Some more views of Tufted Ducks – these were on the old mill pond at Bishop’s Waltham near Winchester.
The drakes are black and white with a golden eye and sport a tuft. The hens are more camouflaged and brown in colour.
As kids, we called Tufted ducks Tufties.
#Wordless Wednesday
Another deer stalk – Fallow Deer in the New Forest.
I popped into one of the city centre parks (Southampton) to see if there were any signs of the Parakeets nesting they were still one pair spotted and other birds heard but not seen. No nesting yet.
Foxes were out in daylight this morning in the Water Meadows at Titchfied Haven.
The Canada Geese were not amused!
Another walk down the River Hamble dry but very windy – hard to stand up at times!
Curlew.
Dark-bellied Brent goose.
Wigeon.
Greenshank. There are less than 1,000 Greenshanks in the whole country during the winter, but soon they will be heading North towards their breeding grounds.
Common Redshank.
Lesser black-backed gulls.
Avocets have started to arrive here on the South Coast. Ist photographs of these beautiful birds this year.
You will note one of the birds is ringed. Info sent to ringer – below is their reply.
Thanks for the sighting of GB/BG.
I ringed this bird as a chick in June 2014 at Needs Ore Reserve (beside the Beaulieu River estuary).
Since then it has spent most of its time at Titchfield and Farlington. However, it was seen over the winter of 2017-18 at Poole Harbour in Dorset.
In the summer of 2018 it bred at Titchfield and since then there have been summer and winter sightings of it at Titchfield, suggesting it now spends most of its time there.
Wordless Wednesday
Some days when the weather is not good and rain prevails it is a real washout. Today was one of those days so I went for a short walk at a small local nature reserve not expecting to see much let alone take some photographs.
However, despite the rain, and fairly low light it was a successful nature walk.
On one of the small gravel pits were a number of Great-Crested Grebes which added a splash of welcome colour.
These grebes are well-known for their elaborate courtship dance, during which they rise out of the water and shakes their heads. During the breeding season, they have an impressive plume on their heads and orange ruff around their necks.
A number of Greylag geese were also in one of the pits. They are the largest and bulkiest of native wild geese found in the UK and Europe.
A Moorhen making a run for it back towards the water.
Down on the coast along Meon Shore and Titchfield Haven, spring is advancing. Birds are starting to pair up courtship is in the air. Soon the Brend Geese and the Sanderlings will be off to their breeding grounds. Other birds who breed on our shores will arrive Avocents have started to arrive and soon I expect to spot returning Common Terns.
Canada Geese are no native birds, having been introduced from North America some 300 years ago. After the Second World War, they spread across the UK. They are now found in large numbers. These birds do not migrate from the UK and in some areas are now considered a pest.
Cormorant and Little Greebe fishing.
Some regular birds on at the Haven.
Lapwing.
Godwit
Redshank.
Continued Reflections from my World. 