28th December 2012

I (Michael Page) was sitting in the car park at Testwood Lakes at 9.50 am this morning thinking that in view of the inclement weather and being Christmas week no one will turn up and so I would go off to do my shopping.

But" Lo" by ten o'clock 5 hardy souls- Helen Nightingale, Jill Bailey, Bridgit Butcher, Val Westall and Jean Symes- had turned up ready for the fray, so we had a very enjoyable hour and a half walking around Testwood Lakes. We had to change course once when the water level on one path was so high, that it threatened to wash one of the ladies toes.

Our sightings included: Grebes. Tufted ducks, Great Black Backed Gulls, Male and Female Mallards, Black Headed Gulls, Coot, Cormorant, Herring Gulls,

Blue Tits, Great Tits, Wood Pigeon, Magpie, Long Tailed Tit, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Crow, Starling,

Also there was a fine show of catkins a few lovely Alder trees,

Bridgit and Jill came to a spot which smelt of foxes, I was asked to sniff and I think I got it as well!! - wow that's good for me..

The only other sighting by Val - which maybe was a bit over the top was "A Blue Tennis Ball"

Many thanks to all who came and made such an enjoyable morning, and our next outing will be on Friday the 25th January starting at 10 am from a car park on Calshot Spit- look out for the car parking attendant who will guide you in.

A Happy New Year to One and All...........................

Michael Page.

November meeting

Today dawned bright and clear, but very frosty and cold BUT 10 members of the branch braved the elements to meet at Eling at 10 am for a very enjoyable two hours of looking at Nature. There is so much to see by just being somewhere and watching, and it is wonderful how much is on display to us. We left Eling toll and walked along the river across the river and back through the graveyard and going down to the waterfront at Eling Hill or Gati as it is called locally.
Overall 23 different varities of birds were seen, including the star of them all- A BUZZARD- sitting proudly on the tree branch for all to see, also noted was a woodpeckers nest high up in a tree. Sheile Benfield told us what when she first came to Southampton wheat was being grown at Goti with a narrow path through it. The meeting was enjoyed by all and the next one will be on Friday 28th December at Testwood Lakes-first car park- commencing at 10 am. Go on - be a devil- come and join us and have a wonderful time Michael Page