Bucklers Hard.

/ Andy Finnegan / 2 Comments

Today, a walk along the banks of the Beaulieu River leads to the historic village of Bucklers Hard. It is a village stuck in time. It was a hub of past shipbuilding. More than 50 wooden ships were built for the Royal Navy from New Forest oak. Vessels built included HMS Agamemnon, HMS Euryalus, and HMS Swiftsure; they all fought at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. When the Napoleonic Wars ended, shipbuilding at Buckler’s Hard declined markedly. This decline was also due to the new iron warships.

Today the Hard is a peaceful haven.

A rare duck.

/ Andy Finnegan / 5 Comments

A first in the wild on the South Coast for me today. A Long-Tailed Duck in Southampton Water off Hill Head today.

The Long-tailed Duck is a winter visitor to UK coastal waters, arriving from their arctic breeding grounds. The majority of these wintering birds in the UK are seen in the north, around Shetland, Orkney, and northeast Scotland. Smaller numbers are found further south along England’s east coast.

These sea ducks were formerly known as the “Oldsquaw” .

Big Bucks.

/ Andy Finnegan / 5 Comments

A few big Fallow bucks gave me the eye. They seemed to be without any obvious care in the world. Then they wandered off deep into the forest. It is always a treat to see these animals at close quarters and have eye contact with them.