17th November - Keyhaven - Lymington Reserve, Hampshire

A bright, cold morning, real November weather is here at last!  With that in mind I headed to the location, where, with winter sunshine the light is superb.  I arrived at the Lower Pennington Lane after crawling along behind this

At one point it was stuck and it freed itself by allowing the trees to rip off the guttering and drain pipe.  Eventually it turned off into the Hurst View campsite.  When I finally reached the car park I was greeted with this view.

As I set off over the old tip a large flock of Golden Plover were up high over the Pennington Marsh.

As I approached Fishtail Lagoon all the duck and wader went up, I couldn't see any reason, but when I climbed up on to the sea wall the lagoon was empty with a few duck and waders at the back on the mud.

I walked west along the sea wall and came across this male Reed Bunting on the path.

With the moon in the new moon phase it was a very high spring tide and most of the salt marsh was covered.  Brent called from the sea as they swam amongst the tufts of grass.

Brent were also moving and returning to the lagoon.

I turned around at the corner to Keyhaven and coming back there were quite a few duck that had returned.  The stand out were the Pintail, looking superb in the morning sunshine.

Other duck included Wigeon, Shoveler and Teal.  Another Reed Bunting, a female this time was in the reeds at the east end of Fishtail.

The Shelduck that were out on the water started to return to the lagoons, flying overhead.

Another product of the high spring tide was the unsettled waders out on the saltmarsh in Butts Bay looking for dry land to see out the tide.  These Dunlin were frequently circling the area together in the search.

I walked around the sea wall towards the east.  On the sea were several Great Crested Grebes, but little else.  At Oxey Marsh there were some duck, this drake Shoveler enjoying the sunshine.

While this Wigeon was finding something to eat in fading Glasswort.

A little further along a Redshank was in the sunshine and reflecting nicely into the still water of the lagoon.

As I approached Moses Dock, all the waders and duck out on the marsh went up.  A result of a man and his dog trying to take a short cut from the footpath to the sea wall, needless to say he was told to go back, he wouldn't have been able to do it anyway.

On the Salterns Pond there were two Spotted Redshank close to the reeds.

Two have been seen fighting so it was nice to see these two being relatively friendly.

I walked on to Normandy Marsh, it was quiet despite the tide being high still, many of the duck having flown off after an approach by a Peregrine.  In the middle of the marsh were three Spoonbill, there had been eight but five departed as I arrived.

The five were then located out on the saltmarsh off the east end of the sea wall path.

It was very cold in the exposed areas on the sea wall the northerly wind biting for the first time this winter.  Dropping down to the lower path the sun was still surprisingly warm.  As I walked along movement in the gorse revealed a Dartford Warbler.

In between scouring the gorse for food such as small insects, spiders and I even saw it take two quite large green caterpillars, it took time out to preen while perched in the sunshine.

It seemed unconcerned about what was going on around it, cyclists and walkers on the path above and me standing watching from the lower path.  I can't recall a more confiding Dartford Warbler for some time.

Everything was inspected, the spiny leaves of the gorse, and the base of the branches.

The flowers of the gorse were also an attraction, checking inside and out.

Dartford Warblers are susceptible to bad winter weather, the mild conditions so far this winter being a blessing for them.  Their numbers have significantly increased over the last years with the prevalence of mild winters.

 

Finally the Dartford Warbler moved on and I climbed up the bank to check what was happening out to sea.  The tide was still high and away towards the east a Peregrine could be seen flying around the saltmarsh, disturbing the Curlew and Brent Geese.  The Spoonbill were also on the move, this five heading away.

There were seven birds that had returned to the lagoon and with eight out on the saltmarsh there were fifteen in total around the area.  Those on the lagoon then chose to fly out to the saltmarsh coming over the sea wall.

An immature bird with the black tips to the primaries.

This one an adult with the all white wing primaries and the orange and yellow throat patch.

The duck were now returning, large skeins of Wigeon and Teal coming onto the lagoon.  I was hoping to catch either Shoveler or Pintail in flight, the Shoveler eluded me, but the Pintail didn't let me down.

In the north west corner of Normandy Marsh a male Stonechat was fly catching from prominent posts.  This a fence post.

While this was a favourite branch to launch from.

It started to attract quite a few admirers and it prompted a question from one about whether it was a Spotted Flycatcher!

A change of background getting the gorse in.

On the other side of Eight Acre Pond a Greenshank was feeding in the shallow water created by the falling tide.

As I walked towards Salterns the tide had fallen very quickly now and Black-tailed Godwits were feeding in the shallow water of Oxey Lake.

Closer in a Grey Heron stalked one of the channels.

Walking past Salterns I noticed that the two Spotted Redshank were still present.  I decided to walk to the end of the pond and drop down to get a better view, but in doing so saw two Spoonbill in the adjacent pools feeding.  I decided on going with the Spoonbill and walked to path and then settled in alongside one of the trees.

What looks like a freshwater shrimp thrown up to eat.

A small fish, not readily identifiable.

Bothe were adult birds, note the yellow tip to the bill and throat markings.

A closer view of a small fish caught in the bill shows it to be a Three-spined Stickleback.

The afternoon light highlighting the bird so well against the dark water and reeds.

The decision to come here for a change was bourne out by the great light and the Spoonbill, Dartford Warbler and Pintail encounters, a good day in many ways.