Bird Meeting at Seaview

19th January at Seaview . Five members meet on a cold overcast morning in Bluett Avenue for a short sea watch, visit to Hersey Reserve and then a circular walk up Oakhill, along footpaths back to our cars. The tide was high but the only sea ducks observed were two Great Crested Grebe, Cormorant were about as were Black-headed Gull, Common Gull and Herring Gull. On the shingle there were 10 Sanderling and five Ringed Plover later joined by a further five. At Hersey Reserve we saw four Little Grebe, two Cormorant fishing, Mallard, Coot, Moorhen, seven Shoveler (three pairs plus one male had an additional female in tow), a Greenshank, two Grey Heron, and besides the same gulls seen on the Solent and beach we also saw three Mediterranean Gull. As we were leaving the reserve we spotted a Kingfisher just flying away from the sluice. Further along the beach we saw 21 Oystercatcher. On a field beside Nettlestone Hill we counted at least 180 Barnacle Geese and with them one Snow Goose and a Swan-necked Goose. Towards the end of our walk we could hear two Great Spotted Woodpeckers drumming and we located them in a field beside the footpath and also could hear a fainter drumming which presumably was another bird. During the walk 43 species of bird were recorded and one Red Squirrel which was at the Westbrook  Urban Saints Centre. Jackie Hart

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