Bird Aware Solent 🦆

East Head, a breathtakingly beautiful spot on Chichester Harbour is a haven for a wealth of protected wildlife💙In our latest Solent Spotlight series, find out why it's one of our ranger's favourite spots along the Solent coastline for wildlife: birdaware.org/solent/east-he…

There's just a month to go before the closing date of our photography competition. Don't miss out - send in the photos of which you're most proud by 28 February 📷 birdaware.org/solent/photo-c…

@fergalkeane47 @BBCNews @BBCWorld Brent geese at Newtown on the Isle of Wight: the power of nature on our mental wellbeing 💙

These outrageously cute corgis set an excellent example on their walk at Bembridge by running and playing on the grass - this meant that the birds on the shore had plenty of space to feed and rest 🩵 Find out more about wildlife aware dog walks: bit.ly/3lWFB2v

Read about the importance of Arctic lemmings for the Solent's dark-bellied brent geese - and the birds’ extraordinary migratory journeys in Ranger Tony’s latest blog: bit.ly/42p9X0K

Ranger Tony captured this lovely video of a kingfisher catching some rays at Keyhaven Harbour while waiting for the perfect moment to snap up some lunch🎣 Find out more about this beautiful bird: bit.ly/3GqDydQ

Are you one of the 2,000 subscribers to our regular emailed newsletter? Our winter edition is due out shortly ⏰ so click on the link to subscribe to keep up to date about events and get to know our rangers and our wonderful Solent birds: bit.ly/3PSHveT

If you love exploring the Isle of Wight coast with your dog, join our colleagues at Coast and Country Canines for a guided group dog walk in Ryde and find out more about engaging, wildlife aware dog walks 🐶 Find out more and book your place: bit.ly/4hpbZm3

No matter the weather, these sanderlings make bath time part of their daily routine 🛀🚿 since bathing is essential to keep feathers in good condition. Find out more about these tiny birds that travel here all the way from Siberian Arctic and Greenland: bit.ly/3IUPcxR

Isn’t this a great shot of a cormorant, photographed by Ranger Charlotte 💙There’s still plenty of time to enter our photography competition for photos of Solent birds, landscapes & wildlife-aware dog walking 📷 the closing date is 28 Feb. Find out more: bit.ly/3ON8TMj

Male or female kestrel? 🤔 These photos, taken by Ranger Charlotte at Bembridge, perfectly show the difference between the two The most obvious difference is head colour, with male kestrels (in the first photo) having grey feathers, whilst females have a brown head instead

Who's ready for a Boxing Day walk? If you're out on the coast to walk off those extra roast potatoes, have a look out for our birds along the coast and remember to give them lots of space to help them feel safe. That way, we can help them thrive along the Solent this winter 💙

However you're celebrating, the Bird Aware team would like to wish you a very merry Christmas🎄

Thanks to everyone who told us their favourite birds to see along our coastline! A few weeks ago we shared a post about 10 Solent birds to spot & asked which birds to add to the list. Now we're back with 'Part 2' on 10 MORE birds you might see - thanks for all your suggestions 😀

As well as warming up a very chilly ranger with some lovely cuddles, Yogi and Mallory also helped wildlife on their walk at East Head by giving the resident birds plenty of space 💙 Find out more about wildlife aware dog walks: bit.ly/3lWFB2v

Celebrate the natural beauty of the Solent coastline and its wildlife by entering this year’s Bird Aware Solent Photography Competition 📷Closing date: Friday 28 Feb 2025. Categories include: birds; landscapes; wildlife-aware dogs and junior entrants: bit.ly/3ON8TMj

@bobservablelife Very interesting to know, and thank you for the correction in ID!

@BirdAwareSolent Very, very few juvs this year, also the neck ring is not a reliable aging characteristic (some juvs have neck collars) the pale bars showing on the "back" are the way to go, shown well in your left picture.

Have you spotted any young brent geese so far this winter? 🤔 If you see any dark-bellied brent geese on your walks, look out for the juveniles who are missing the white ring around their neck. Our rangers haven't seen many so far this year, so keep your eyes peeled for them.

@FredJEllis And you! Stop by for a chat anytime.

@GrahamFAppleton Dunlin - Scandinavia, Russia Ringed plover – UK, Scandinavia Dark-bellied brent goose – Siberia

@GrahamFAppleton Excellent question, and a great link. If you would like them in short, here are a few of the destinations: Redshank – Iceland Turnstone – Greenland, Canada, Lapland Wigeon – Iceland, Russia, Scandinavia, Ukraine Oystercatcher – UK, Norway, Netherlands Curlew – Scandinavia, Russia

Have a look at our list of 10 birds to spot along the Solent coastline 🗒️ Winter is the perfect time to get into birdwatching, so watch out for these species on your next coastal walk 👣 #birdwatching #birds #ukwildlife