ran for the next clump of Reeds.