Hursey Nature Reserve - IOW

Just back from a week on the Isle of Wight and i haven't been for well over 35 years. So the IOW what did i make of it? Some of the more affluent rural areas were quite frankly stunning however the towns seemed a little lacking shall we say, not in amenities but in up keep. Possibly people moving off the island and coming to the mainland for employment. Then again the amount of residential building going on was vast but all at the 4 bedroom plus end and not in the towns (from what i saw) - IE houses for the more wealthy and rental accommodation. That suited us to the ground then - more choice of accommodation and we wouldn't have to mix with the riff raf.

We were staying at Seaview, a small yachting community with its own little club, a couple of decent gastro-pubs and lovely stretch of beech. Blue and white stripped tops were everywhere along with the non accent types - that accent that people obtain at uni.........the nothing one......you know somebody who has it i'm sure.

It was also Cowes week so the club was busy, races were being run on a regular basis, kids sailing clubs in full swing. It was actually rather good to watch. Especially when sitting there staring at the sea hoping for actually anything other than a Great Crested Grebe, Black Headed, Great Black Back or Mediterranean Gull.

Now our little complex actually had its own, small, nature reserve. This in turn rescued me from not seeing anything other than the above list. I've linked the reserve here. Thanks to Martin Blackmore who gave up some great local knowledge most mornings whilst we both sat there waiting for some action. This normally arrived in the form of a Greenshank, Common Sandpiper, Little Egret or King Fisher. Unfortunately all just a little too far out for my 400 lens, Martin on the other hand with a 500, 1.4 ext and i think he said 1.7 crop sensor on a cannon 7D mark 2 managed to get some decent photos. See the above link. Mine of these birds were OK for the distance and light.

From the fields surrounding the reserve we did have some half decent geese - mix of feral population and plastic. Barnacle, Bar Headed, Snow Geese. Along with Greylag and Canada. All geese were free flying.