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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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|
Spotted Redshank
©
Richard Smith
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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
