#hook-with-warsash

Four of my favourite bird of prey photos this year; Peregrine at Durlston, Dorset in July, Buzzard at Hook-with-Warsash, Hampshire in March, Osprey at Lossiemouth, Moray in April and Short-eared Owl at Flamborough, Yorkshire in June.

30/03/2024-Views, Buzzard, Skylark, Fox and daffodil on a brilliant walk at Hook-with-Warsash on this fine and sunny day. My first Small Tortoiseshell butterfly of the year, Speckled Wood, ladybirds, my first greater stitchwort and garlic mustard of the year, lesser celandine, gorse, Mediterranean Gull, Shelduck, Little Egret, Wigeon, Ringed Plover, Curlews, Oystercatcher, Sparrowhawk, lovely Linnets and Roe Deers were other highlights with Cetti's Warbler and Chiffchaffs head, Starlings and Goldfinches enjoyed at home and my first marsh marigold of the year on the way to Hook-with-Warsash. A sensational spring day with Skylarks singing, butterflies flitting by and a host of colourful wildflowers among many uplifting sights.

Birds I often associate with Whinchats also coming through just now Wheatear, a Raven, splendid views of exotic looking Swallows flying over the fields including around cows, Stonechat, Pied Wagtail, Lesser Black-backed Gull, two ravishing Sandwich Terns over the sea and hearing Robin were other bird highlights here with a epic view of a Buzzard in a tree on the way home. Speckled Wood, Holly Blue, Meadow Brown, Small Heath and Small White were other delightful butterflies seen here with dazzling Common Darter and a hawker or two seen quickly great dragonflies seen as well. Also in the way of insects I was fascinated by a fly on a fence post and I was thrilled to find it was a robber fly something I'd heard of before. A lovely moment. Seas of chamomile again, dock, buttercup, nightshade, burdock, bindweed, white deadnettle, red deadnettle, cuckoo-pint, rose hips and bramble flower and blackberries were other key plant encounters on the walk.

Hearing the shriek and seeing the beautiful large tern the Sandwich Tern as one flew by at the end was another bird highlight of the walk, with Common Tern seen hunting far out I believe, Cormorant and Lesser Black-backed Gull other coastal highlights. Buzzard, the quirky sight of Canada Geese in a field but we soon saw there was a pond we didn't know about beside them, Goldfinches, Song Thrush, Pied Wagtails, House Martin, Woodpigeons and a Rabbit were other good birds and mammals to see. My first ever Thick-legged hoverfly and a wealth of other butterflies including Holly Blue and Comma dancing along the lane, a nice Small Heath, Meadow Brown and Gatekeeper, Large and Small White and a Common Blue with a moth and other hoverflies Marmalade and possibly Hornet Mimic I believe seen were insect highlights. Pretty nightshade, ragwort, fleabane, lady's thumb aka redshank, yarrow, knapweed, bindweed, oxtongue, burdock, buttercup and bright cuckoo-pint berries were other key plants seen on the walk.

Late Brent Geese, Mediterranean Gull, bee, sticky mouse-ear chickweed and Alexanders were other highlights today. An sensational long weekend of joy of spring and nature and relaxation.