A cold and frosty morning at the coast this morning at 10.30 am but most people appear to be at home!
Teal
Lapwing.
Thin ice.
#Tichfield Haven Nature Reserve
Lines on the water.
A cold bright morning Great Crested Grebe and a Shoveler Duck on calm water.
Reed Bunting {female}.
Just a glimpse in the reeds this morning a bit of brightness on a dull day.
Bearded Tit.
They are small brown, long-tailed birds, a bird of the reedbeds. Males have black ‘moustaches’.They are sociable and have a noisy, call.
With modern thinking – scientists have decided this is not actually related to the tit family. It was removed from the tit family and instead placed in the parrotbills, before further research revealed it belonged alone in its own family, “Panuridae”.
Now known as Bearded reedling or Bearded Parrotbill but to me, I will stick with what I know them as!
Thursday morning I was lucky to spot a flock of 16 birds at Titchfield Haven. They were some way off but I was able to capture some acceptable images of these pretty birds.
Male.
Female
Shoveler.
The northern shoveler, known in Britain as the Shoveler. The UK has around 1,100 breeding pairs of this duck but wintering numbers increase to nearly 20,000 birds. Last week there were a few birds in Titchfield Haven nature reserve today the numbers have increased – I counted at least 30 birds.
Thinking of fish.
Some views of a Grey Heron.
I thought this photograph gives a good chance to see the size of the Grey Heron with a Little Egret.
Return of the Snipe.
The numbers of Snipe have started to increase as we approach winter. In winter, birds from northern Europe join our resident birds. The RSPB states there are around 80,000 breeding pairs of these birds in the UK this numbers increase to over 1 million birds.
Around the water hole.
Around a small pond, a lot of Dragonflies (Common Darters) were mating and dipping. It seems late in the year so I wonder if this is because of the drought we had in the summer and the loss of egg-laying water at that time.
In the above picture there a 10 Dragonflies this was just a small amount of the actual there!
Ibis.
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.
Statistics
Length: 55-65cm
Wingspan: 88-105cm
Weight: 630g
Views from the bridge.
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.
Continued Reflections from my World. 