Red-breasted Goose at Keyhaven Marshes.

Thursday 8th February 2024.

The Red-breasted Goose at Keyhaven Marshes today with Brent Geese. Photo by Andy Tew.

It was simply a horrible day today with heavy rain through the morning, a little rest bite around midday (managed to take the dogs for a quick walk around the block) and then more rain in the afternoon and on into the evening. But, despite the grim weather, several ‘Lazee Birders’ managed to drag themselves down to Keyhaven Marshes to ‘year-tick’ the superb Red-breasted Goose among the 1000+ Brent Geese in one of the fields (Hampshire's 13th record of this species). Fair play to the guys, but top listers Messrs. Fennemore and Friend were quick off the mark to add to their already enormous tally for the year and many fellow ‘Lazee’s’ quickly followed. Hopefully, the bird will hang around for the weekend for the rest of the guys, but I shall have to dip on this as my wife and I are off to Norfolk for the week on Saturday.

Mr Gary Fennemore (left) handing over the Hampshire Listers trophy to Mr Andy Friend with Mr Pete Appleton behind at a very wet morning at Keyhaven Marshes.

On my first shift this morning, there was a small flock of 11 Brent Geese present on Governor’s Green and a good gathering of both Black-headed and Herring Gulls present on the waterlogged grass; all busy searching for worms. When I walked the dogs around the block, I saw only my second Grey Wagtail of the year flying over the rooftops heading north, calling in doing so. They really have been scarce around here this year.