High water (Hurst Spit) : 09.10
State of tide: mid-way between springs and neaps.
Weather: Overcast, dry and bright with very cold wind blowing straight
in from the frozen continent.
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| Pochard |
Duncan led a hardy and keen group of 9 people (including one member from Romsey) from Keyhaven in what most, if not all, of us considered
were sub-Arctic temperatures! Indeed, one member (our illustrious secretary)
wore a jacket of the type worn by the military in the Arctic!
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| Marsh Harrier |
We walked inland via the Balancing Pond, along the Ancient Highway to
the bottom of Lower Pennington Lane before heading to the sea wall and back to
Keyhaven.
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| Raven |
Our perseverance and enthusiasm was rewarded with a total of 47
species. Particular highlights were two male Pochard on the new pond north
of the eastern end of the Ancient Highway, which is a good record for our
coastal area, a female Marsh Harrier at rest and also in flight over Pennington
Marshes, close views of a Raven flying and then landing on the sea wall
near the Jetty and a group of six Spoonbills alighting on Fishtail Lagoon.
Pintail and Snipe were present in good numbers, the latter often watched feeding
out in the open.
Additionally, three Roe Deer were spotted near the Balancing Pond and
further on, lying down and sheltering from the wind on a bank on Pennington
Marshes, were two more! The only plant in flower was not surprising – Gorse!
