Walk report: 05 January 2020 Keyhaven to Sturt Pond

Fourteen of us met up for the first Lym Nats walk of the decade. Beneath grey skies with little or no wind we set off from the sluice at Keyhaven to the seawall and westwards to Cut Bridge, where we followed the stream up to Sturt Pond. From the MCV hide we scanned the pond and adjacent marshes. The driving drizzle that passed through from time to time did little to dampen our spirits.

Reed Bunting

© Chris Robinson

The tide was falling and on the mud beyond the seawall feeding Curlew, Dunlin, Grey Plover, Redshank, Teal and Wigeon were noted, but there was little really out of the ordinary, unless one counts the flowering Herb Robert and Wild Carrot left over from last summer!

We enjoyed some good comparisons especially between Mediterranean and Black-headed Gulls at Sturt Pond, and also the differences between adult and juvenile Brent Geese in both the fields near Cut Bridge and from the hide at Sturt Pond. As we returned a Peregrine was perched out on the saltings offering views through the ’scopes. Back at Keyhaven a Greenshank fed on the Avon Flood and then as we reached the cars some saw a fly-by Kingfisher. RC

Mediterranean Gulls (centre)

with Black-headed Gulls

© Chris Robinson

Brent Geese - adult and 

juvenile

© Chris Robinson

A Hants Wildlife Trust (HIWWT) Walk 15 March 2020 Normandy and Oxey Marshes

Our Brian will be leading a walk for HIWWT on Sunday 15 March from 10.00 - 15.00 entitled "Bird Walk at Normandy and Oxey Marshes". Full details can be found on the Trust's website under "Events" - you need to click on the picture of the Brent Goose to get the details or click link below:

https://www.hiwwt.org.uk/events/2020-03-15-bird-walk-normandy-and-oxey-marshes

Donations from participants to HIWWT invited.

Annual Volunteer Fair 26 January 2020 Lyndhurst

This week's talk (Tuesday 14 January) and walk (Thursday 16 January)

Our first talk of the year is "Wildlife Wanderings in the Northern Isles - Shetland" by Richard Coomber, which is based on a series of visits he made in Spring and Summer. Richard is well known to us as a member of the Society and he is an accomplished photographer and naturalist.

The indoor meetings are held at The Lymington Centre (McLellan Hall) on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month and commence at 7.15pm. Visitors are always welcome for a small charge (adults £5, juniors £1).

On Thursday Richard is also our leader for a birding and general interest walk at Lepe Country Park (SZ|455984). The lower of the two carparks is partially close, so we might also have to use the upper one as well. The car park operates a Vehicle Recognition parking system, which means you pay at a booth before you leave.

We meet outside the Lookout Cafe by the lower carpark to set-off at 10:00

Walk report: 02 January 2019 High Corner

Treecreeper

© Richard Smith

On a very grey cloudy morning 17 of us set out to walk down to the High Corner Inn. From the car park there are excellent views to the west across the forest and beyond. The way to the Inn leads along the edge of the broad-leaved woodland of High Corner wood.  Polypody  was seen on Oak as well as Hard- fern in the ditches. Butcher’s Broom had both berries and some withered flowers.

The area past the Inn opens out to a sandy green and a large flock of Redwing were seen feeding on the ground where the bracken had been cut, the Holly had been stripped of berries. There were good sightings of Nuthatch and Tree Creeper, and the sandy area was well dug by Rabbits.

Badger sett

© Glynis Payne

Cladonia © Glynis Payne

Turning to walk uphill around Amberslade Bottom, we came across the bright yellow mass of jelly-like fungus of Yellow Brain which was on a small fallen branch of Oak. Then continuing on over a stream a Badger set was seen.

At the top of the hill near Broomy Lodge the track turns to lead across Broomy Plain. Along the edge of the track amongst the heather there were several patches of Cladonia portentosa, a lichen which is very fine and wire like, together with patches of Cladonia uncialis. The path here crosses the plain and is quite exposed with views all the way back to the car park, luckily for us it was not too windy. PP

Birds:- Mallard, Sparrowhawk, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Coal Tit, Nuthatch, Redwing, Chaffinch, Treecreeper, Wood Pigeon, Carrion Crow.  Blackbird, Robin, Meadow Pipit (heard), Stonechat (heard).

Fungi:- Turkeytail (Trametes versicolor), Birch Polypore (Piptoporus betulinus), Yellow Brain (Tremella mesenterica).

Lichen:- Flavoparmelia caperata ,  Oak Moss (Evernia prunastri), Cladonia portentosa, Cladonia uncialis.