I’m up with the light today and taking a walk up the Hamble River. I have good views of Dunlin, a small wader similar to Sanderlings. The Sanderlings favour the sandy beach at Meonshore, whereas the Dunlin like the mud to feed in the tidal river.
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” .
General views along our local coastline.
Some wall art along the way.
Nature and people can mix with a little understanding.
Sitting on the spit as the tide changes and the Sanderlings arrive. they wait for the tide to drop so they can feed on the beach.
#Wordless Wednesday.
The Common Greenshank is a medium-sized slim wader with a dark grey back and white underparts. It has green legs and a slightly upturned bill. At this time of year, I regularly see a small number of these birds.
The Curlew is the largest European wading bird, found on estuaries in winter and moors in summer. Look for its down-curved bill,
The Brent Goose is a small, dark goose – of similar size to a Mallard Duck.
An eider raft is a large group of Eider Ducks that float close together on the sea. These rafts happen in the winter after they finish nesting. {Eider nest in the UK but are much further north than here} They stay close together to find food like shellfish and crustaceans by diving into the water
Continued Reflections from my World. 