Marine Wildlife at SOC

2006 opened with some interesting sightings, with January records including a first-winter male Snow Bunting and a first-winter male Black Redstart at Hurst (1st-7th), a long-staying first-winter male Scaup at Normandy, and one or two Avocets intermittently through the month.

A Black-necked Grebe was seen briefly off Normandy on 26th and Slavonian Grebes peaked at four on 14th. One or two Shags were seen regularly and up to six Common Scoters lingered offshore. Eider peaked at 13 on 20th. A flock of 21 Greylag Geese landed on the saltmarsh briefly on 31st and may well have been wild birds associated with cold weather. A Ruddy Duck on 27th may also have been associated with the cold weather.

Peak counts of Red-breasted Mergansers and Goldeneye were 45 and 13, respectively. Sea-watching from Hurst was generally quiet, with numbers of Red-throated Diver peaking at 22 on 15th. A single Gannet was offshore on 6th and a male Goosander and Great Northern Diver were recorded on 9th.

Raptors included a Marsh Harrier on 14th, and regular fem/imm Merlin, up to three Peregrines, single Barn, Little and Tawny Owl, one or two Short-eared Owls and two Buzzards. A pair of Ravens were seen at Hurst (7th). Spotted Redshank numbers peaked at eight, with other waders including a Little Stint (27th), three Ruff, three Greenshank and 27 Bar-tailed Godwits. Wildfowl counts included 116 Shelduck.

Notable passerines included single Water Pipit, Grey Wagtail, Chiffchaff and Dartford Warbler during the month, a Brambling, two Marsh Tits, 10 Bullfinch, 25 Reed Buntings and 50 Siskins (all on 2nd), and a peak of five Stonechats (31st).

A Common Seal was seen eating a large fish on 14th.

February opened with 22 White-fronted Geese and six Barnacle Geese off Normandy on 2nd, with the latter group seen again on 13th. Birds remaining from the previous month included the first-winter male Scaup at Normandy, a Water Pipit, up to three Avocets, four Slavonian Grebes and six Spotted Redshanks.

The Red-breasted Merganser roost peaked at 56 birds (7th) and up to seven Eider were seen. Cold weather late in the month saw an influx of Pintail, with a site record count of about 800 birds between Normandy and Keyhaven. Merlin, Peregrine, Barn and Tawny Owl were all seen regularly.