Our next field meeting is on Thursday 31st March, Julia and Andrea lead this General Interest walk at Puttles Bridge setting off from the car park at 10am.
Grid ref: SU 271029
Three words:
decide.hides.rejects
Our next field meeting is on Thursday 31st March, Julia and Andrea lead this General Interest walk at Puttles Bridge setting off from the car park at 10am.
Grid ref: SU 271029
Three words:
decide.hides.rejects
Birding Around The World's Remote Islands
by Keith Betton
Tuesday 22 March 2022 at 7.15pm, via Zoom. This will conclude our 21/22 speaker programme.
Keith is Chairman and County Recorder for Hampshire Ornithological Society and, here, will explore the Atlantic Islands of Gough, Tristan and Ascension and the sub-Antarctic islands of New Zealand, amongst others.
The talk will last for approximately 60 minutes, followed by an opportunity to ask questions.
Please download Zoom if you have not already done so. Also, please ensure you have updated your zoom account as it must be no more than 9 months behind the current version.
Please try your Zoom connection prior to the evening and set your audio to OFF. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with us if you need some support.
Access the meeting on the night from 7pm onwards, when you see a short member's slideshow before Robert's introduction and Keith's talk.
This week's walk
Our next field meeting is on Thursday 17th March, Sandra and Marge lead this General Interest walk at Turf Hill setting off from the car park at 10am.
Grid ref: SU 211176
Three words: hiding.focal.waltzed
Our talk on Tuesday 08 March is in St. Thomas's Church Hall
at 7.15 p.m.
Speaker: Richard Coomber
Tonight, the speaker is our own Richard Coomber who will be talking about Wildlife Wanderings in Chile, sharing his expertise in travel and nature as well as his wonderful photography. He will take us from the Pacific Ocean up into the Andes and from the Atacama Desert south to Cape Horn.
We will, of course, continue to keep the hall well ventilated but the wearing of masks is now a personal choice.
Sue Skarstein and Glynis Payne will be in attendance from 6.50pm to accept payment from anyone wishing to purchase tickets for our 75th anniversary event on June 23rd. Cash or cheques will be accepted.
Maureen Fidkin, our Membership Secretary, will also be accepting payments on the night for membership renewal which is now due.
The nearest public car park is behind M & S
On a grey still morning, we gathered at Eling cemetery car park for a walk around Goatee Beach, Eling Church and the nearby lower reaches of Bartley Water that empties into Eling Creek through a sluice under the toll bridge. Around the car park and approach to Goatee Beach, a designated SSSI, we heard Green Woodpecker and saw large clumps of Greater Snowdrop Galanthus elwesii and the yellow flowers of Lesser Celandine.
Lesser Celandine © Claire
Kidger
We paused at the beach as the tide rose rapidly in Southampton Water and saw Oystercatcher, and Wigeon occupying the raised areas around the pylons that cross the water here. Black-headed Gull were predominant on the water and in the air, and we had distant views of Great-crested Grebe feeding mid-channel.
Wych Elm flowers © Claire Kidger |
We followed up the path into the older part of the cemetery surrounding Eling Church - this more overgrown area has been enhanced with several bird boxes, a bug hotel and Bill’s Bees - a single beehive which despite the overcast weather was quite active this morning, with pollen-laden bees coming and going. A large Yew tree was in flower and when shaken, the buds cascaded pollen into the air. Amongst the trees we saw and heard Blackbird, Great Tit, Blue Tit exploring the nest boxes, and a Collared Dove.
Bill's Bees with pollen sacks © Richard Smith |
We gathered at the end of Maiden Lane under grey skies, and a moderate to strong southerly breeze driving a few spots of rain. A small group Goldfinches foraged in the trees above us. Stopping at the northerly end of Normandy Lagoon, several Mediterranean Gulls flew above us, their characteristic call and appearance distinguishing them from the Black-headed Gulls also present, some now bearing quite pronounced black heads.
Adult Mediterranean Gull © Chris Robinson |
Approaching the lagoon, a group of Avocets fed and flew up from time to time. Feeding or roosting nearby, we noted Wigeon, Pintail, Shoveler, Canada Geese, Black-tailed Godwit, Lapwing, a few Ringed Plover and Redshank along with a couple of Greenshank feeding. Given the strength and chill of the wind, we decided to walk around Normandy lagoon with the wind at our backs. Brent Geese flew in over us and large groups of roosting Dunlin were mixed with a few Turnstones and more Back-tailed Godwits.
Avocets in flight © Chris Robinson |
Pausing to look out to sea, a large group of Oystercatchers was seen towards Aden Bank, along with Herring and Great Black-backed Gulls. Further offshore, a couple of Cormorants aired their wings, and on the lagoon, a solitary Little Egret, which turned out to not be the colour ringed oldie we had hoped for! Chris spotted a distant, and solitary female Tufted Duck as well as a single Great Crested Grebe feeding mid-channel.
Brent Geese on final approach © Chris Robinson
Grateful
to be out of the wind, we walked back towards the boatyard and watched Curlew
feeding in the fields along with Woodpigeon and a pair of Skylark briefly
perched on the fence. Further on, we found female Pheasant, Starling, Meadow
Pipit, Mallard and Moorhen. A distant Mistle Thrush sat up high on top of some
scrub and amongst the reeds we had good views of a male Reed Bunting and a
Greenfinch.
Curlew © Chris Robinson
Roe Deer © Chris Robinson |