While at our cottage in Cowley, Cheltenham with Trevor and Julie Codlin, news of a
Marsh Sandpiper at Pennington Marsh broke as we were relaxing in the garden with a cup of tea. It was not long before Trevor and I hatched a plan to head down and see the bird. So, after tidying the house, loading the cars and saying our farewells to wife's we set off on the two hour drive. The drive went well although, as was expected, it was slow going when we reached the New Forest. Parking in the carpark at Lower Pennington Lane, it was not long before Trevor and I were enjoying good views of this adult summer bird as it fed daintly on the pools to the rear of Fishtail Lagoon. While scope views were good there was a lot of heat haze and my photographs are fairly rubbish. Also here were four
Avocet, three
Spoonbill,
Peregrine and nine
Eider. The Marsh Sandpiper was last reported at 21:00, come the 11th June the bird had departed.
There are 140 accepted British records of Marsh Sandpiper and four Hampshire records as follows:
- 28th July 2006 - Farlington Marshes
- 28th July to 4th August 1983 - Pennington Marshes
- 5th to 11th July 1977 - Farlington Marshes
- 27th to 28th June 1976 - Farlington Marshes
Marsh Sandpiper - Pennington Marsh, Hampshire
Marsh Sandpiper - Pennington Marsh, Hampshire
Marsh Sandpiper - Pennington Marsh, Hampshire
Marsh Sandpiper - Pennington Marsh, Hampshire
Fishtail Lagoon, Pennington Marsh - The Marsh Sandpiper was feeding on the small pool at the rear of the main lagoon
