KEYHAVEN
After work this evening we drove to Keyhaven once again. As usual we parked opposite the Gun Inn, but as there was a very strong south-easterly wind we walked the inland path as far as Pennington, returning along the sea wall.
Birds of the walk included Grey Heron, Little Egret, Shelduck, Shoveler, Pochard, Gadwall, Tufted Duck, Eider, Common, Sandwich and Little Terns, Curlew, Dunlin, Ringed Plover, Redshank, Cettis Warbler, Reed Warbler and Reed Bunting. The highlight of the walk however was a Peregrine, which we disturbed eating prey on the coast path. The lowlights were two pairs of intellectually challenged dog walkers who appeared to think it great fun for their animals to race around on the saltmarsh, one chased a female Mallard, which was trying to distract it from her ducklings. These people probably consider themselves to be normal human beings, and Fido was only playing; in my world, they're not.
On the way home through the New Forest we saw and heard both Nightjar and Woodcock, and heard a Cuckoo, still Cuckooing at dusk.
Posted by Frampton25 at June 12, 2006 08:13 PM