Lower Test Nature Reserve

We took a quick trip to the local nature reserve yesterday in between showers.No sign of the Kingfishers but there were plenty of little egretsand sandpipers.
There are still very few butterflies around , a few gatekeepers , speckled woods and we did see a comma Today it has rained and I had a nasty surprise when I took Missy for her morning walk . I had left the sun roof open and the front seats were soaking wet!
This is my first post since getting the new computer up and running. it was certainly much quicker uploading the photos!

Seckled wood butterfly
Grey Wagtail
Little Egret
Green sandpiper
Gatekeeper Butterfly

A Walk at the Lower Test Nature Reserve

This Morning we went on a guided walk arranged by the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust. This walk takes place once a year and we are able to go into the flower meadows that are usually closed to the public to protect the rare plants that grow here. Water Avens is rare in the south although a little more common further north. There are also greenwinged orchids and Hairy Buttercups and the rare adders tongue fern.More common wildflowers can also be found . it was a little early for butterflies and dragonflies, but we did see speckled wood and orange tips. Just at the end of the walk we saw a broad bodied skimmer drying its wings after hatching.

Water Avens
Cuckoo plant also known as ladies Smock
Ribort Plantain

Green Winged Orchid


Red Clover

broad bodied Skimmer drying its wings after hatching

Hedge garlic

Hairy Buttercup

Speckled brown

Cowslip

Adders tongue fern

The drizzle of this morning finally cleared and the afternoon was sunny. We took a quick trip down to the Lower Test Nature Reserve. An icy wind was blowing in through the windows of the hide. I love how the reflections of the rushes give the water a golden tint. There were a few egrets a very distant snipe, a few sandpipers, some teal and a couple of shelduck around. The warden came into the hut whilst we were there and told us that the Kingfishers will have moved up river now beyond the tidal waters,but in the next month we might see Osprey as they migrate over . He also told us that in May he would be leading a walk to see the rare orchids that grow here and gave us some general information about the site.

A Distant green Sandpiper
Little Egret
View from the Hide

Silver birches at Shatterford
The swamp Monsters

Common Shelduck

greensandpiper and snipe

green sandpiper

A Lot of Rain.

Mid morning the rain stopped for a while, and we decided to go down to the lower test nature reserve for an hour or so.The footpath follows the line of pylons, so we did not get very far!
We walked down the road to see if we could get over the bridge but again we did not get very far! You can just see the bridge in the distance but the water was to deep to wade through.

We decided to go up to Testwood lakes and find the hide up there, but alas the footpath was being repaired and was closed. Unfortunately we walked for about 20 mins until we found way was barred and so we had to retrace our footsteps. Why they couldn't have put a sign in the car park I don't know! There were plenty of gulls about and a pair of swans on one of the lakes so we did get some photos before the rain started again.

Watching the Birds

Well the weekend was a complete wash out. It just rained from Saturday right through until this morning, when it was still raining! I managed to walk the dogs after the worst of the rain and to my surprise the skies were clearing as I came home. Although there was a very cold wind it was too good an opportunity to miss and I went down to see what was happening on the Lower test. Patience paid off and after about 40 minutes the Kingfisher arrived , he seemed to be very hungry as he was constantly diving and coming up with tasty morsels

Looking out of the window


Little Egret

Kingfisher
has just swallowed his supper!

Its not a smear on the lens thats his breath in the cold Morning air!

This Buck was sunbathing

This ones got his girl

I think he's spotted us!

The kingfisher was a little to far away but he had a big fish in his beak

Lower Test Nature Reserve

We had another trip to the nature reserve this afternoon. When we arrived a Heron , Little Egret and a couple of Black tailed godwits were present. In the shrubs near the hide there were some long tailed tits. The Kingfisher teased us for about an hour. We could see him in the reeds and occasionally flitting across the water, but eventually he came and settled on the perching rail right in front of us. He was worth the wait.

Blacktailed Godwit

Kingfisher

Heron

Little Egret

heron catching his supper

Lower Test Nature Reserve

Karen and I spent a couple of hours down on our local reserve today. Once again the Kingfisher perched just on the far range of the camera lens. We also saw a Heron and A little Egret. In the distance we could see swans flying.We saw a few green Sandpipers, Lapwing and a Black tailed Godwit and just as we were leaving a Black Swan.
There seemed to be a lot of Dragonflies, mostly skimmers darting about.
It was a busy day on the reserve, usually karen and I don't see anyone but today the hide was nearly full.