CVN-78.

/ 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

Deer and more.

/ Andy Finnegan / 3 Comments

A different area of the New Forest today gave a glimpse of both some Fallow Deer and some Red Deer. All females and youngsters.

Fallow Deer.

Red Deer.

Also, a few Redwing were about. The redwing is a common winter visitor and is the UK’s smallest true thrush. Its creamy strip above the eye and orange-red flank patches make it distinctive. Rare in summer with under 20 pairs but in the winter the influx of some 8.6 million birds!

Winter arrivals.

/ Andy Finnegan / 6 Comments

Sanderling numbers have started to increase on our coast as we move to the colder months. Over 60 were resting at high tide today. I always find them a joy to watch so I sit on the shingle they continue their routine and slowly come very close.

For me, these little birds’ arrival from their summer breeding grounds on the far Arctic tundra is a signal that we are moving into our winter. The terns have gone south but the Sanderlings have arrived.

Shoveler.

/ Andy Finnegan / 2 Comments

The northern shoveler, known in Britain as the Shoveler. The UK has around 1,100 breeding pairs of this duck but wintering numbers increase to nearly 20,000 birds. Last week there were a few birds in Titchfield Haven nature reserve today the numbers have increased – I counted at least 30 birds.