Dark Skies.

We we are just about to lockdown again with stay at home orders for Hampshire and much of the South East of England, except for work education and exercise from Boxing Day. COVID 19 increasing with this new strain causing a sharp jump in infections.

• 

Male Shoveler Duck in flight

Today effectively will be our last day of “going out” even though we are distanced from others and out in nature. From today back to local walks. Spent some time on Meon Shore and then into Titchfield Haven Nature Reserve.

Dark Skies and the light at the end of the tunnel remains there but the tunnel has just got a lot longer in my head.

• 

Male and Female Shoveler

• 

• 

The Northern Shoveler, or Shoveler, is a dabbling duck the Shovelers bill has developed a comb like structure on its edges which acts like a sieve to filter out food from the water’s surface. These birds today were feeding from under the surface of the water.

The Teal is our smallest duck here in the UK. Males are grey, with a speckled breast, a yellow-and-black tail, a chestnut-coloured head and a bright green eye patch. Females are mainly mottled brown. Both sexes show a bright green wing patch in flight.

• 

Male and Female Teal.

• 

• 

Dab Chick /Little Grebe in winter plumage. In the summer it has a bright chestnut throat and cheeks and a pale gape patch at the base of the bill. 

• 

• 

Oystercatcher. With the tide in feeding for worms and shellfish this bird has come into the reserve and was eating earthworms on the grass edges of the lagoons.

• 

• 

• 

After a traditional Fish and Chip lunch I set up my trail camera on the beach and discarded some leftover chips and waited.

Wishing all my blog followers a very happy and safe Christmas and lets hope 2021 will be better than 2020.