Trip reports

Needs Ore Point, Minibus Trip - Saturday 8th August

Saturday, 8 August 2009

Sun, yes we had plenty of it on our trip to Needs Ore Point National Nature Reserve on Saturday 8th August. It was a glorious day - sun cream and sun hats were the order of the day!

Sea, well, we had the Beaulieu river on one side and the Solent on the other with plenty of colourful yachts and motorboats to make a wonderful scene.

Birdspotting - we saw buzzards, spotted redshank, whitethroat, marsh harrier, whimbrel (really nice views) and many more (see complete list at the end).

Needs Ore Point National Nature Reserve is fabulous, and a part of the Beaulieu Estate. The former warden, Bryan Pinchen was our guide for the day and kept us going with his amusing quips, tales of his time as a warden and his wealth of knowledge of the natural world. As he is also an entomologist he was able to give us a lot of information about the insect world, showing us a large, colourful and voracious predatory Harlequin ladybird, a species that has recently colonised our shores. We were also able to take close up pictures of a juvenile smooth newt that he found resting up under a log, and he introduced us to a grey bush cricket and singing Roessel's bush crickets, which are both coastal grassland specialists.

All in all a very enjoyable day with thanks to Steve for driving a group of us there and back.


Species recorded - Little Grebe, Cormorant, Little Egret, Grey Heron, Canada Goose, Shelduck, Wigeon, Mallard, Gadwall, Teal, Tufted Duck, Marsh Harrier, Buzzard, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk (Bryan only), Hobby, Red-legged Partridge, Pheasant, Moorhen, Coot, Ringed Plover, Grey Plover (1 overflying), Lapwing, Dunlin, Curlew, Whimbrel, Black-tailed Godwit, Redshank, Spotted Redshank, Greenshank, Mediterranean Gull, Black headed Gull, Common Gull, Herring Gull, Great Black Backed Gull, Sandwich Tern, Woodpigeon, Stock Dove, Collared Dove, Swift (2 overflying at height), Green Woodpecker (h), Sand Martin, Swallow, House Martin, Meadow Pipit, Pied Wagtail, Wren(h), Robin(h), Dunnock, Wheatear, Blackbird, Common Whitethroat, Sedge Warbler, Chiffchaff, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long tailed Tit, Starling, Jackdaw, Rook, Crow, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Linnet, Reed Bunting.

Reported by Jenny Edmett