Lower Test - 24th August

The weather was warm and cloudy. Highlights were Yellow-legged Gulls, Kingfisher, Greenshank, Green and Common Sandpiper.

We walked from the Salmon Leap pub down past some grassy areas with bushes where there were plenty of House Sparrow and a Whitethroat. At the first screen overlooking a pool we got good views of two Kingfisher, a few Sedge Warbler, a distant Buzzard and heard Cetti’s Warbler singing. The second screen had better views of Kingfisher and another Sedge Warbler. The hide was actually open and we spent a great half hour in there watching 3 Green Sandpiper, 2 Common Sandpiper, 2 Greenshank, a Black-tailed Godwit and several Lapwing as well as Teal, Moorhen, House Sparrow and Black-headed Gulls. We walked down to the A36 bridge over the river Test and scanned the gulls and Canada Geese for anything interesting. There were several Yellow-legged Gulls and a few Lesser Black-back among the Herring Gull, a young Great Black-backed Gull with one of its parents and lots of Black-headed Gull.
We walked back and continued north to the boardwalk out onto the reserve looking for an Osprey that has been hanging around. Good views of Grey Wagtails and a Stonechat and Reed Bunting were all that was on offer there.
Simon Curson