Good or not so good.

/ Andy Finnegan / 8 Comments

The grey squirrel was introduced into the UK in the 1870s from North America as an ornamental species to populate the grounds of stately homes. Introductions occurred until 1930. At this time the damage caused by the grey squirrel was recognised and it was made illegal to release a grey squirrel into the wild. Grey squirrels have rapidly spread and colonised much of mainland England with detriment to our wildlife, especially the native red squirrel, and tree species.

However, watching Grey squirrels is a pastime for many and despite their negative effect on native wildlife.

Along the river.

/ Andy Finnegan / Leave a comment

Another walk down the River Hamble dry but very windy – hard to stand up at times!

Curlew.

Dark-bellied Brent goose.

Wigeon.

Greenshank. There are less than 1,000 Greenshanks in the whole country during the winter, but soon they will be heading North towards their breeding grounds.

Common Redshank.

 

Lesser black-backed gulls.

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.