Vectis Birder
Itchy feet
As I am originally from the Isle of Wight (moving to Southampton earlier this year to enhance my admittedly dim(!) job prospects), and I have found no posts in the Isle of Wight section, I think I should redress the balance!
My favourite locations for birding on the Island are as follows:
Ventnor Down: A superb location where you have views of the entire Island as well as over to Southampton Water and Portsmouth. There is plentiful parking there as well as an access road.
Species present include most common species, and is a productive spot during the spring and autumn migration seasons.
St Catherine's Point: There is a lighthouse here, and it is a superb spot for seawatching and finding migrants at the right time of year
Ryde: Excellent for Brent Geese, various wader species and sea ducks during the winter, as well as different gull species. A Ring Billed Gull made Ryde Boating Lake its home for a few winters, but disappeared a few years ago and never returned.
The local society is the Isle of Wight Ornithological Group which costs £10 a year to join and which produces a newsletter and organises bird watching walks every month.
There is also an RSPB members' group.
There are many other birding spots as well as those I have mentioned above. The Isle of Wight is pretty much underwatched by mainland birders, but does have a thriving local birding scene, from those who enjoy watching the commoner birds in their gardens, through those who like going out on a fairly casual basis, right up to the twitching fraternity. I guess I would describe myself as all three, as I enjoy all birding activities! There have been large twitches on the IoW within the last ten years, two of which I have attended myself.
My favourite locations for birding on the Island are as follows:
Ventnor Down: A superb location where you have views of the entire Island as well as over to Southampton Water and Portsmouth. There is plentiful parking there as well as an access road.
Species present include most common species, and is a productive spot during the spring and autumn migration seasons.
St Catherine's Point: There is a lighthouse here, and it is a superb spot for seawatching and finding migrants at the right time of year
Ryde: Excellent for Brent Geese, various wader species and sea ducks during the winter, as well as different gull species. A Ring Billed Gull made Ryde Boating Lake its home for a few winters, but disappeared a few years ago and never returned.
The local society is the Isle of Wight Ornithological Group which costs £10 a year to join and which produces a newsletter and organises bird watching walks every month.
There is also an RSPB members' group.
There are many other birding spots as well as those I have mentioned above. The Isle of Wight is pretty much underwatched by mainland birders, but does have a thriving local birding scene, from those who enjoy watching the commoner birds in their gardens, through those who like going out on a fairly casual basis, right up to the twitching fraternity. I guess I would describe myself as all three, as I enjoy all birding activities! There have been large twitches on the IoW within the last ten years, two of which I have attended myself.
