24th October 2021-Lymington
We were back here today after coming two weekends ago coming to the Normandy lagoon part of the Lymington-Keyhaven nature reserve but this time walking down to the Oxey bit of the reserve in pursuit of some bird targets for our year list which had been reported which we didn’t see. But just like the visit two weeks ago on the October “Big Day” in Global Bird Weekend I was counting birds as from 23rd-31st October the Great Solent Birdwatch is upon us. Much like the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch it’s an hour of looking at birds and counting them then submitting the highest amount of each species you saw at any one time during the hour to Bird Aware Solent at the Solent coast. https://birdaware.org/solent/great-solent-birdwatch/
I did this survey a couple of times in 2019 and really enjoyed it but last year we didn’t go to the coast during it. So I may or may not do more counts next weekend, I won’t be at the coast during my working week. Today I really enjoyed once more not only observing birds at this location I adore but counting them to be able to feel what there were a lot of and I was proud to count 33 different species of all kinds with a lot of certain ones. It was once again the perfect place to do this with the sheer variety of bird life around at this splendid reserve. If anyone is interested in my wildlife sightings summary today below I have put in brackets the maximum amount of each species I saw during the Big Solent Birdwatch part of the walk for those I saw within it.
I took the first three pictures in this photoset and sixth of views here today. It was overcast for most of the walk a little bit of sun did try to poke through with rain coming on towards the end and as we walked when the shower was coming in Hurst Castle and the Isle of Wight prominent landscape features whenever we walk at this beautiful site were only just visible I tweeted a photo showing that on Dans_Pictures.Â
Whilst looking at the initial few species around the Normandy lagoon area we were thrilled to spot a seal’s head in the water poking up periodically. A Common Seal or a Harbour Seal which is fairly regular sighting here and we had seen here before we saw it on the way back on our walk too. This was my first of the year which was brilliant to see and added well to another strong year of mammals. It takes my mammal year list to 17 leveling last year’s total and making it my joint second highest ever mammal year list just one behind 2019 my highest. With my butterfly year list this year already level with how many I saw in 2019 to be my joint highest ever and dragonfly and damselfly year list only one behind that year 2019 where I saw my highest on all the year lists I keep it shows what a pleasing year I have had for seeing species this year. I am still not really used to seeing seals on the Hampshire coast they were for so long a species we would only see on holidays to places like Pembrokeshire and Northumberland and others but between here and Farlington Marshes since 2019 we have seen some which has been amazing.
Michaelmas daisies and sea aster made pretty purple sights again on the walk at this top area for them I especially enjoyed when in a bit of the walk down a bank walking directly beside some water one of the few bits a bit of sea aster which wasn’t blown by the wind, I took a photo of this the fourth in this photoset. I also took a photo of a nice mushroom the fifth in this photoset one of two of its kind which caught my eye that looked nice. There were also hawksbeard type flowers and buttercups on the walk again.
As we walked on we saw some star birds this afternoon which were included in my Great Solent Birdwatch count. Redshank and Greenshank both were around a lot today Greenshank I am having a brilliant year and autumn generally and here my best ever I am sure we saw loads when nearly back at the car too on Normandy lagoon which was special probably the most I’ve ever seen at once before. A Bar-tailed Godwit was around too another I am seeing a lot of at this reserve lately with top views of Black-tailed Godwit too which I took the seventh picture in this photoset of. Alongside the many Great Created Grebes we saw just offshore which I enjoyed were three Eiders a top bird of this reserve so it was great to see them my 100th bird of the year back in January I’ve had a good year for them. A Herring Gull sat on the water interacted with them interestingly.
Later on a Peregrine prominently soared over a lagoon that I saw the Teal in the ninth picture in this photoset nicely on I am having a great year for Peregrines here too. This raptor brought up two Curlews which was great to see a precious species as well as alarmed Black-headed Gulls and Little Egrets one I saw a lot of today I took the eighth picture in this photoset of one. After yesterday’s Radipole Lake Cattle Egret fest we did something possibly unprecedented for us and made it three egret species in a weekend when as a kind person we spoke to had said on the way there was a large Great White Egret lurked in the lagoon we turned back before just before the end of my count for the Great Solent Birdwatch. A stunning sight, this may have been the same one but it’s amazing to think I’d not seen a Great White Egret at this reserve before this year but on three visits in this late summer and autumn period I have seen one so it’s good to be seeing them here. I took the tenth and final picture in this photoset of it. Not only seeing the three egret species but photographing them all which is quite notable to me with their relative the Grey Heron featuring well today and yesterday too so it was quite exciting.Â
When home this afternoon it was lovely to see colourful Goldfinches on the balcony getting an intimate view as they fed there I’ve not seen any there lately, and Pied Wagtails which I am excited by their return were ones I saw fly over the house before we left. A phenomenal weekend of birds and more and one that will stick with me comes to an end, I hope you all have a good new week.
Wildlife Sightings Summary: My first Common Seal of the year, six of my favourite birds the Little Egret (2), Great White Egret (1), Great Created Grebe (3), Shelduck (1), Peregrine Falcon (1) and Brent Goose (15), Cormorant (3), Grey Heron (1), Black-headed Gull (2), Herring Gull (1), Little Grebe (2), Shoveler (4), Teal (15), Mallard (4), Eider Duck (3), Canada Goose, Lapwing (15), Oystercatcher (3), Curlew (2), Redshank (3), Greenshank (1), Dunlin (1), Turnstone (3), Black-tailed Godwit (2), Bar-tailed Godwit (2), Carrion Crow (2), Magpie (1), Kestrel (1), Feral Pigeon (1), Woodpigeon (1), Starling (10), Song Thrush (1), Meadow Pipit (5) and Stonechat (1).
*( ) = Maximum amount of this species seen during my Great Solent Birdwatch here this afternoon
