A Short Away Day

 With everything here seeming to have gone west we decided to grasp the nettle and head east to

on an almost

Spring-like Day

NEW FOREST PONY

considered a Wild Mammal in their own right.

Across the top of the Forest

and into a wealth of

DONKEYs

even a couple waiting for opening time.

Our hopes were dashed on arrival at

where the surface was seen to be completely

frozen over with little or 'no' chance of any

MANDARIN DUCKs
which was the way of things but compensated by a wealth of common small birds.

ROBIN

DUNNOCK

HOUSE SPARROW

BLUE TIT
and we also punctuate with some of the

properties in the area

PIED WAGTAIL with GREAT TIT

"oh for a Pint and a Pie"

Female Chaffinch

Pond-side Scenary

time to leave

a last look

Homeward Bound

There is Better to come should the Computer hold up!

Hulley Gully - The Olympics

 There was no need for a second asking when Dave phoned to ask me to join him on a drive to Hampshire, but more particularly the north end of Portsmouth Harbour with first in the log on arrival a

KINGFISHER

with small groups of

BRENT GEESE
a lone

GREY HERON

before encountering the early enthusiasts,

before joining them 

viewing the target of our desire a

SABINE'S GULL
which breed in the High Arctic.
We would surely be back for more after enjoying

the likes of

GREY PLOVER
with one still in 'summer plumage'.

while some distance off-shore

LONG-TAILED DUCK

While onshore what is the Royal Navy Radar Training School
H.M.S. DRYAD
looking down from Portsdown Hill rather like a beached Battleship.

to other such waterbirds as

BLACK-NECKED GREBE

a male and female below

RED-BREASTED MERGANSER

with another peek at the

GULL
which at time was almost at

Touching Distance

Other Waders were represented by

REDSHANK

and

GREENSHANK
Also showing in the misty distance the city of

PORTSMOUTH
with the
Spinnaker Tower
showing prominent while at

Low Water
the likes of

GOLDENEYE
were becoming difficult to see let alone photograph but with

TURNSTONE

still possing on the outcrops along with a few

ROCK PIPITs
and a

CURLEW
in the long grass and that ain't all as there should be a Part II to come after just one more look back

WHAT A BEAUTY