5th September - Oxey Marsh to Normandy Marsh, Hampshire

Before we walked around to Normandy we decided to check the lagoons on Oxey, but stopped on the south side of the Oxey Lake where the low water was providing ideal feeding for waders.  There were good numbers of Redshank and at first two Greenshank.  There was exposed algae and sea weed and the Greenshank were feeding around the edge of the green weed.

A Greenshank and the Redshank, showing off the difference primarily the leg colour between the two.

A nice reflection in the water.

Once again the two waders together.

Some nice reflections in the shallow water.

Then two became three, not sure where the third bird arrived from.

Some symmetry from the Greenshanks while feeding.

Note the difference in plumage, the right hand bird showing the silver grey winter plumage, which is an adult bird.  The left hand bird has white fringes to the feathers and a darker plumage and this is a juvenile bird from this year.

Then a fourth bird flew in to join the three.

Satisfied we had enough photographs of the Greenshank we walked back around to Salterns and Eight Acre Pond.  This Redshank had us hoping it was something else, but it was a Common Redshank.

The Little Egrets were still feeding in the water and the dark water was providing some nice backgrounds and some reflections.

We had seen a few Clouded Yellows and strangely the majority of these were of the 'helice' sub species, but they never stopped for a photograph.

Walking on to Normandy it was quiet and as we approached Normandy Marsh the lagoon looked empty.  There were a few Greenshank at the far side of the marsh, and a few Redshank.  We walked around the sea wall to the south side and amongst two Redshank was a single Curlew Sandpiper.  This one a juvenile bird.

It came across the water and then fed just below us close to the shore.

The peachy flush on the breast indicative of the juvenile plumage.

The Curlew Sandpiper then decided to hide form us so we decided to walk to the east side of the lagoon and to use the bench for lunch.  The marsh on the east side was covered in the reddish Glasswort and in amongst tit were a Lapwing.

And a juvenile Ringed Plover.

As we walked back along the southern side of the marsh Ian picked up a wader that dropped down into the same area as the Curlew Sandpiper was seen in earlier.  As we got closer we could see that it was a Knot.

Slightly larger than a Dunlin and just the Curlew Sandpiper, they are grey at this time of year and appear a quite plain, medium sized wader with a rather dumpy appearance.

It moved around the vegetation and when it came back into view the one had become two!

The Curlew Sandpiper was still present, but this time feeding around the rocks and pebbles of the spit in the lagoon.

It looks a very delicate looking wader.

The Knot were then relocated, this time snoozing amongst the rocks.  Knot number one.

Knot number two.

Both Knot together.

Walking back the only wader seen was a Ringed Plover.  It was quite remarkable that on a lagoon that appeared to be completely devoid of birds we managed to see a Curlew Sandpiper and Knot.  A great day, there wasn't the quantity of birds that you would expect to see around the reserve, but the quality for the day was really up there with some other big days here.  Well worth the visit.