Peter Jones Wildlife blog

16th February, a Marinelife day survey to the Channel Islands.. http://www.marine-life.org.uk/weymouth-jersey/2014/02/16#.Uw-LutczFrM.google_plusone_share

Checked out a few local areas on Sunday afternoon. Got a surprise at Dunbridge lake as it is being used to take water from the Test.. just a huge water pump, a single Great-crested Grebe, and not a lot of island left above water! the water level is a good 5-10 metres higher than last weekend. Should be nice and muddy when they let the level drop anyway.  As the main road out of Romsey was closed due to flooding, I checked out the flooded fields near Timsbury, but for once there was very little on the water. Plenty of Gulls and 40 Wigeon overhead though. A muddy field on Hoe Lane had over 30 Stock Doves and a similar number of Pied Wagtails. So nothing of real quality, but good to see where the birds are congregating at the moment.

Spent the morning at Hurst and Pennington Marshes. Hurst Seawatching was pretty slow with just a Common Scoter, Guillemot, Peregrine. Raven, and a small number of Mediterranean Gulls. Had a very distant White-winged gull which looked may have been an Iceland, but it spent most of the time flying away from me. Adult Winter too which would have been a good bird to confirm. The lagoon and saltmarsh was much better with the Black Brant showing well, and a Knot, plus several Pintails and Red-breasted Mergansers. Pennington Marshes at high tide was full of Wildfowl and Waders. Hundreds of Wigeon, Lapwings, and Dunlin, plus a distant Ruff (probably the furthest bird on view!). Also Golden and Grey Plover.  Finished the morning witnessing an almighty row at the car park between a family and a large group of dog walkers.. not pretty! #hurst   #seawatch