Hampshire (1 Viewer)

[skatebirder]

Finches in Romsey

A look around the park at the end of Mercer Way in Romsey this morning gave me good views of lots of finches:
Greenfinch
Chaffinch
Siskin 3+
Brambling 1
Bullfinch 2+
Hawfinch 2+
(no Goldfinch, strangely enough)

One Hawfinch obligingly stayed perched low in a bush as I approached - the other 1 or 2 were fleetingly glimpsed mid-bush.

David

 

[scary-canary]

Hadn't realised what a nice spot Eyeworth pond is. At least 12 mandarins there this afternoon. Does anyone know how they got there?

 

[skatebirder]

Hadn't realised what a nice spot Eyeworth pond is. At least 12 mandarins there this afternoon. Does anyone know how they got there?

Flew in from China...?

"Birds of Hampshire" records Mandarins in the New Forest since 1961, with breeding occurring from the early 1980s and the species, by 1991, being "widespread along the woodland streams in the centre and east of the Forest..."
Eyeworth is the easiest place to see them (and a nice place too, as you say - good for an early Redstart in a few weeks), although I have also seen Mandarins around Denny Wood (flying out of a tree hole!).

David

 

[teamsaint]

They seem very much at home in the forest and are actually surprisingly common in the rest of Hampshire. I think because of the habitat they encounter and that they nest in tree-holes they can go unnoticed.

It seems as though Eyeworth as been without Goosanders this winter which is a shame. Has anyone seen them there? I've only checked once

 

[amh2029]

Fair selection of birds along Lymington - Keyhaven coastline today, including:
Cettis Warbler
Spotted Redshank x3
Marsh Harrier
Peregrine
Eider
Water Pipit (lifer surprisingly)
Mystery wader which I thought might have been a Ruff (?) but really had me stumped (anyone else see an odd wader at fishtail lagoon?)
Goldeneye x5+
Med Gull
Slavonian Grebe x2 (off the pier)

Definitely worth the £5 train ticket!

 

[scary-canary]

LRP in front of the hide at Blashford this morning, on a small island.

 

[teamsaint]

Was well please to find and see very well a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker on Baddesley Common this morning. Felt more like and Ivory-billed!

Also my first Swallow of the year near Oliver's Battery.

 

[John P]

Mystery wader which I thought might have been a Ruff (?) but really had me stumped (anyone else see an odd wader at fishtail lagoon?)

There was a completely standard Ruff on Fishtail on Sunday (and Monday and Tuesday too), nothing odd about it.

 

[StrikingSlug]

Took a walk around Farlington yesterady afternoon. Lots of standard stuff (Godwits, Redshanks, Shovellers, Shelducks, Teal, Wigeon etc) but the day was boosted by my first UK Spoonbill. It was feeding on the Deeps on the east side of the marsh.

Richard

 

[pdwinter]

Domestic duties curtailed birding today but I did manage to see a Sandwich Tern flying east along Hayling seafront and two Avocets on the south scrape at Titchfield c.18:30 (had to stand on the bench at the viewing area !)

Good birding

 

[John P]

One Wheatear at Barton a.m. and 5 Willow Warblers flycatching over a pond on the golf course. No sign of the SEO's (from 8.00- 10.00).

Little Gull on Fishtail this afternoon, Two LRP and a reclusive Water Pipit still on there, a couple of Sandwich Terns passed through earlier.

 

[Deer Stalker]

Redstarts now singing in the New Forest.

 

[pdwinter]

Shatterford/Denny Wood 09/04/09

Had a short circular walk this afternoon which proved to be excellent. 2 Crossbills by the Shatterford railway bridge, a male Lesser Spot and a pair of Redstarts just north of Denny Lodge Inclosure and, best of all, a male Ring Ouzel just off the SE corner of Denny Wood at c.SU337052 around 5pm.

 

[teamsaint]

There's a White-throated Sparrow at Old Winchester Hill today

 

[Deer Stalker]

Three Cuckoos on the Forest today, other highlights were Ravens, Hawfinches, Woodlark, Firecrest, Tree Pipits & Kingfisher.

 

[teamsaint]

Saw lots of Redstarts at Denny Wood + Cuckoos, Crossbills, Woodlark and Curlews. Thought I heard a Lesser Spot drumming briefly as well but wasn't sure.

 

[teamsaint]

A good morning at Highland Water, Firecrest, Redstart, Cuckoo, my 1st Tree Pipit of the season, Grey Wagtail, Marsh Tit, Siskin, Tawny Owl, Bullfinches lots of Treecreepers. Also 3 Canada Geese flying over was unusual

 

[teamsaint]

Does anyone know if all the Redstarts in the NF at the moment are a mixture of migrants and breeders because it seems there are more in April than later in the rest of the spring.

 

[birder of the south]

A good day out today! Didn't start late due to the Grand prix lol but non the less managed to see a male Ring Ouzel at Beacon Hill along with about 5 Red Kites. Then having only seen Two Stone Curlew's in Hants at any one time went to an undisclosed site and had a superb 7 individuals some of which were displaying and calling.

 

[Deer Stalker]

Two Wheatears at Wilverley in the New Forest this evening.