Finally able to get some fairly close pictures of a Glossy Ibis in Titchfield Haven Nature Reserve.
These birds breed in parts of Southern and Southeast Europe and are only occasional visitors here. In recent years sightings here have become more common. This year I have seen up to 4 birds at one time in a couple of locations on the Hampshire coast.
Length: 55-65cm
Wingspan: 88-105cm
Weight: 630g
The bridge over the entrance of the River Meon where it enters into the Solent via Tichfield Harbour is always a good place to spot some birds. Today with the high winds. there were a number of birds sheltering out from the wind below the bridge.
Our first view over the bridge gave us a view of 2 Little Egrets and a Grey Heron.
Later on, there was a Cormorant perching on the branch where the Egret was earlier.
On the other side of the bridge in the harbour was a Little Grebe.
#Wordless Wednesday
New Forest Blue Tit.
I went for a walk in the New Forest this morning to look for some fungi but there were very few about I think that even though it is prohibited in the National Park that they had been “collected” – It has become an issue in recent years as commercial quantities are being taken and sold on.
However, not all was lost as I enjoyed watching this Nuthatch.
Length: 14 cm Wingspan: 22.5-27 cm Weight: 20-25 g UK breeding: 220.000. {facts from RSPB}
Our local Little Egrets have found a new way of fishing I have been watching these beautiful Herons for several years on Meon Shore but only in recent weeks, have seen them on a slack tide standing on the wooden sea groin post fishing. Normally they wait until low tide to fish at the waters edge.
The knot is a medium-sized, wader a bit larger that a Dunlin {see picture 5}. They migrate to the UK in very large numbers during winter from their Arctic breeding grounds. Knots eat invertebrates, molluscs and crustaceans which they find by probing their bills in the mud and sand; special sensory organs in their bill tips help them to detect buried prey in a similar fashion to the way echolocation works in bats. For me, although not the 1st time I have seen Knots yesterday was the first time I was able to get some pictures of this bird.
UK wintering population:320,000 birds.
Wheatear sitting on the fence at Meon Shore.
Wordless Wednesday.
Bird spotting around a bird feeding station. I placed a small camera trail on a tripod and let it run. The sounds of the forest are worth listening to in the film.
Continued Reflections from my World. 