December 19, 2006
Saturday 16th December
MILFORD ON SEA TO HURST CASTLE
It was a glorious morning after a slight frost early on, so we drove down through the Forest to Milford on Sea, where from the sea front car park we walked out to Hurst Castle and back.
We saw most of the usual waders, including Turnstones, Redshank, Black-tailed Godwits, Oystercatcher, Grey Plover, Dunlin, Curlew and Greenshank. As well as waders there were Brent Geese, Red-breasted Mergansers, Rock and Meadow Pipits and a Red-throated Diver which flew west past the castle. A Mediterranean Gull was flying around the car park at Milford when we arrived back at the car.
Photo opportunities were very few, everything was too far away for the digital slr, but I feel bound to post some photos!
Cormorant
Kestrel
BLACKWATER ARBORETUM
On the drive home we called in at the Arboretum at Blackwater to see if the Hawfinches were coming in to roost in the conifers. They were, and were very easy to see, but not that easy to count, but we reckoned that there were at least six of them.
There were a good selection of other woodland birds, Green, Greater-spotted and thanks to a fellow birder, a Lesser-spotted, Woodpeckers, Siskins, Treecreeper, and a very vocal Tit flock. A Crow was noisily harrassing a small raptor all around the arboretum which eventually settled in a tall conifer, it proved to be a Merlin.
My photo of the Lesser-spot is definitely for record purposes only.
