AFON
Advent Calendar: Titchfield Haven by Amy Robjohns
Welcome to our AFON Advent Calendar! Each day leading up to Christmas you will find a wonderful new post by a different member. This years theme is your favourite nature reserve; where do you go to escape from the world and connect with nature? Enjoy!
Titchfield Haven on the south coast, overlooking the Isle of Wight, is my beloved local patch. It’s a fantastic wetland – with the river Meon on one side of the reserve, and manmade scrapes on the other side – and the point which this river meets the Solent. Being so close to where I live (well, only 4 miles away!) and having a café is probably the reason I’m a birder today as we used to visit it regularly when I was younger to walk along the sea front and eat the delicious food – I thoroughly recommend visiting the café as well as the reserve! And because of that I gradually became more interested in wildlife too.
© Amy Robjohns
It’s probably one of the best wetland reserves in Hampshire, if not the south coast, but I’m probably biased. In the spring and summer Avocets breed on the reserve, as well a rather large number of Black-headed Gulls and a few Common Terns. Other summer migrants include Swallows, Sand Martins, Chiffchaffs, Willow Warblers and Grasshopper Warblers among others. The resident birds breed here too, including Cetti’s Warblers, Lapwing & Oystercatchers as well as the common garden birds.
On a good winter’s day, you can easily see Pintail, Wigeon, Teal, Gadwall, Mallard, Shoveler, Shelduck, Canada Geese, [feral] Barnacle Geese and numerous waders including Curlew, Lapwing, Redshank, Oystercatchers and Black-tailed Godwits. If you’re lucky, you can sometimes see Bar-tailed Godwit too. In Hill Head the Turnstone, Sanderling, Knot and Dunlin shelter by the Sailing Club. Occasionally they’re joined by Ringed Plover which is always a nice sight to see.
© Amy Robjohns
You always know it’s the beginning of spring when the first Avocets and Mediterranean Gulls return to Titchfield Haven, and the Black-headed Gulls take over the scrapes – all three species usually breed on the reserve. Many summer migrants come here as well – Common Terns, Swallows, Sand Martins, Chiffchaffs, Willow Warblers and Grasshopper Warblers among others. The resident birds breed here too, including Cetti’s Warblers, Lapwing & Oystercatchers as well as the common garden birds and waders.
Another thing I’m lucky enough to be involve in on the reserve is bird ringing, which takes place from July to November and includes 3 public ringing sessions as well. We mainly ring the warblers as they begin their southward migration but we’ve also had some rather unusual birds and rarities including a Pallas’s Grasshopper Warbler earlier this year!!
Though my favourite bird to see this year on my patch has to be the Black-winged Stilt – a bird I’ve always wanted to see so was delighted when one turned up here but the lesser Yellowlegs and *insert other rarities here* were also nice to see of course!
We also have a resident Fulvous Whistling Duck… and in non-bird terms, it’s a pleasure to see the Water Voles thriving once again. Hopefully Otters will be next!