New Forest

Hampshire and the New Forest had many different varieties of birds. Some I'd never seen before, and some that were a little more familiar.
At Pennington Marsh in Lymington we had some good but distant views of Spoonbill. A little closer were Dunlin, Turnstone and Little Ringed Plover. Some large gulls were drifting in off the Solent. Such as this beast below.

Great Black-backed Gull.

This Little Tern was my first of the year, and it didn't hang around too long either.

On the New Forest itself there were plenty of Meadow Pipits busying themselves. Seen here on some gorse.

A male Stonechat in some very gloomy light.

Just going for a paddle.

New Brighton beach was very calm when I visited a few weeks back. The tide had just gone out and the sun put in a nice long appearance too. It allowed me to take a wander along what is very nice sandy beach. There wasn't a great variety of birds but those that were there looked very nice indeed in the sunshine. They included this Oystercatcher and some juvenile gulls having a paddle. I'm not great with gulls at all, but I think I have a couple of Lesser Black-backed Gulls and a larger Great Black-backed Gull (on the left).

I think this is a 1st Winter Oystercatcher, as the white collar would indicate.

Great (left) and Lesser Black-backed Gulls (Please let me know if I am wrong)

Hoylake

When I left home it was cold and bright with not a cloud in the sky. As I headed West out to the Wirral, I could see the cloud on the horizon. Fingers were crossed that it wouldn't empty on me at any point. I arrived at Hoylake just as a little drizzle started, but nothing to put me off. I donned my boots and headed off to the shore line, which was a little further than it first looked. Still, I could see waders whisking around in flocks and continued. I passed a group of Shelduck then a few Ringed Plover stopped by. There were lots of Oystercatchers and Dunlin skimming around.
As I was walking towards the Lifeboat ramp a bird of prey spooked everything. At first I couldn't quite see what it was as it skimmed low over the sand, but then it landed. A Peregrine Falcon, sat on the beach, some 40 yards away. Absolutely superb.

You can just make out the rainbow that was sat over the building in the centre.

Hundreds of Cormorants were constantly on the move.

Dunlin and Oystercatchers.

Oystercatchers on the move.

As the tide comes in, the birds keep getting moved on.

One of three Grey Plovers that did a low fly past over me.

A welcome visitor. A Peregrine Falcon that spooked nearly everything.