Lower Test reserve - 16th August

A fairly sunny and mild morning. Highlights were Hobby, Kingfisher and Grey Wagtail.

10 of us met near the Salmon Leap pub in Totton. We were hoping to see a few waders today, especially Green Sandpiper. From where we stood with the cars there were several Collared Doves and Woodpigeon singing and as we set off a female Sparrowhawk zoomed straight over us. We turned off the lane onto the reserve and went to the first viewing screen. Usually in August this looks out over a very muddy pool with waders around it. However, because of the high rainfall, the pool was full of water and just held some Mallard and Moorhen. The second screen had a few more birds. As we got there a Kingfisher flew off and the full pool had Coot, Black-headed Gull, Mallard and a couple of Teal on it. A falcon flew up to the top of a nearby pylon, but we couldn’t see it properly. We left the screen and walked along the boardwalk for a better look. It took off and flew directly away from us – a Hobby. Shame it couldn’t have been a better view. Next we walked to the hide and it was a similar story here. 1 Heron, Mallards, Black-headed Gulls and some Canada Geese in the far field.
We retraced our steps to look at the north end of the reserve, stopping to look at several plants of Celery-leaved Buttercup growing by the boardwalk. We also saw a Great-spotted Woodpecker in a dead tree, not very close, but in full view. Back at the lane we saw Red Admiral and Speckled Wood butterflies and there was the usual throng of Mallards at the bridge. We got onto the northern part of the reserve and Lyz found a Grey Wagtail on a fallen log. Along the boardwalks here we saw very little, except in one spot where there was a pair of Stonechat, a Whitethroat and a Willow Warbler in some scrub. Starlings fed in the fields and House Martins flew over our heads. We turned our attention to the plants – Purple Loosestrife, Common Fleabane, Hemp Agrimony and Sea Aster were all found in the wet fields. At the far end of the reserve we saw several Banded Demoiselle at the river. Back at the bridge with all the Mallard, a party of Long-tailed Tit came past with a few Blue Tit in amongst them.
Simon Curson