The Deskbound Birder: Pennington Marsh

Friday, 8 September 2017

Pennington Marsh - 3rd September

I had a little time on Sunday morning before I needed to do some work so on a rather cloudy and windy morning I was up early and headed down to Pennington. Walking towards Jetty Lagoon from the car park I heard a couple of Yellow Wagtail fly over and then a flock of six Spoonbill came off the lagoon and flew east. On Pennington Lagoon there were around 30 Teal and two Greenshank. The sea was pretty choppy on the rising tide and with the strong winds it was difficult to scan to sea but around 25 Common Tern and six Sandwich Tern were present.

I spent a short while scanning from Butts Lagoon but other than a small passage of Sand Martin and Swallow there was little to be seen as the waves were breaking over the last remaining areas of mudflat. On to Fishtail Lagoon it was evident that there had been an influx of ducks since my last visit with around 55 Teal and a single Pintail present. Also here were three Spotted Redshank, one juvenile and two non-breeding birds.

Onto Keyhaven Lagoon there around 175 Grey Plover on the lagoon with my first Golden Plover of the season, an adult in near summer plumage and a single juvenile Knot, also my first of the season. There were around 125 Teal and my first six Wigeon of the season and a further five Pintail.