Langstone Harbour

Address: RSPB, Basepoint, Harts Farm Way, Havant PO9 1HS

Grid ref: SU717029

See our reserves Covid-19 updates page for which sites are open and other important details.

A diverse landscape of tidal mudflats, saltmarsh, seagrass meadows and shingle; Langstone Harbour is home to an internationally important number of breeding seabirds and overwintering wildfowl. The scenery and wildlife can be enjoyed up close at the old Oysterbed lagoons on the Hayling Island shoreline. Nearby, the offshore, wildlife only parts of the reserve can be viewed at a safe distance from the harbour’s circumnavigating coastal paths.

Plan your visit

The reserve can be viewed at any time.

Free entrance to RSPB members: Yes

Adults: Free

Children: Free

Facilities

Accessibility

How to get here

By train

The nearest railway station is in Havant.

By bus

The nearest bus stops are in the north of Hayling Island served by the number 30 and 31 buses.

By bike

The RSPB managed former Oysterbed lagoons on Hayling Island are located on the Hayling Billy Coastal Path, a 10 mile cycle path and walkway starting at Havant which hugs the eastern side of Langstone Harbour.

By road

There are two small free public carparks on the North West Hayling Island shoreline which can be accessed directly from the A3023 Havant Road (postcode PO11 0LG). The old Oysterbed lagoons are just a short walk from both of these.

Sat nav POI file: If you have a satellite navigation system that can accept POI files, please see our POI page for a download link and instructions.

Other ways to get there

Small boats may use the landing area on Long Island (grid ref: SU704037) in daylight hours at high tide. Please note, access to the other offshore islands is prohibited due to the serious negative impact this would have on the breeding and roosting birds which use them.

Get directions from Google Maps

RSPB reserves on Google Earth

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Contact Langstone Harbour

RSPB, Basepoint, Harts Farm Way, Havant PO9 1HS
langstone.harbour@rspb.org.uk
01273 775333

What will you see?

Our star species

Black-tailed godwit

Flocks of black-tailed godwits can be seen in the harbour in spring and on their return in autumn.

Brent goose

Flocks of brent geese come to feed and roost in the harbour in winter and stay well into spring.

Dunlin

Watch out for breeding-plumaged dunlins with black bellies during spring.

Little tern

As their name suggests, little terns are the smallest of the British terns and nest colonially on the islands.

Mediterranean gull

Visit in spring to see smart Mediterranean gulls laying eggs and feeding their young on the islands.

In early March, black-headed gulls begin to court and stake territories throughout the harbours shingle islands whilst Mediterranean gulls usually form courting roosts at the old Oysterbeds before dispersing to breed elsewhere. Common terns, sandwich terns and little terns arrive back from migration in March/April and they can be seen fishing throughout the harbour’s lagoons and shoreline.

Seabird summer echoes throughout the harbour in May, June and July with young black-headed gulls and common terns visible up close at the old Oysterbed lagoons. Meanwhile, sandwich terns, little terns and Mediterranean gulls breeding in the more sensitive, no access, offshore parts of the reserve start to bring their young on feeding expeditions in late June and can be seen roosting along the harbour’s shore.

September is a good month for seeing osprey in the harbour. Whimbrel, grey plover and others can usually be seen on passage and crowds of dunlin are busy feeding at low tide. By mid-October, the dark-bellied brent geese numbers are rising as they return from Siberia, hopefully with many young.

The best time for seeing the harbours wintering wildfowl and wader population. If you visit the old Oysterbed lagoons at high tide, dense flocks of waders can be seen roosting on the islets, often swirling around in formation in response to passing birds of prey. Many species of duck can be seen feeding around the harbours shore.

About Langstone Harbour

Habitat

Habitats at Langstone Harbour include isolated shingle and salt marsh islands surrounded by intertidal mudflats and seagrass meadows.

Conservation

The management of the RSPB Langstone Harbour reserve focuses on providing the best possible home for its host of breeding seabirds, wintering wildfowl and waders. Principle recent projects have been the EU Interreg funded Little Tern habitat restoration (2012-2015) and the EU Life funded Little Tern project (2015-2018). The successfully completed aims of these were to first partially restore and then maintain the tern nesting habitat within the harbour.

During 2017, an experimental (and extremely successful) Tern Nesting raft was placed at the West Hayling Oysterbeds with funding from EU Life and the Hampshire Ornithological Society. The regular conservation work on the reserve includes preparing the habitat pre breeding season each spring, intensive breeding colony monitoring, maintaining the offshore islands free of disturbance, adding to scientific studies and public engagement.

Partners

We would like to thank The John Young Charitable Settlement and the Environment Agency for regularly supporting work at RSPB Langstone Harbour.

We are also grateful for support from the Heritage Lottery Fund, Veolia Environmental Trust through the Landfill Community Fund and Interreg 4A Cross Channel Panache funding towards habitat improvements for nesting little terns and community engagement within the Borough of Havant.

More recently the work has been supported by the LIFE financial instrument of the European Union through Natura 2000, specifically its Little Tern Recovery Project.

Site information

On Hayling Island, the RSPB manages the old Oysterbed lagoons at the West Hayling Local Nature Reserve (owned by Havant Borough Council) for its amazing breeding seabird and wintering bird populations. Public access here is via the Hayling Billy Coastal Path and adjoining small paths giving close views of the wildlife.

The main RSPB reserve in the centre of the harbour is comprised of several offshore shingle and saltmarsh islands. Due to the sensitive nature of the site, only the southern tip of Long Island is open to the public (a boat is required - see 'How to get here' section for more details).

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