This week's talk: 22 January 2019 The Birds and Management of Titchfield Haven by Barry Duffin

Barry Duffin was the warden of Titchfield Haven Reserve for many years and we are grateful to him for agreeing to give this talk to us. This talk will be particularly interesting ahead of our forthcoming coach trip to the reserve on 2nd May 2019. (see elsewhere on this blog for booking details etc)

Coach trip to Titchfield Haven Nature Reserve

OUTING TO TITCHFIELD HAVEN NATIONAL NATURE RESERVE Near Fareham

THURSDAY MAY 2nd 2019

We are pleased to offer this visit by coach which has two major advantages - a venue not very far away, so not too long in the coach, coupled with someone else doing the driving in a rather tedious and congested part of Hampshire. Early May should be ideal for this trip.

The Visitor Centre contains information, displays, shop, toilet facilities and a cafe offering cakes, light lunches etc. It is not possible to make bookings for the cafe and if you decide to have your midday snack there perhaps you could consider staggering this as the cafe is not large, and it will assist service. Alternatively, picnicking is permitted on the reserve where there are benches but no tables. However, the nearby sea wall has both tables and benches.

                  TIMETABLE

Depart: Town Hall Car Park, Avenue Road, Lymington                9.30 am approx

Arrive: Titchfield Haven                                                         10 45 am approx

Depart: Titchfield Haven                                                          4 00 pm  

Arrive: Lymington Town Hall                                                    5 30 pm approx

Ticket cost: £25.00 per person, which includes cost of coach travel, coach parking, coach driver’s tip and entry to Titchfield Haven Nature Reserve. It does not include any form of meal or refreshment.

                

Please note: The pricing is very tight and if you have to cancel we will not be able to make a refund of the ticket cost unless someone can be found to take your place.

For all further information please talk to or telephone, Adrian or Kay Butterworth on 01590 622587

Tickets will be issued on a first come first served basis on receipt of a cheque drawn in favour of Lymington & District Naturalists' Society.

Please use the application form below so we have your details in the unlikely event of an emergency.

………………………………. Please copy and return……………………………………………….

TITCHFIELD HAVEN NATIONAL NATURE RESERVE
THURSDAY MAY 2nd 2019

I would like to apply for           tickets at £25.00. each and enclose a cheque for £              .

drawn in favour of Lymington & District Naturalists' Society

Name                                           Ph.No     ……………………………………………….

Address ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Send application form and cheque to Adrian Butterworth at Half Acre, Marden, Rhinefield Rd
Brockenhurst, Hampshire S042 7SQ

This week's walk: 17 Jan 2019 Calshot

Sue and Geoff are leading this week's General Interest walk at Calshot (SU479013)  10a.m on Thursday. Park up the hill past the Bluebird Cafe.

Walk report: 06 January 2019 Normandy

The first Sunday bird walk of 2019 saw Brian lead a party of 12 LymNats from Maiden Lane on a morning with light cloud and a gentle breeze. On entering Normandy Lane the party was immediately challenged by a very vocal male Nuthatch giving loud piping and trilling calls from a tree top.

 

Butcher's Broom

© Richard Coomber

A grazing Roe buck was showing the early signs of new antler growth having dropped last year's antlers between mid-November and mid-December. Winter Heliotrope, its small clusters of pinkish-white flowers smelling pleasantly of vanilla. Further on Butcher's Broom, an evergreen plant carrying both flowers and bright red berries. The flowers appear directly on the surface of the spiky leaf-like structures that are actually flattened extensions of the stems called cladodes.

In the field between Normandy Lane and the Yacht Haven, south of the Pinckney Path at least two Redwings foraged on the ground with numerous Blackbirds and Robins. Others noted on this section were a fly-over Common Gull, Great Spotted Woodpecker and Long-tailed Tit.

Common Polypody

© Chris Robinson

Continuing through Lymington Yacht Haven the party followed the recently resurfaced section of the Solent Way footpath alongside Normandy Dock before taking the customary biscuit break overlooking the marina. We watched a Kingfisher during the break and also saw Linnet (10+), Reed Buntings, Jay and Pheasant in the area.

The seawall around Normandy Marsh was even busier than usual with the annual flounder competition taking place. The bird life appeared to be completely oblivious to all this activity. A potential - and likely to be unpopular with the anglers - winner of the flounder competition made a brief appearance offshore in the shape of a Common Seal.

Spotted Redshank

© Richard Smith

Small groups of Avocet scattered across Normandy Lagoon made it impossible to make an accurate count – 16 were reported on the internet. Also present in good numbers were Shelduck, Wigeon, Teal, Curlew and Dunlin. Others included: Goldfinch, Canada Goose, Dark-bellied Brent Goose, Mallard, Pintail, Shoveler, Cormorant, Little Egret, Grey Heron, Moorhen, Coot, Oystercatcher, Lapwing, Snipe, Black-tailed Godwit, Turnstone, Common Redshank, Spotted Redshank (2), Greenshank (c5), and Pied Wagtail. Far offshore, and requiring a ’scope, were a pair of Common Scoter and two Goldeneye. Distant shorebirds included Grey Plover and Knot.

The final sighting was of c5 Little Grebe on Eight Acre Pond. There were a number of notable "absentees" (any raptors, various plovers, pipits etc.), but the total was still in excess of 50 species. BM