Wigeon.

/ Andy Finnegan / 2 Comments

In recent weeks, small groups of Wigeon have arrived here on the south coast. They are medium-sized ducks that appear quite plump. The head and neck of the male are chestnut, with a yellow forehead, pink breasts and a grey body. In flight, birds show white bellies and males have a large white wing patch.

Wigeons breed in the north in central and northern Scotland and some in northern England. Their numbers increase in the UK in winter as birds from Iceland, Scandinavia and Russia arrive. The number of wintering birds increases to some 450,000 birds from the small breeding numbers of only 200 pairs.

The birds on the Hamble were quite comical talking to each other with quiet whistles and giving each other some odd looks!

Lepe Beach D-Day Relics.

/ Andy Finnegan / 5 Comments

Lepe Beach and country park has many relics that date back to WW2 and link it with D-Day and the invasion of France in June 1944.

One of many Mulberry Harbour construction and launching sites was constructed at Lepe 6 concrete Phoenix Caissons that were simultaneously built on these platforms from January 1944 so that they could be directly launched into the sea by May 1944. They were towed up Southampton water for finishing.

Mulberry harbours were temporary portable harbours following D-Day, two prefabricated harbours were taken in sections across the English Channel from the UK with the invading army and assembled off Omaha Beach (Mulberry “A”) and Gold Beach (Mulberry “B”).

Many Allied troops waited for D-Day in camps in the New Forest. Some of these embarked from Lepe, and others used embarkation sites to the east or west. The group of camps was known as Marshalling Area B. On the beach, at Lepe, there was room for four Landing Craft Tank (LCT).

Remains of the “Dolphins” part of the pierhead which was used to load landing crafts.

Large Bollards for tying up Landing craft.

Concrete blocks known as “chocolate Blocks ” were used to build a roadway over the beach for vehicles to load onto the landing craft without getting stuck on the soft sand and gravel.

Launch block blocks where the large caissons were winched into the sea.

Large contraction platforms where the caissons were constructed.

Monuments remembering D-Day and Poppy display in support of the Royal British Legion 2022 Poppy appeal.

Curlew on the shore.

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The curlew is the largest European wading bird. There were around 10 birds on the mudflats at the edge of the incoming tide catching small crabs at Lepe Beach on the edge of the New Forest. They also feed on worms, shellfish and shrimps. The UK breeding population is around 58,500 pairs and the wintering population increases to some 125,000 birds.

UK conservation status: Red.

Age of an Oystercatcher.

/ 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!