We set off from the Sea Road Car Park in Milford-on-Sea at
low tide; aware parts of the route to Sturt Pond are flooded at high tide. Passing through the metal gate in the far
corner of the car park we saw one of the wall rocket species and Dove’s-foot Cranesbill
in bloom.
The path took us past banks of Brambles, Common Stinging Nettles
and large stands of Hemlock Water Dropwort. By the first wooden bridge we heard
a Cetti’s Warbler.
Moving on past thick hedgerow we saw Common Mallow, Hogweed,
Salsify (spectacular seed heads and mauve flowers), white Foxgloves, Spear Thistle,
Bittersweet (Woody Nightshade), white flowered Common Comfrey and a young Robin
in a birch tree.
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| Salsify with Swollen-thighed Beetle © Chris Robinson |
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Syrphus vitripennis - a hoverfly © Chris Robinson
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After a section on pavement, the path headed towards the
reed beds. Hedge Woundwort with dark pink flowers, Honeysuckle, a fumitory, and
White Campion filled the hedgerow and a Reed Bunting was heard.
Just past a small bridge the view opened up and we studied a
beautiful metallic-green Swollen-thighed Flower Beetle on patch of Ox-eye
Daisies in the sun. Other plants identified here included Pink Oxalis (garden
escapee), Smooth Sow-thistle, Common Mallow, Purple Toadflax and Scots Pine
with numerous cones.
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| Swollen-thighed Beetle on Ox-eye Daisy © Glynis Payne |
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| Bittersweet © Richard Smith |
As we approached Sturt Pond we saw Yellow Iris, Silverweed
and Charlock in flower. A vole scurried
across the path.
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| Sturt Pond from Hurst Spit © Glynis Payne |
Along the edge of Sturt Pond we saw these plants: English Scurvygrass,
Sea Beet, Sea Mayweed, Sea Milkwort, Sea Aster, Lesser Sea-spurrey and Sea Purslane
and a variety of birds: Shelduck, Herring Gull, Black-headed Gull, two
Cormorants in flight, Gadwall, Little Egret, and Oystercatcher. On reaching the
Hurst Spit end we saw Thrift, Field Bindweed (small pink flowers), Sea
Plantain, Buck’s-horn Plantain and Common Bird’s-foot-trefoil.
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Sea Milkwort © Chris Robinson
Sea Campion © Julia Race
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We walked over the bridge turned left and took a well-used path
on the right up onto Hurst Spit. Turning left we saw Marram Grass, Rock
Samphire and Yellow Horned-poppy, both on the shingle slopes and in the shelter
of rocks. The slopes were covered with more Common Bird’s-foot-trefoil, Sea
Campion and Sea Kale in flower. We took the first main path left down to the
base of Hurst Spit and saw Common Tern in flight. Heading back towards Sturt
Pond we saw large mats of Sea Campion, with Common Orache, Frosted Orache, Wild
Carrot and Coltsfoot on the shingle bank.
By the square blocks of granite next to bridge (our coffee stop) we
found more Bittersweet, and another patch of Lesser Sea-spurrey.
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Lesser Sea Spurrey © Julia Race
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To finish the walk we retraced our steps alongside Sturt
Pond and back to the car park.
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Our route
© Crown copyright 2022 Ordnance Survey. Media 005/22.
The licence is valid until 31 December 2022. |
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