birdwatching

Oystercatcher update +

/ Andy Finnegan / 2 Comments

Further to my post last week regarding the ringed Oystercatcher I spotted at Mayflower Park I have had some feedback.

The bird was 1st ringed as an adult in January 2019 in Southampton Water all recordings have been in the local area and all in the winter sadly as yet no summer sighting. UK numbers of Oystercatchers increase in the winter when birds come south from Norway so this bird could be one of those wintering birds.

Many thanks for the sighting could you please send the photo as a jpg attachment so I can enlarge it to help work out the black/blue ring. However, I think it has to be the bird below with a black ring. It is a bird we ringed at Dibden Bay as an adult on 1st date below. All such sightings are most useful.

FP45007 N O+R//NB 25-Jan-19 Dibden Bay, Southampton Water, Hampshire, S England
FP45007 S O+R//NB 15-Nov-19 Dibden Bay, Southampton Water, Hampshire, S England
FP45007 S O+R//NB 09-Dec-19 Dibden Bay, Southampton Water, Hampshire, S England
FP45007 S O+R//NB 09-Dec-19 Dibden Bay, Southampton Water, Hampshire, S England
FP45007 S O+R//NB 22-Jan-20 Dibden Bay, Southampton Water, Hampshire, S England
FP45007 S O+R//NB 22-Jan-20 Dibden Bay, Southampton Water, Hampshire, S England
FP45007 S O+R//NB 13-Nov-20 Dibden Bay, Southampton Water, Hampshire, S England
FP45007 S O+R//NB 13-Nov-20 Dibden Bay, Southampton Water, Hampshire, S England
FP45007 S O+R//NB 13-Nov-20 Dibden Bay, Southampton Water, Hampshire, S England
FP45007 S O+R//NB 11-Nov-21 Dibden Bay, Southampton Water, Hampshire, S England
FP45007 S O+R//NB 11-Nov-21 Cracknore Hard, Marchwood, Southampton Water.
FP45007 S O+R//NB 15-Dec-21 Cracknore Hard, Marchwood, Southampton Water.
FP45007 S O+R//NB 30-Jan-22 Dibden Bay, Southampton Water, Hampshire, S England
FP45007 S O+R//NB 23-Feb-22 Dibden Bay, Southampton Water, Hampshire, S England
FP45007 S O+R//NB 06-Oct-22 Dibden Bay, Southampton Water, Hampshire, S England
FP45007 S O+R//NB 06-Oct-22 Dibden Bay, Southampton Water, Hampshire, S England
FP45007 S O+R//NB 06-Oct-22 Dibden Bay, Southampton Water, Hampshire, S England
FP45007 S O+R//NB 03-Nov-22 Dibden Bay, Southampton Water, Hampshire, S England
FP45007 S O+R//NB 24-Nov-22 Mayflower Park, Southampton, Hampshire, S England

Some further bird spots.

Dunlin in non-breeding plumage.

Northern shoveler ducks.

Shelduck.

Life passing the ditch.

/ Andy Finnegan / 2 Comments

Day and night wet or dry there is always someone crossing the ditch. Trail camera footage and stills from the film.

Roe Deer.

Lots of Robins pass the camera with their bright red breast you would think they would stand out but in the autumn leaves, they are quite camouflaged .

Purple Haze – revisited.

/ Andy Finnegan / 4 Comments

Back in February I posted some pictures of Parakeets in one of the parks in town (Southampton).

Today between heavy rain showers I decided as the leaves were thining on the trees to go back and see if the Parakeets were still about, before I reached the park I could hear them calling and flying through the trees. I spotted over 6 birds today – earlier in the year there was just a pair so it looks as if they successfully bred in the spring. Even though we are outside the breeding season one bird was showing a real interest in a nest hole this morning so hopefully the Southampton population will increase further next year.

Link to old post click on “Purple Haze”.

Purple Haze!

Deer and more.

/ Andy Finnegan / 3 Comments

A different area of the New Forest today gave a glimpse of both some Fallow Deer and some Red Deer. All females and youngsters.

Fallow Deer.

Red Deer.

Also, a few Redwing were about. The redwing is a common winter visitor and is the UK’s smallest true thrush. Its creamy strip above the eye and orange-red flank patches make it distinctive. Rare in summer with under 20 pairs but in the winter the influx of some 8.6 million birds!

Winter arrivals.

/ Andy Finnegan / 6 Comments

Sanderling numbers have started to increase on our coast as we move to the colder months. Over 60 were resting at high tide today. I always find them a joy to watch so I sit on the shingle they continue their routine and slowly come very close.

For me, these little birds’ arrival from their summer breeding grounds on the far Arctic tundra is a signal that we are moving into our winter. The terns have gone south but the Sanderlings have arrived.