Keyhaven in the mist......

Friday 14th March 2008

One bird I always love to hear is a Cetti’s warbler.....and there always seems to be one near the reed bed at Keyhaven. Today was no exception.....I was no sooner out of the car when I heard it....sweet, sweet music to my ears. I wish I could live near a reed bed, full of cettis, reed and sedge warblers......that would be paradise for me.

Typical of the Cettis to let me hear it, but not let me see it... I went to get the binoculars to have a look for it, and that’s when I realised I had made a mistake!! I had picked up the wrong bag from home. Instead of a bag with the camera, binoculars and a few other bits and pieces.... I had picked up Ian’s work bag, with an empty coffee flask and a half eaten sarnie!!! Just as well I have a good sense of humour.....unfortunately Ian does not!!!!

So we set out in silence, to walk the sea wall to Pennington marshes, and hopefully see some birds. Five minutes later the rain started......it was going to be one of those days!! At least I had a hood on my jacket...........Poor Ian, his raincoat was in the bag, which was in our house, a forty-five minute drive away!!! Oh well, it was only a bit of drizzle so we carried on....

Despite the weather, it was a very enjoyable walk.....hardly another person in sight, just the sights and sounds of the birds....

mergansers
reed buntings
spotted redshanks
whimbrel
black-tailed godwits
shovelers (lots)
pintail
teal
mallards
oystercatchers
lapwings
great crested grebes
shelducks
curlew
meadow pipits
various gulls
greenshank
crows
blackbirds


We noticed the dead tree by the jetty (keyhaven side) had been blown down, probably in the storm earlier in the week, and was broken up and washed up on the defence wall. Looks like the Peregrine will have to find somewhere else to sit.....

Walking back to the car via the inland road, the weather became very misty and murky....... Ian said, all we needed was a Barn Owl to complete the scene. No sooner had he uttered those words, when just like magic, a Barn Owl appeared in the field beside us!! We watched as it flew along the edge of the field, across the gravel path and out of sight......

I was so delighted, a beautiful Barn Owl to add to the year list..

109. greenshank
110. barn owl