Paid a visit to the reserve this afternoon, coinciding with an extremely high tide. Probably the highest I have seen in since I started visiting the reserve. 59 Curlews were roosting on the harbour scrape along with around a dozen Lapwings.

Curlew and Lapwing, Hbr Scrape, 4 Nov 2009

As I walked around the harbour wall the tide was only about a foot below the top. The sea water was flowing out underneath the wall and onto the path and then flowing down into the drainage ditch on the other side. A steady flow was recorded. Not sure if this in time will cause the actual path to be undermined.

 The scrape had more roosting birds present with around 100 Lapwing and a similar number of Teal. A few Shoveler and Mallard were also present but not a single Wigeon or Black Tailed Godwit which struck me as unusual. As did a single Barn Swallow moving west across the scrape. This is probably the latest Swallow I have had in Hampshire. The albino Canada Goose was present at the scrape with c80 standard looking birds. I have seen this bird on and off around this area for the last five years or so. Also a family party of four Brent dropped in for a spot of cleaning preening. Not sure how the breeding season went this year for the Brents. Hopefully I will see plenty more young birds over the next few weeks.

Canada Goose, Links Scrape, 4 Nov 2009

Steve Copsey