Some birds are as good underwater as they are in the air.
A Cormorant and a Little Grebe at Titchfield Haven Nation Nature reserve today.
Voyage to the bottom of the sea.
birds and birdwatch,
Gadwall.
The Gadwall is a grey-coloured dabbling duck. They are a little smaller than the Mallard.
Very few nest in the UK (only 1200 pairs).
UK wintering: 25,000 birds.
The Teal
Teal are small dabbling ducks. There are about 2100 breeding pairs found in the UK but the wintering numbers increase to 210,000 birds many of these are continental birds from around the Baltic and Siberia.
Eyeworth Pond.
A circular walk today in the New Forest starting and ending at Eyeworth pond.
History.
The pond was created by the Schultze Gunpowder Company as a reservoir to hold the water needed during the manufacturing process – it is estimated it held 6 million gallons of water. Work started on the factory in 1860. By the late 1890s the Company employed upwards of 100 people and there were some 60 buildings. The factory continued in operation under new ownership until 1921. The manufacturing of explosives deep in the forest away from the local population reduced the risk to the public. Today the reservoir remains although the factory has gone, it remains as a feature and wildlife habitat. Little other evidence of the factory survives, although the superintendent’s and gatekeeper’s houses remain and are private residences.
Birds. on the pond.
2 female Goosanders were on the far side of the pond ( I have seen males here as well in the past but not today). Goosanders are diving duck, they have long, serrated bills, used for catching fish. They 1st bred in the UK in 1871. ( These ducks are known as Common Merganser in the USA).
Mandarin ducks have for many years been a regular bird on Eyeworth pond. They always draw a crowd, they were introduced to the UK from China in the 20th century and have become established following escapes from captive collections. In the UK there are now said to be about 2,300 pairs and according to Wikipedia the population in China is only 1000 pairs.
Moorhen.
Woodland Birds. around the pond.
A woodland favourite is the Blue Tit.
Marsh Tit.
Great Tit.
Robin.
Dunnock
Dunnocks are also known as the ‘hedge sparrow’, although they are not actually a sparrow. They’re actually the only UK member of a bird family called the accentors. The dunnock is also commonly mistaken for a female house sparrow. Dunnock is derived from the Old English word for ‘little brown’. This is because they do look drab from a distance but close up they are quite pretty with a mottled blue-grey breast and face.
Deer.
Fallow deer are the most commonly seen deer in the New Forest currently numbers are maintained at about 1,300 Following the Norman Conquest of Britan ,the New Forest was proclaimed a royal forest, in about 1079, by William the Conqueror. Fallow deer were brought into the forest for the hunt. Forest Law, reserving the pursuit of beasts within it exclusively for the king and his officers.
Return to Stoney Cross.
A return visit to Stoney Cross airfield to try and take some pictures of the remaining parts of the aerodrome. Parts of the aircraft dispersal hardstandings were not removed when the runways were broken up and are now used as a campsite as we are in the winter months it was a good time to take pictures without holidaymakers on site. Below is a view from above shoving the remaining structures.
From ground level, it is hard to believe what was parked up on these concrete bases back in WW2 – Bombers and fighters of the RAF and USAF and thoughts are for those who failed to return following actions in the skies above Europe.
Flocks of Redwings were feeding on the site of the old runways.
Up the Hamble.
(Part 2 Birdwatching). More from a walk today from Warsash up the river Hamble to Bursledon. Today’s birdwatching observations on a rather dark and gloomy day
Brent Goose. These small geese are a similar size to a mallard. They have a black head and neck and greyish back, with either a pale or dark belly, depending on the race, most of the birds I see. local to me have a dark belly. I always find them difficult to get a decent photograph of them due to their dark colour on the mud, their eyes seem to disappear! I was quite pleased with these 2 shots despite the dull conditions.
A Meadow Pipit.
Little Egret. This bird was fishing alongside the footpath.
A Curlew;
Redshank.
Many of the birds were a long way off on the mud, a large flock of Dunlin a couple of Shelduck and some gulls.
A male Wigeon.
Blackbirds.
The Blackbird is also known as the Eurasian blackbird in North America, in order to distinguish it from the unrelated New World blackbirds, here in the UK we just call it a Blackbird. They are a member of the Thrush family.
Adult male blackbirds have black plumage and, during the breeding season, they have both a yellow eye-ring and bill. Out of the breeding season, the male may have a dull bill and no eye-ring. Females are brown, often with a paler throat patch.
Mr Blackbird.
Mrs Blackbird.
Stoney Cross.
An early start in the New Forest with breakfast in the van before a frosty walk on the remains of Stoney Cross airfield.
Stoney Cross airfield was one of the larger wartime airfields within the forest. It was active between 1943 to 1946, It remained open after the war until it closed in 1948.
Stoney cross had three runways with the main runway, 2,000 yards (1829 metres) long. The second runway, was 1520 yards (1390 metres) and the shortest runway, at 1366 yards (1249 metres) long.
Sadly most of the concrete had been stripped from the runways by 2000 and used as hardcore in road construction. The outline of the runways can still be seen in places as well as remains of other concrete bases.
Parking at Cadmans Pool as a starting point to head off on foot across the site of the old airfield on Ocknell Plain. Apparently, the pond was dug around 1960 to enhance the aesthetic appeal of the plain.
On arriving today the pond was iced over at the temperature was -4, so a cold start.
A group of Fallow Deer strolling on the plain. There were some fairly handsome stags in this herd.
As usual, the trees around Cadmans Pool is a great place to observe and photograph small woodland birds.
Danebury Ring
A short walk at Danebury Ring Hillfort this morning. (location near Stockbridge Hampshire.) An Iron age hill with evidence suggesting that the Fort was built 2500 years ago and occupied for nearly 500 years until the arrival of the Romans in Britain.
Today a plateau at the top of the hill remains it was once the site of a settlement that was surrounded by ditches and earth banks. The bank had a wooded defensive fence on its top.
The chalk hillside habitat needs to be managed to prevent it from being swamped by shrub. Here at Danebury Highland Cattle maintain the grassland.
Highland Cattle may look fierce but they are a gentle breed.
A Kestral hunting.
Warsash towards Hook.
Today we decided to walk from Warsash quay at the mouth of the River Hamble down Southampton Water towards Hook.
Some different birds spotted as well as some usuals.
A little way from the car park at Warsash you pass Warsash Maritime Academy which is part of Solent University. It is said to be the only maritime training provider of its kind in the world. Offering150 accredited deck, engineering, interior, maritime and offshore training courses.
Ship lifeboat training station always looks interesting. Training was taking place as we passed by.
There were a lot of Wigeon just off the beach. A medium-sized duck they are an Amber List species
Wigeons breed in central and northern Scotland and also in northern England. In the winter large numbers visit UK sites, from Iceland, Scandinavia and Russia.
UK breeding:400 pairs
UK wintering:440,000 birds
A little Egret and a Turnstone.
There were a number of Curlew on our walk a bird we tend to see across Southampton Water at Fawley and very rarely in Titchfield Haven.
The Curlew is the largest European wading bird, recognisable by its long, downcurved bill.
UK breeding:66,000 pairs
UK wintering:140,000 individuals
A Redshank feeding on worms.
Continued Reflections from my World. 