Monthly Archives: March 2021

Approach to Easter Weekend.

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Being a warm spring day and some of the lockdown restriction’s lifting where people from different households can meet outside along with the Easter weekend approaching lots of beach hut owners were preparing, fixing and painting their huts for the summer season.

A rather nice kite had taken to the sky.

There was lots to see around Meon shore and Titchfield harbour today. The nature reserve announced they can reopen from April 12th with timed tickets and social distancing in the bird hides.

In the harbour the male Mallards were fighting over the female birds – very intense very violent and aggressive. Hormones taking over. You can just see the poor female duck at the bottom of the pile of birds.

A lone Cormorant fishing near the harbour weir gates.

Magpie watching on.

No visit to the coast for me is complete without trying to record the Sanderlings todays pictures were mainly video’s.

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A Battle on the Beach!

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Not the best pictures due to the falling light at the end of the day but I have been observing this battle over food on the beach for a number of visits and wanted try and record some of the action.

The Sanderlings happily feed on beach – but the gulls have learnt that they can get a free meal if the watch out for a Sanderling that catches a shrimp or small fish they can not swallow in one go. Once spotted the gull will attempt to steal it.

The Sanderling will not give up his catch without a battle and will attempt and often does out fly the attacking gull.

Now with a large fish the gull will make a move.

    On this flight the Sanderling out ran the gull & disappeared up the coast the gull returned to the shoreline for another attempt. Better luck next time!

    A village on the Hamble.

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    Situated at the mouth of the River Hamble, where it enters Southampton Water is the village of Warsash. A popular sailing area, historically Warsash was known for fishing and smuggling. Nearby are a number of old Salterns (area for making salt from seawater).

    Details on the Memorial on the quayside.

    “COMBINED OPERATIONS BRITISH AND ALLIED NAVAL AND COMMANDOUNITS SAILED FROM THE HAMBLE RIVER ON THE NIGHT OF 5TH JUNE 1944 FOR THE D-DAY LANDINGS ON THE NORMANDY BEACHES 40TH ANNIVERSARY COMMEMORATION THIS MEMORIAL WAS UNVEILED BY THE COUNTESS MOUNTBATTEN OF BURMA CD JP DI ON 5TH JUNE 1984 ERECTED WITH THE AID OF DONATIONS FROM THE PEOPLE OF FAREHAM, THE FAREHAM BOROUGH COUNCIL AND THE HAMPSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL COUNCILLOR DR H.G. JERRARD MAYOR OF FAREHAM/ 1984 – 1985 FOR OUR FREEDOM”.

    Harbour Master building.

    Warsash Maritime Academy survival craft training facility. Fawley Power Station in background

      Crab pots on the beach.

      Snippets from the woods.

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      Last year (September 2020) we found a wasp nest and filmed their activity around the entrance, this was a risky task the wasps were angry and quite aggressive towards the camera. (and me on collecting it!) footage below.

      A few weeks ago we found while out walking a Wild Honey Bee’s nest. Rather than below ground like the wasps the bee’s have their nest in a hole in a tree. The bee’s are less aggressive and do not seem to be bothered by me setting up near their hole.

      Collecting a trail camera from the Buzzard feeding area gave us a surprise – on checking the film. A Tawny Owl made a short stop off on the tree trunk in front of the camera.

      1st Butterflies of spring.

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      The Brimstone  is a large, pale yellow butterfly they have distinctive, leaf-shaped wings. Adults hibernate through cold weather. They are most common in the spring and normally the 1st butterfly I spot – true to form today there were lots on the wing in the local meadows.

      Brimstone.
      last years butterflies. click above link ” brimstone” to see my old post.

      Buzzard highlights.

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      Our trail cameras were left out for a couple of days in the spot where we leave food for our local Buzzards – some 55 triggers of 2 minutes of film were recorded with most having Buzzards and Jay footage. Here are few minutes of some of the Buzzard highlights. Due to the proximity to the the motorway the background traffic sound sadly spoils the sounds of nature.