#Wordless Wednesday
Kestrel.
the Solent & Southampton Water,
Re-birth.
As part of the UKs defences against the French work on the construction of Fort Gilkicker commenced in 1863 and took eight years to complete. The finished fort provides a semi-circular firing arc from 22 gun placements, over the eastern end of Stokes Bay at Gosport.
Today we walked out to Fort Gilkicker. The redevelopment of the site is underway. The current planning permission is for Gilkicker to be restored and converted into 22 townhouses in the gun casemates plus four flats in the former barracks. Estimates of the cost of doing this are between £15 and £20 million. The site was bought for £1,386,000. Given the sums of money to restore/save this Historical Fort such a project could only be undertaken by a commercial redevelopment. Within the plans I understand one of the outer buildings will be made into a cafe with historical displays about the fort.
below some older posts on Fort Gilkcker.
The original gun firing positions were blocked before World War One up and the outer walls were further strengthened with substantial earthwork embankments with the redevelopment this is being removed and the original casements are be revealed.
Above 2020 below 2023
Hide in plain sight.
Grey Heron – showing nature’s natural camouflage – mudflats Calshot Point Southampton Water.
Close-ups of the same bird.
Just passing.
Around this time of year on our local beaches Wheatears start to appear. This bird was near Meon Shore this morning at Titchfield Haven. It will have bred in the north of the UK and is on passage back to central Africa for the winter.
Changing fortunes.
Bird flu (avian influenza) has devastated the Black-headed gull colony at Titchfield Haven National Nature Reserve this year. My estimate is gull numbers are reduced by some 75%. The Common Terns failed to arrive in any numbers. Larger Gull – such as Herring Gulls, Great and Lesser Black-backed Gulls number are fewer. So this has given Avocets space to build their nests and without predators, the Avocet chicks get a head start.
A pair of Avocets mate.
Little Egret.
#Wordless Wednesday
Somethings in the water.
#Wordless Wednesday.
Lost for words.
By the sea.
An evening watching the sea from Meon Shore.
A Great black-backed gull on the beach.
The return of the terns.
Common Terns have returned to the Solent and Southampton Water in the past week – I always look forward to their arrival and their numbers are increasing daily as they reach our shores from Africa. My 1st pictures this year which I am very pleased with. I have until September to practise when they will again leave.
Continued Reflections from my World. 