Ringed birds feedback

December 27, 2022 / Andy Finnegan / 4 Comments

These are records from ringed birds I have spotted and reported this summer It is interesting where else outside the Solent and Southampton Water where they have been recorded and also the age of these birds.

Sanderling spotted Hill Head

O6 WWWB	20-Oct-17	Eastoke, Hayling Island, Hampshire, S England
O6 WWWB	03-Dec-17	Hill Head, Titchfield, Fareham, Hampshire, S England
O6 WWWB	14-Dec-17	Hill Head, Titchfield, Fareham, Hampshire, S England
O6 WWWB	22-Dec-17	Hill Head, Titchfield, Fareham, Hampshire, S England
O6 WWWB	04-Feb-18	Hill Head, Titchfield, Fareham, Hampshire, S England
O6 WWWB	17-Feb-18	Hill Head, Titchfield, Fareham, Hampshire, S England
O6 WWWB	31-Mar-18	Hill Head, Titchfield, Fareham, Hampshire, S England
O6 WWWB	23-Nov-18	Hill Head, Titchfield, Fareham, Hampshire, S England
O6 WWWB	27-Nov-18	Hill Head, Titchfield, Fareham, Hampshire, S England
O6 WWWB	30-Nov-18	Hill Head, Titchfield, Fareham, Hampshire, S England
O6 WWWB	26-Feb-19	Solent Breezes, Warsash, Hampshire
O6 WWWB	08-Mar-19	Hill Head, Titchfield, Fareham, Hampshire, S England
O6 WWWB	09-May-19	Griend, Terschelling, The Netherlands
O6 WWWB	01-Nov-19	Black Point, Hayling Island, Chichester Harbour, Hampshire, S England
O6 WWWB	01-Nov-19	Black Point, Hayling Island, Hampshire, UK.
O6 WWWB	17-Nov-19	Hill Head, Titchfield, Fareham, Hampshire, S England
O6 WWWB	23-Nov-19	Hill Head, Titchfield, Fareham, Hampshire, S England
O6 WWWB	24-Nov-19	Hill Head, Titchfield, Fareham, Hampshire, S England
O6 WWWB	24-Nov-19	Hill Head, Titchfield, Fareham, Hampshire, S England
O6 WWWB	30-Nov-19	Hill Head, Titchfield, Fareham, Hampshire, S England
O6 WWWB	02-Dec-19	Hill Head, Titchfield, Fareham, Hampshire, S England
O6 WWWB	10-Feb-20	Hill Head, Titchfield, Fareham, Hampshire, S England
O6 WWWB	02-Oct-20	Hill Head, Titchfield, Fareham, Hampshire, S England
O6 WWWB	30-Oct-20	Hill Head, Titchfield, Fareham, Hampshire, S England
O6 WWWB	20-Nov-20	Hill Head, Titchfield, Fareham, Hampshire, S England
O6 WWWB	26-Nov-20	Hook-with Warsash, Hampshire, S England
O6 WWWB	22-Jan-21	Hook-with Warsash, Hampshire, S England
O6 WWWB	05-Mar-21	Hill Head, Titchfield, Fareham, Hampshire, S England
O6 WWWB	22-Jan-22	Hill Head, Titchfield, Fareham, Hampshire, S England

Another Sanderling spotted Hill Head.

O6 BYRB	20-Oct-17	Eastoke, Hayling Island, Hampshire, S England
O6 BYRB	03-Dec-17	Hill Head, Titchfield, Fareham, Hampshire, S England
O6 BYRB	17-Feb-18	Hill Head, Titchfield, Fareham, Hampshire, S England
O6 BYRB	08-Oct-18	Ryde, Isle of Wight, S England
O6 BYRB	31-Oct-18	Ryde, Isle of Wight, S England
O6 BYRB	06-Dec-18	Ryde, Isle of Wight, S England
O6 BYRB	20-Feb-19	Hill Head, Titchfield, Fareham, Hampshire, S England
O6 BYRB	26-Feb-19	Solent Breezes, Warsash, Hampshire
O6 BYRB	07-Mar-19	Hill Head, Titchfield, Fareham, Hampshire, S England
O6 BYRB	08-Mar-19	Hill Head, Titchfield, Fareham, Hampshire, S England
O6 BYRB	17-Nov-19	Hill Head, Titchfield, Fareham, Hampshire, S England
O6 BYRB	24-Nov-19	Hill Head, Titchfield, Fareham, Hampshire, S England
O6 BYRB	24-Nov-19	Hill Head, Titchfield, Fareham, Hampshire, S England
O6 BYRB	29-Nov-19	Hill Head, Titchfield, Fareham, Hampshire, S England
O6 BYRB	30-Nov-19	Hill Head, Titchfield, Fareham, Hampshire, S England
O6 BYRB	08-Mar-20	Hill Head, Titchfield, Fareham, Hampshire, S England
O6 BYRB	23-Mar-20	Hill Head, Titchfield, Fareham, Hampshire, S England
O6 BYRB	20-Aug-20	Newbiggin by the Sea, Northumberland, England
O6 BYRB	05-Oct-20	Hill Head, Titchfield, Fareham, Hampshire, S England
O6 BYRB	18-Oct-20	Hill Head, Titchfield, Fareham, Hampshire, S England
O6 BYRB	22-Oct-20	Hill Head, Titchfield, Fareham, Hampshire, S England
O6 BYRB	30-Oct-20	Hill Head, Titchfield, Fareham, Hampshire, S England
O6 BYRB	15-Nov-20	Portsmouth, Hampshire, S England
O6 BYRB	24-Jan-21	Eastney, Portsmouth, Hampshire, S England
O6 BYRB	26-Mar-21	Hill Head, Titchfield, Fareham, Hampshire, S England
O6 BYRB	18-Oct-21	Hill Head, Titchfield, Fareham, Hampshire, S England
O6 BYRB	19-Oct-21	Hill Head, Titchfield, Fareham, Hampshire, S England
O6 BYRB	09-Nov-21	Hill Head, Titchfield, Fareham, Hampshire, S England
O6 BYRB	02-Dec-21	Southsea, Portsmouth, Hampshire

Mediterranean gull spotted at Calshot.

2E39	PITSEA LANDFILL SITE, ESSEX, GB	04/06/2016	51.32N x 00.30E	ADULT	Metal Ring Number EZ12244	PAUL ROPER, NORTH THAMES GULL GROUP
V	Icklesham, East Sussex	29/03/2017	50 54N 00 04E	Adult		Phil Jones
V	Icklesham, East Sussex	31/03/2017	50 54N 00 04E	Adult		Phil Jones
V	Brehec, Plouha 22 Coyes D’Armor, France	14/11/2017	48° 43 27 N 02 56 45W	Adult		Renaud Le Roy
V	Brehec, Plouha 22 Coyes D’Armor, France	15/11/2017	48° 43 27 N 02 56 45W	Adult		Renaud Le Roy
V	Beauport/ Paimpol Côtes d’Armor, FRANCE	05/12/2017	48,47N 3,04W,	Adult		Patrice Berthelot
V	Hayling Oysterbeds, Langstone Harbour, Hampshire UK	17/04/2018	50 49′ N 00 59′ W	Adult		Pete Potts
V	Hayling Oysterbeds, Langstone Harbour, Hampshire UK	18/04/2018	50 49′ N 00 59′ W	Adult		Pete Potts
V	Plérin Plage de Tournemine Cotes d’Armor, France	14/12/2018	48°34’N 02.46W	Adult		Herve Le Goff
V	Hayling Oysterbeds, Langstone Harbour, Hampshire UK	27/02/2019	50 49′ N 00 59′ W	Adult		Pete Potts
v	Elms Farm, Icklesham , UK	19/04/2019	50 54N 00 40E			Phil Jones
	Binic, Plage de la Banche, Côtes d’Armor, FRANCE	05/01/2020	48,31N 2,5W			Dominique Halleux
V	Binic, Plage de la Banche, Côtes d’Armor, FRANCE	07/01/2020	48,31N 2,5W			Dominique Halleux
V	Binic, Plage de la Banche, Côtes d’Armor, FRANCE	08/01/2020	48,31N 2,5W			Dominique Halleux
V	RSPB Cliffe Pools Kent, United Kingdom	12/07/2020	51.459N 0.474E			James Spooner
V	RSPB Cliffe Pools Kent, United Kingdom	16/07/2020	51.459N 0.474E			Renaud Flamant
V	RSPB Cliffe Pools Kent, United Kingdom	21/07/2020	51.459N 0.474E			James Spooner
V	Sables-d’Or-les-Pins, Côtes d’Armor, France	22/10/2020				Alizée Claver
V	Binic, Plage de la Banche, Côtes d’Armor, FRANCE	29/10/2020	48°35’51.01’’N2°49’18.34’’W			Herve Le Goff
V	Binic, Plage de la Banche, Côtes d’Armor, FRANCE	29/10/2020	48°35’51.01’’N2°49’18.34’’W			Dominique HALLEUX
V	Hayling Oysterbeds, Langstone Harbour, Hampshire UK	19/03/2021	50 49′ N 00 59′ W	Adult		Pete Potts
V	Calshot Beach Hampshire UK	29/06/2022	50°48′52″N , 001°18′33″W			Andy Finnegan
V	Calshot Beach Hampshire UK	01/07/2022	50°48′52″N , 001°18′33″W			Andy Finnegan

Seasonal shift.

December 23, 2022December 23, 2022 / Andy Finnegan / 5 Comments

Happy Christmas to you all.

The day before Christmas Eve just after a mid-winter cold spell and pairs of Mallards were mating on Swanick lakes never seen this behaviour before in winter.

After our cold snap.

December 20, 2022December 20, 2022 / Andy Finnegan / 7 Comments

After a cold spell with temperatures outside reading -6 followed by 2 days of torrential rain This morning & with the forecast of sunny spells, I headed out to get some fresh air and explore the Reed beds at Titchfield Haven.

Many birds were spotted on my walk so this is a picture-heavy post today.

Robin.

Reed Bunting. These are female birds. {the male has a black head and bib}.

Distant King Fisher.

Grey Heron.

Bearded Tit {male}

Little Grebe.

Teal {Drake}

View across the Reedbeds to the old cottage. A grade 2 listed building which is currently up for sale but requires major refurbishment.

CVN-78.

November 15, 2022November 15, 2022 / Andy Finnegan / Leave a comment

USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) is the lead ship of the United States Navy aircraft carrier class. She is the world’s largest warship. She is anchored in Stokes Bay off the Isle of Wight for a few days and is quite a crowd-puller!

Length: 337 m

Launched: 11 October 2013

Construction started: 13 November 2009

Age of an Oystercatcher.

October 27, 2022 / Andy Finnegan / 3 Comments

Watching Oystercastchers today in Titchfield Haven nature reserve I spotted a bird I had seen before. An Oystercatcher with a lot of white on his upper body. I first saw this bird in 2017 and have seen him each year since, so I was thrilled to see him again this morning. Leucism, or leukism, reduces pigmentation in birds. It got me thinking about how long is an Oystercatcher’s life span. I found this online. “Oystercatchers typically live for 12 years. However, the record stands at 40 years, one month and two days.”

Top picture 2017 bottom picture 2022.

These birds are alert as a Buzzard has just arrived overhead.

Enough is enough and they are all off!

Bite the sun!

October 25, 2022 / Andy Finnegan / 1 Comment

“A partial solar eclipse which will make the sun appear to have a bite taken out of it will be visible from across the UK this morning.”

Views from home late morning. Not like the Total solar eclipse, we had a few years ago in the UK when the world went dark. The light was odd for 20 mins or so but I could not see a chunk out of the sun however I was able to see it in the flare within the phone camera I took these pictures with.

Turnstones on the shore.

October 12, 2022 / Andy Finnegan / 1 Comment

These little waders like rocky shores as well as sandy and muddy coastal beaches. Here on Meon Shore, they feed between the rocks they look in the seaweed, and will feed by picking up food from under stones. They eat small insects, crustaceans and molluscs. These birds are known as just Turnstones here and in Europe but worldwide they are known as Ruddy Turnstones.

Pulled by the Navy.

September 13, 2022September 13, 2022 / Andy Finnegan / 8 Comments

Back in the 1990s, I visited HMS Excellent originally Whale Island in Portsmouth Harbour.

While there I saw the Royal field gun carriage. On the carriage is a brass plaque which reads.

THIS
FIELD GUN CARRIAGE
PRESENTED TO H.M.S. EXCELLENT BY
HIS MAJESTY KING GEORGE V
WAS USED
ON 2ND FEBRUARY 1901 AT THE FUNERAL OF
HER MAJESTY QUEEN VICTORIA
MANNED IN EMERGENCY BY SEAMEN OF THE ROYAL NAVY
UNDER THE COMMAND OF LT. THE HON. A.D.E.H. BOYLE R.N. & S/LT P.L.H. NOBLE

ALSO ON 20TH MAY 1910 AT THE FUNERAL OF
HIS MAJESTY KING EDWARD VII
MANNED BY SEAMEN OF H.M.S. EXCELLENT
UNDER THE COMMAND OF CAPTAIN R.G. TUPPER A.D.C. R.N.

ALSO ON 28TH JANUARY 1936 AT THE FUNERAL OF
HIS MAJESTY KING GEORGE V
MANNED BY SEAMEN OF H.M.S. EXCELLENT
UNDER THE COMMAND OF CAPTAIN A.J. POWER R.N.

ALSO ON 15TH FEBRUARY 1952 AT THE FUNERAL OF
HIS MAJESTY KING GEORGE VI
MANNED BY SEAMEN OF H.M.S. EXCELLENT
UNDER THE COMMAND OF CAPTAIN R.F. ELKINS O.B.E. A.D.C. R.N.

ALSO ON 30TH JANUARY 1965 AT THE FUNERAL OF
SIR WINSTON LEONARD SPENCER CHURCHILL K.G. O.M. C.H.
MANNED BY SEAMEN OF H.M.S. EXCELLENT
UNDER THE COMMAND OF CAPTAIN A.M. POWER M.B.E. R.N.

ALSO ON 5TH SEPTEMBER 1979 AT THE FUNERAL OF
ADMIRAL OF THE FLEET LORD LOUIS MOUNTBATTEN
K.G. G.C.B. O.M. G.C.S.I. G.C.I.E. G.C.V.O. D.S.O.
MANNED BY MEN OF THE ROYAL NAVY
UNDER THE COMMAND OF CAPTAIN R.K.S. BETHELL O.B.E. R.N.

Royal Horse Artillery in January 1901 were tasked with the final phase of the funeral of Queen Victoria. This was to move her coffin from the railway station at Windsor to Windsor Castle. As the coffin was placed on the gun carriage the horses who had been waiting for some time on the snow-covered ground and with the noise of the train panicked and reared up. It looked as though the coffin would be toppled off the carriage. Naval ratings were ordered to take the lead, the sailors grounded arms and formed fours at the head of the cortege. Improvised drag ropes were brought in and pulled Queen Victoria to her destination. The horses were unharnessed and moved safely out of the way. Another story tells how the Naval ratings took over when a pin broke and the horses could not pull the carriage.

The death of Queen Elizabeth II has made me think of my visit to Whale Island and seeing the Royal field gun carriage all those years ago. I understand it will be used on Monday for the Queen’s funeral pulled by Royal Naval Ratings as they have done for all State funerals since Queen Victoria’s.