Titchfield harbour & nature reserve.

Avocet.

/ Andy Finnegan / 4 Comments

Avocets have started to arrive here on the South Coast. Ist photographs of these beautiful birds this year.

You will note one of the birds is ringed. Info sent to ringer – below is their reply.

Thanks for the sighting of GB/BG.

I ringed this bird as a chick in June 2014 at Needs Ore Reserve (beside the Beaulieu River estuary).

Since then it has spent most of its time at Titchfield and Farlington. However, it was seen over the winter of 2017-18 at Poole Harbour in Dorset.

In the summer of 2018 it bred at Titchfield and since then there have been summer and winter sightings of it at Titchfield, suggesting it now spends most of its time there.

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.

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.

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.