After a very wet morning we took the opportunity, once it had dried up a bit, to pop to Testwood Lakes near Totton for a spot of bird watching. There are two bird hides at Testwood Lakes that the public are able to use between 10am and 4pm to spy on the local wildlife. We went to the biggest hide first - the biggest one the luxury one has two floors! There was already someone in there, but he soon left - not sure if it's something we said or if we smell! The first thing I have to mention was the sand martins, there was lots of activity as they nest in the artificial bank on the edge of the lake.
Home for the sand martins for the summer.
We must have been in the hide for about an hour, in the peace and quiet just watching.
Looking across one of the lakes to the scrape.
Here is a list of most of the birds and animals we spotted.
Kestrel Coot
Starlings Shelducks
Swallows Sand martins
Lapwings Canada geese and babies
Mallards and babies Robin
Black headed gulls Herring gulls
Heron Crow
Tufted ducks Blackbird
Woodpigeon Egret Pied wagtail Moorhen
Oyster catcher Rabbits
Damsel flies Pond skaters
Red deer
A solitary red deer (zoomed in beyond the point of ever being in focus!)
This deer wandered along the edge of the lake for quite a while all on his own. I was particularly pleased to have seen him. After about an hour we walked back to the car, which was only about three quarters of a mile away and I was beginning to regret my choice of a sweatshirt, as the sun came out and it began to warm up.
View across one of the lakes - a nice spot to sit and ponder.
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