Itchen Navigation

As we set off along the Itchen Navigation towards Winchester, mallards swam towards us looking for food and swallows swooped low over the grass. Two little grebes jumped off the far bank into the water giving us unusual close up views of these beautiful fluffy little ducks. The banks of the Navigation were rich with wild flowers as we passed hemp agrimony, orange balsam, comfrey, agrimony and burdock.

Passing pretty houses right on the bank of the river we found a pair of mute swans with five cygnets as well as a pair of moorhens and a few great tits hopped around in the trees. We then walked along by Winchester College and back down a section of the Itchen through the water meadows. Here we saw another pair of moorhens with two little fluffy chicks and it was fun to watch a couple of very small little grebes dive amongst the water weed in the clear flowing water.

Again along this section we saw many flowers including hogweed, fleabane, red bartsia, bittersweet, rosebay willowherb, silverweed, white campion, gipsywort, water mint and mallow. We had to check our flower identification books when we found a rather tall plant with tiny reddish flowers and after much deliberation we agreed it was mugwort. 

Himalayan Balsam

Himalayan Balsam was also widespread along the banks and, although seen as an invasive pest, you cannot help but admire it's exotic pink flowers.

We heard the call of a great spotted woodpecker and found him sitting high in a tree as a rather heavy shower of rain started so we sheltered by the walls of the famous St. Cross Hospital until it passed.

Further along we found flocks of swallows and house martins swooping and perching on telegraph wires. They were quite regimented as the different species perched on separate wires, although there were a few confused birds mixed up on the wrong wires!

We arrived at the now disused stretch of road that used to be the scene of the infamous Hockley traffic lights that used to cause horrendous traffic jams. Now the roadside verges are starting to spread, narrowing the road with pretty flowers such as traveller's joy, tufted vetch, knapweed, the bright red berries of lords and ladies and birdsfoot trefoil. 

Purple Loosestrife Clustered Bellflowers

A meadow brown butterfly flew by as we crossed a bridge over the river where we saw a coot and beautiful displays of purple loosestrife and mimulus or monkey flower on the banks below.

Arriving at St. Catherine's Hill we decided it was time for lunch, so we found a lovely spot looking towards the hill near the not so lovely named 'Plague Pits'! Behind us was a fantastic wild flower meadow where we found eyebright, greater knapweed, the seed pods of yellow rattle, harebell, devilsbit scabious and the purple flowers of clustered bellflowers. 

Autumn gentians were also found in the meadow but needed just another few days before their flowers would be fully open. Blue butterflies, that were either chalkhill or common blues, danced around and a we saw a flock of around 30 goldfinches fly from a tree.

Feeling refreshed after lunch we tackled the climb up the steps to the top of the hill seeing common toadflax, marjoram, wild basil, tall melilot and the colourful berries of white bryony on the way. At the summit we admired the views right through to the Isle of Wight.

Passing the curious mismaze, we started our descent back to the car park. It had been a lovely long and extremely beautiful walk and it was wonderful to discover such an interesting area of Hampshire.

The Society's indoor meeting for August was our annual Members Evening where ideas for walks and talks for next year were discussed, followed by a fun quiz.

The Waterside Natural History Society's next outdoor meeting will be on Sunday 17th September with a bird watching visit to Farlington Marshes. Meet at Oak Road Car Park, Dibden Purlieu at 10.00am (strong footwear recommended.)

The Society's next indoor meeting will be on Monday 25th September when we welcome Brian Fletcher to talk about the Strategy for Survival of Butterflies and Moths. Meet at 7.30pm at the St. Andrew's Centre, Dibden Purlieu. Visitors very welcome at £2.00.