Thursday I spent some time on the beach and filmed the flock of Sanderlings enjoying the afternoon’s sun.
This post is a movie only, Please note it runs for a little over 8 minutes. Is best viewed on a phone screen & the sound is only the beach and wind so best watched on low volume or off.
Some further Sanderlings pictures from Monday’s visit to the coast. The green of the seaweed adds a bit of colour to a dull grey day.
As I was in Southampton this morning I just had to get another look for the Ring-necked Parakeets in one of the city parks.
Another stormy night as the 3rd storm lashes the UK in as many days. Many trees are down on local roads and places closed. Titchfield Haven Nature Reserve remains closed since the end of last week as authorities need to check the trees are safe.
The Red Funnel Isle of Wight ferry was having a choppy crossing this morning. Some services were cancelled over the weekend.
A workforce was out repairing the seawall at Titchfield Harbour.
On the shore, Sanderlings were feeding at the water’s edge and out of the wind. Sitting down on the beach using one of the groynes as a windbreak I was able to take some pictures as the feed today clams seem to be on the menu.
The ringed bird is a regular bird that I see on Meon Shore.
Gadwall were pairing up yesterday in force at Titchfield Haven lots of quacking and splashing. Over 25,000 birds are in the UK during the winter but only about 1,200 pairs remain in the summer.
A return to the New Forest. We Parked up again at Eyeworth Pond – watching the pond with a cup of tea until the rain stopped before heading into the forest to the North-East following the track from the old Gunpowder Mills this road was built to allow the explosives to be transported away from the factory safely avoiding the small village of Fritham.
A little way along the track you pass a fenced spring. Known as “The Iron Wells” shown on maps dating back to the late-18th century. Marked on today’s Ordnance Survey maps as “Irons Well (Chalybeate)”. The water is impregnated with iron salts and is the colour of rust.
The waters are said to have curative properties particularly helpful for sore eyes, gout and other ailments, including leprosy. The spring was also known as Lepers’ Well, it is rumoured a house of rest for those suffering from leprosy was close to the well. Looking at the spring I decided not to take the waters on this visit!
No deer to see on our walk today.
Back at the pond lots of birds as always – but the Mandarin ducks steal the show with their bright colours there seemed to be 5 males and 3 females present again. – lots of photographs at the end of this post.
Male Blackbird.
Song Thrush.
Pied Wagtail.
A first for me today was a Brambling. Not the best picture of this female bird but given I have never seen one before I am happy with this attempt.
A Male House Sparrow.
On the way home, we spotted lots of Snow Drops an early sign of spring.
Some birds are as good underwater as they are in the air.
A Cormorant and a Little Grebe at Titchfield Haven Nation Nature reserve today.
(Part 2 Birdwatching). More from a walk today from Warsash up the river Hamble to Bursledon. Today’s birdwatching observations on a rather dark and gloomy day
Brent Goose. These small geese are a similar size to a mallard. They have a black head and neck and greyish back, with either a pale or dark belly, depending on the race, most of the birds I see. local to me have a dark belly. I always find them difficult to get a decent photograph of them due to their dark colour on the mud, their eyes seem to disappear! I was quite pleased with these 2 shots despite the dull conditions.
A Meadow Pipit.
Little Egret. This bird was fishing alongside the footpath.
A Curlew;
Redshank.
Many of the birds were a long way off on the mud, a large flock of Dunlin a couple of Shelduck and some gulls.
A male Wigeon.
Continued Reflections from my World. 