I had a few hours to spare after dropping Tobias at school and so had a quick wander around the marshes. Wandering along the Ancient Highway past Efford Lagoon there were now 42 T
ufted Duck, my highest count yet, while 25
Swallow and three
Sand Martin foraged overhead. I spent some time grilling a
Common Sandpiper to check it was not a Spotted but try as I might I couldn't string this one. Walking out past the flooded grassland at the back of Fishtail Lagoon a
Tree Pipit called overhead as it flew south and three
Yellow Wagtail headed east. The water levels at Fishtail Lagoon are high after the heavy rains of late and there were very few waders present just four
Snipe, two
Spotted Redshank and 22
Lapwing. A juvenile
Little Stint on the island in Fishtail Lagoon was my first at the site this autumn. While small numbers of
Pied Wagtail,
Meadow Pipit and a single
Wheatear fed in the grassland. Wandering out to Keyhaven Lagoon a female
Marsh Harrier quartered the marsh. I was hoping for larger numbers of wader on Keyhaven Lagoon but the high water levels meant that all that was present were two
Black-tailed Godwit and two
Spotted Redshank. However, duck numbers have climbed steeply since my last visit on 17th September and I counted 125
Teal, 225
Wigeon and 32
Pintail - all in eclipse plumage. I then wandered out past Butts Lagoon where there were six
Mediterranean Gull on the mud off the point while on Jetty Lagoon there were a further 85
Teal and single
Spotted Redshank and
Greenshank.
Little Stint - Fishtail Lagoon, Pennington Marsh
Wigeon - Fishtail Lagoon, Pennington Marsh
Little Egret - Keyhaven Lagoon, Pennington Marsh
Wigeon - Keyhaven Lagoon, Pennington Marsh
Wigeon - Keyhaven Lagoon, Pennington Marsh
Wigeon - Keyhaven Lagoon, Pennington Marsh
Pintail - Keyhaven Lagoon, Pennington Marsh
