Trip reports
KEYHAVEN SATURDAY MAY 19TH 2007
Saturday, 19 May 2007
A very breezy, bright day, temperatures eventually rising to 18 C by mid afternoon. The wind made it hard to spot small birds, and the reflection off the sea in the morning made it difficult to look out into the Solent. The best birding was had looking into the various pools behind the sea wall, where fishing Little and Common Terns gave superb views. Probably the most surprising sight was of 2 Spoonbills, initially on Pennington Flashes, then in flight westbound. On the advice of the Ranger, we walked beyond our normal lunch stop around Oaksey bay to try and spot Mediterranean Gulls and a Black-throated Diver that had been lingering in the area. Unfortunately neither showed. Nevertheless, better views of Eiders and a GC Grebe on the sea were enjoyed in the now better light, and several passing Sandwich Terns were added.
We returned to the vehicles at 4 pm, enjoying 2 Wall Brown butterflies on the track.
GC Grebe, Cormorant, Little Egret, Grey Heron (tackling a large eel), Spoonbill, Mute Swan, Canada Goose, Shelduck, Wigeon (1 female), Mallard, Tufted Duck, Eider, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, Buzzard, Peregrine, Moorhen, Coot, Oystercatcher, Lapwing (including 1 chick), Turnstone, Dunlin (5 in breeding plumage ), Curlew (3 males), Redshank, BH Gull, Herring Gull, GBB Gull, LBB Gull, Sandwich Tern, Common Tern, Little Tern, Wood Pigeon, Swift, Skylark, Sand Martin, Swallow, House Martin, Meadow Pipit, Wren, Dunnock, Robin, Stonechat, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Sedge Warbler (h), Reed Warbler (h), Whitethroat, Blackcap (h), Blue Tit, Great Tit, Starling, Magpie, Crow, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Linnet, Reed Bunting, Cetti's Warbler (h). (59 species, h = heard)
Reported by Steve Oakes