This reserve is well known among birdwatchers and thoroughly deserves the title ‘national’. We have regularly visited the reserve over the last few years and always look forward to seeing a good variety of birds.
However the sense of expectation is always such as to feel disappointed with what we do see and to say that we should have seen more.
The time before Christmas is also not a good time for seeing birds as they are either on migration or have not yet arrived at the reserve. Titchfield Haven is located at the mouth of the River Meon and owes its location largely to the construction of a sea wall through which the flow of water and tides is controlled by tidal flaps. These allow the levels of water in the scrapes to be controlled and the water meadows to be maintained.
The addition of an electrified fence to keep out foxes and other predators means that nesting birds have a safe and secure habitat. The shoreline outside the reserve is of course open to everybody and is worth a look on first arrival. Cormorants are always in attendance together with black headed gulls and turnstones.
The Isle of Wight ferry can usually be spotted and there is always some container ship or oil tanker on its way up the Southampton Water. Small fishing boats trawl closer to the shore and sailing yachts with the even smaller wind surfers can be seen at the weekends. The usual method of viewing the reserve is to move from hide to hide; there are three hides on one side of the river and three on the other.
Oystercatchers and lapwings dominate the scrapes on the western side of the Meon. Lapwings are a beautiful bird to watch either individually on the ground or in flocks in the air. Also known as the Green Plover, Peewit, Pee-wee, Chewit or Tewit the lapwing must have the largest variety of names of any bird and its name occurs frequently in place names such as Tewit Tarn in the Lake District or Tewits Well in Harrogate.
The Lapwing in flight reminds one of a butterfly with its large floppy wings and its habit of tumbling in the air as it comes to rest. Its black and white colouring is also supplemented by a green iridescence when caught in the sunlight. Wigeon and Black Tailed Godwits can also be seen together feeding on the grassy banks of the scrapes.
The drainage ditches have been cleared at this time of year and with the autumn fall of leaves the banks are relatively open. We watched a movement through the undergrowth on the far bank of one of the ditches which turned out to be a Moorhen.
Our binoculars were still focused on the bank when another bird was seen following about ten yards behind. This had a mottled brown back and grey chest with a bright red bill looking almost transparent in the sunlight which was identified as the less common Water Rail.
One advantage of walking round a nature reserve is that you come across informative notices every now and then. One such notice at Titchfield tells us that true berries have a hard coat with a soft centre such as the ivy. Those with a hard centre and soft outer pulp such as the holly should be called drupes.
However changing the Christmas carol the first tree in the greenwood to ‘The holly bears a drupe’ does not have quite the same ring to it.
Our next outdoor meeting will be to Warsash looking at Sea birds and Waders. Meet at Oak Road car park Dibden Purlieu at 10am on Sunday 18th January 2009. Our next indoor meeting will be at St. Andrews centre, Dibden Purlieu at 7.30pm on 26th January for the AGM and American supper.
All visitors are welcome to indoor and outdoor meetings. Contact the Secretary on 023 8089 3803.
Any comments to mharrison67@btinternet.com
