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 |