Trip reports

NEEDS ORE POINT 25th AUGUST 2007

Saturday, 25 August 2007

At Needs Ore Point, the Group benefited once again from the enormous natural history knowledge of Bryan Pinchen who led 26 members on a gloriously warm and sunny day - one of the few of last summer! 65 bird species were recorded with highlights of the day including the fine sight of an Osprey flying by along the shore of the Solent, a Red-crested Pochard and a Mediterranean Gull at the Black Water plus a couple of Spotted Redshanks near by. Birds of the hugely vulnerable British Yellow Wagtail population are becoming increasingly difficult to see as each year passes, and to find 10 catching insects amongst the cattle on the grazing marsh were a delight to see as they prepared to leave our shores for the winter in equatorial Africa. The sudden surprise of the day however was provided by a Nightjar which flew up from amongst the gorse bushes and quickly dropped down again seeking daytime refuge deeper in the bushes.

Reported by John Vickerman