I spent a couple of lovely mornings at Pennington Marsh on 30th November and 1st December, the weather was superb with clear blue skies and not a breath of wind. The marshes were frozen and so the birds were gathered around areas of water free of ice. It was the usual range of species with high numbers of
Brent Goose,
Wigeon,
Pintail and
Teal. Six Ruff were scattered around the Efford Lagoon, Butts Lagoon and Jetty Lagoon area. Offshore numbers of duck appear to be very low with only six
Red-breasted Merganser and 11
Eider recorded. Numbers of
Knot and
Bar-tailed Godwit seem particularly high at the site this winter with over 300 of the former and 120 of the latter - these numbers are approximately double the numbers usually recorded at the site. Conversely, numbers of
Black-tailed Godwit are currently very low at the site with only 10 recorded on both days, normally there are several hundred birds here.
Brent Goose - Pennington Marsh
Brent Goose - Pennington Marsh
Lapwing - Pennington Marsh
Canada Goose - Pennington Marsh
Teal - Pennington Marsh
Pintail - Pennington Marsh
Canada Goose - Pennington Marsh
Teal, Wigeon and Pintail - Pennington Marsh
Turnstone - Pennington Marsh
Wigeon - Pennington Marsh
Wigeon - Pennington Marsh
A short visit to Denny Wood on the 1st December produced large numbers of Redwing plus Raven and Marsh Tit but it was remarkably quiet in the frosty conditions.
New Forest Pony - Denny Wood
Bishop's Dyke
