Have just come back from a weeks holiday in the Isle of Wight and a day in Hampshire.
The holiday was actually a holiday and a chance for my girlfriend to get me away from wildlife, but i still managed to go and spot some things!!
Firstly there was a possible
Mediteranien gull at the southampton docks, but i didn't have a good enough veiw to confirm. I spotted a BOP on the ferry trip over flying across the water towards southampton, was a typycal brown hawk type, so could have been a kestrel, sparrowhawk, or even a hobby or peregrine?
The beach we went to almost every day had a short walk along a fresh water stream through scrub and wildflowers. All through the week i saw
linnets, green woodpeckers, grey wagtails, clouded yellows, common blues, and essex spippers.
I had a visit to Parkhurst forest earlyone morning in the search of
red squirrels where i found two which i was well chuffed about, also saw
white admirals and a possible
purple hairstreak.
A visit to Allum bay, where the needles are, turned up a tern species i think were
sandwich terns, as they appeared to have crests. Does anyone know if this is likely or would it be another species?
I had a few walks along compton cliffs which is the hot spot for glanville fritillaries. I did think i saw one but i think its a bit late in the season for them. But i did see a
stone chat, lots of other grasslant butterflies and a huge cricket i believe is a
great green bush cricket, i will post some picks for your verdict in another thread.
On the last day we went to an Owl and Falconary centre and although the birds were captive i got some great veiws and shots of alot of our native birds of prey, along with an excellent show of some flying.
Hampshire was a flying visit on the sunday, driving to a few sites on the way home.
First call was the Otter and Owl conservation centre whch was really good - well worth a visit. As was the Reptile centre off the A35, only small but excellent veiws of all the reptiles and nearly all amphibeans, got some good shots here too.
My brief walks over the heaths didn't reall turn up the birds i'd hoped for but lots of butterflies; Greyling, Dark green Fritillary, Small heath, Silver studded blue, and common blue.
the only downfalls to the holiday wer getting hidiously burnt
and spending too much money
But all in all a great holiday, had loads of fun
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