Lymington to Hurst (1 Viewer)

pdwinter

Paul Winter

• Mar 14, 2009

• #1

Timed it badly today - never find HT the most productive.
Highlights

Marsh Harrier 1 male c 3pm disappeared behind the tip - don't get to see many males.

Wheatear 2 at Iley Point including a smart male.

Didn't pick out either the LRP or the poss. Ruff on Fishtail unfortunately.

Cheers

 

A

amh2029

Well-known member

• Mar 15, 2009

• #2

Must have just missed you Paul. I saw the Harrier flying West along the solent towards Hurst castle. The 'possible' ruff was a mystery bird for me. It flew onto Fishtail with some BT Godwits and didn't hang around. My initial reaction was that it was a very big, long-legged turnstone! Which sounds ridiculous until you look at the female Ruff drawings in Jonsson's Birds of Europe. Or perhaps I'd been out in the sun too long...

Didn't see the LRP either - another bogey bird for me.

Andrew

 

pdwinter

Paul Winter

• Mar 15, 2009

• #3

Never thought of a Ruff as big Turnstone before! I can see what you mean. Right time of year for one to pop in and move on - pretty scarce in Hampshire in winter now.

Saw even less today in the Keyhaven/Pennington area as the tide was up to the sea wall most of the afternoon. Did have a singing Chiffchaff near Oxey Barn and in reality did see a good variety of duck and wader species + Peregrine and Merlin. No Wheatears today.

Paul

amh2029 said:

The 'possible' ruff was a mystery bird for me. It flew onto Fishtail with some BT Godwits and didn't hang around. My initial reaction was that it was a very big, long-legged turnstone! Which sounds ridiculous until you look at the female Ruff drawings in Jonsson's Birds of Europe. Or perhaps I'd been out in the sun too long...

Didn't see the LRP either - another bogey bird for me.

Andrew

Click to expand...

 

pdwinter

Paul Winter

• Mar 21, 2009

• #4

Sightings 21/03/09

Migrants were lacking but it is only the spring equinox! I did see one of the four Little Ringed Plovers on Fishtail and 4 Med Gulls but didn't manage to catch up with the Ring-billed Gull. Spotshank showing well on Pennington Lagoon.

Good birding.

 

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A

amh2029

Well-known member

• Mar 22, 2009

• #5

Hi Paul,

Lovely day down on the coast. I got to see one of the LRPs at fishtail too on saturday - just one on the slim bit of sand/shingle. Pleased to id it as i've never seen one before - longer/slimmer tail and thinner bill than a RP. Also pleased to pick out a single bar-tailed godwit on the off-shore sandbank west of the pier off Pennington lagoon.

Cheers,

Andrew

 

skatebirder

Well-known member

• Apr 8, 2009

• #6

A quiet day...

Still more of the same at Keyhaven-Pennington today (apart from the none-appearance of Little Gull or Garganey) - 2 LRPs on Fishtail, one very nice summer plumage Water Pipit on an island on the balancing pond, a Peregrine flew in off, a summer plumage Spotted Redshank (with a winter plumage one for comparison) with 3 Greenshank. Earlier at Hurst, my first seawatch of the season produced a few Sandwich Terns, 5 or 6 Scoter and one or two distant Gannets.

David

 

jayuk

Well-known member

• Apr 8, 2009

• #7

Hi
have not been down Keyhaven for some weeks.. but love walking toward Lymington..
as i work close to there..I the Merlin still near the tip..last time i was there i got to see it hunting..and also the Kinfisher were very fast aroud the harbour..

 

skatebirder

Well-known member

• Apr 9, 2009

• #8

I didn't see any Merlin (possibly now moved on, although some stay around into April), nor did I see any Kingfishers, surprisingly.
I forgot to mention the pair of Little Owls - I always like to see these, even if they are an introduced species (talking of introduced species - I saw a Guinea Fowl in the New Forest on my way home...that definitely won't be going on my list).

 

pdwinter

Paul Winter

• Apr 9, 2009

• #9

skatebirder said:

I didn't see any Merlin (possibly now moved on, although some stay around into April), nor did I see any Kingfishers, surprisingly.
I forgot to mention the pair of Little Owls - I always like to see these, even if they are an introduced species (talking of introduced species - I saw a Guinea Fowl in the New Forest on my way home...that definitely won't be going on my list).

Click to expand...

I'm probably wrong but I think the Kingfishers will have gone to breed elsewhere by now and won't be back until July or August. I guess there might be a passage Merlin in April but they'll also have headed north to breed and will start being seen again from August onwards.

HTH

 

skatebirder

Well-known member

• Apr 16, 2009

• #10

A good morning!

This morning at Cut Bridge:
Pom Skua (pale, with spoons, came quite close)
Great Skua (not close, picked up by Marc Moody)
Gannets
Whimbrels 8
Sandwich Terns 11
Fulmars 3
Scoter 40+
Velvet Scoter 1
Wheatear
Raven
Red Throated Diver 3

Then along the Ancient Highway to Fishtail:
Whitethroat 11
Lesser Whitethroat 1
Reed Warbler 1+
Cetti's Warbler
Chiffchaff
Little Gull (adult summer, picking food off Fishtail, very close views)
Little Tern 3
Little Ringed Plover 3
Greenshank 2
Spotted Redshank 1


I always like a good day out at Keyhaven/Pennington, but this must be one of the best ever.

David