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Michael Caponi @chinstrap.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

Interesting visitor to Weston Shore early this morning at low-tide. Preened for about half an hour before lifting high towards it's usual hunting grounds of Eling and the Lower Test area. #HampsireBirds #HampshireBirding #LowCarbonBirding

A bright Scarlet Ibis alongside a white Little Egret in shallow water

As the tide rises the Scarlet Ibis takes flight, leaving the Little Egret behind

In flight, the Scarlet Ibis shows off black wing-tips

The Scarlet Ibis flies high against the background of Hythe

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Michael Caponi @chinstrap.bsky.social · 09/01/2026

Have I found a 2W Caspian Gull at Woolston Sewage Works? Or have i been fooled again! Not great pictures but it was only there for a few brief seconds after I spotted it and the weather was gloomy. Any thoughts greatly appreciated. 08.01.26 #HantsBirds #HantsBirding #LowCarbonBirding

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Michael Caponi @chinstrap.bsky.social · 20/12/2025

5 minute walk to see 3 Great Northern Divers crabbing by Woolston Sewage Works #HantsBirds #HantsBirding #LowCarbonBirding #HampshireBirding

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Michael Caponi @chinstrap.bsky.social · 15/12/2025

Regular visitors along the water's edge at low-tide, Weston Shore 11.12.25 #HantsBirds #HantsBirding #LowCarbonBirding

A turnstone showing off it's bright orange legs and feet

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Michael Caponi @chinstrap.bsky.social · 03/11/2025

A trip to Lymington on the bus and train to see the male Long-tailed Duck who has been staying on Normandy Lagoon 30.10.25 #HantsBirds #HantsBirding #LowCarbonBirding

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Michael Caponi @chinstrap.bsky.social · 02/10/2025

Curlew enjoy a bathe followed by breakfast. Woolston Sewage Works 27.09.25 #HantsBirds #HampshireBirding #LowCarbonBirding

A Curlew standing on a gravelly beach beside the water

Curlew having a vigorous clean in the water

Curlew struggling to swallow a large shellfish

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Michael Caponi @chinstrap.bsky.social · 14/09/2025

Black-tailed Godwits, flushed by dogs at Bunny Meadows and a single ringed bird further along at Warsash. Hampshire, 13.09.25 #HantsBirds #HantsBirding #LowCarbonBirding

A group of Black-tailed Godwit alert to the presence of dogs

The same group of Godwit taking flight as the dog gets closer

Another picture of the Godwit taking flight

A single Black-tailed Godwit with coloured rings on both of it's legs. The rings show that the bird was ringed in Iceland in 2012 as a young bird. It has been recorded as visiting the UK every year since 2014.

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Michael Caponi @chinstrap.bsky.social · 31/07/2025

Black Tern on the beach at Hill Head, 30.07.25 ##HantsBirds #HantsBirding

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Michael Caponi @chinstrap.bsky.social · 21/05/2025

Nice! I just had one trying to come in for lunch!

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Michael Caponi @chinstrap.bsky.social · 11/05/2025

Collared Pratincole on the stream at Farlington Marshes this afternoon. Worth the train trip and walk 😁 11.05.25 #HantsBirds #HampshireBirding #LowCarbonBirding

Side view of a Collared Pratincole on a dry bare stream bank

Collared Pratincole in flight, showing a hint of the coloured underwing and the long tail

Less cropped side view of the Collared Pratincole standing on the parched stream bank

Distant shot showing the first views of the Collared Pratincole when first spotted. It is 1pm in full sun and the view is hazy

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Michael Caponi @chinstrap.bsky.social · 06/05/2025

Green-winged Orchids. Beaulieu Aerodrome 30.04.25 #orchids #HampshireWildlife

A group of Green-winged Orchids growing in the protective shadow of brambles

Darker purple Green-winged Orchid flowerspike that is being used as home for a spider

A small flowerspike of a mid-purple Green-winged Orchid

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Michael Caponi @chinstrap.bsky.social · 06/05/2025

Garden critters: in amongst the predominant honey bees there many other wonderful native bees busy pollinating my garden flowers. Southampton 02.05.25 #bees #insects #HampshireWildlife #HantsWildlife

Male Sharp-tail Bee (Coelioxys rufescens) on a flower of Geranium phaeum

Blue Mason Bee (Osmia caerulescens) on a perennial wallflower bloom (Erysimum cv.)

Large Red Damselflies (Pyrrhosoma nymphula) in tandem on Duckweed floating on the water's surface

Male Nomad Bee (Nomada sp.) resting on a leaf surface in the sunshine. One of a group of Nomada species that are almost impossible to identify by eye, including Nomada flava and N.panzeri

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Michael Caponi @chinstrap.bsky.social · 25/04/2025

Wheatear, Skylark and Sandwich Tern. Recent arrivals at Hook With Warsash, 24 04.25 #HantsBirds #HantsBirding #LowCarbonBirding #HampshireBirding

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Michael Caponi @chinstrap.bsky.social · 21/04/2025

A grey murky hour by Woolston Sewage Works this morning turned up 14 Brent, 2 Shelduck and a Whimbrel #HantsBirds #HantsBirding #LowCarbonBirding

2 Brent geese on the shoreline, 1 Brent, 2 Shelduck, a Lesser Black-backed Gull and a European Herring Gull in the water

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Michael Caponi @chinstrap.bsky.social · 18/04/2025

Still a group of Brent by Woolston Sewage Works at low-tide this morning, including a couple of ringed birds I haven't seen here recently. The feeding looked good after choppy waters yesterday. Also, a fairly frail Curlew feeding. #HantsBirds #HampshireBirding #LowCarbonBirding

3 Brent geese on shore. One bird has leg rings (red 5, black 1)

A Brent goose with identifying leg rings (red K, black T)

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Michael Caponi @chinstrap.bsky.social · 14/04/2025

Still a group of 41 Brent geese by Woolston Sewage Works at low tide yesterday afternoon, including a few ringed ones too. 13.04.25 #HantsBirds #HantsBirding #LowCarbonBirding

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Michael Caponi @chinstrap.bsky.social · 13/04/2025

Bus and train to Romsey to walk the canal path to Fishlake Meadows. Lots of new arrivals singing from the reeds, mostly not showing their faces though! Sedge and Reed Warblers singing away but from low in the reeds. 12.04.25 #HantsBirds #HantsBirding #LowCarbonBirding

Common Whitethroat peeping through the foliage

Common Whitethroat clinging to a reed stem

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Michael Caponi @chinstrap.bsky.social · 26/03/2025

A walk to see the bees on Netley cliff yesterday. The cliff came alive in the glorious sunshine, mining bees everywhere! This in spite of the erosion the cliff has suffered recently and man's attempts to prevent it. #Bees

2 Early Colletes (Colletes cunicularius)

Marsham's Nomad Bee (Nomada marshamella) a cleptoparasitic bee that lays it's eggs in the nest cell of it's host

Yellow-legged Mining Bee (Andrena flavipes)

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Michael Caponi @chinstrap.bsky.social · 21/03/2025

A train and bus ride to see Mediterranean Gulls in glorious spring sunshine at Hayling Oyster Beds 18.03.25 #HantsBirds #HampshireBirding #LowCarbonBirding

Mediterranean Gull with a yellow leg-ring with black writing reading AYYE, indicating that this bird was ringed in Leipzig, Germany in 2018

2 Mediterranean gulls, one with a green leg-ring with white writing reading R8VX, indicating this bird was ringed in Vendee region of France in 2022

Mediterranean gull with a white leg-ring with black writing reading 3TPL, indicating that this bird was ringed in Bruxelles, Belgium in 2017

Mediterrean gull with a green leg-ring with white writing reading R9UA, indicating that this bird was ringed at Vendee, France in 2022

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Michael Caponi @chinstrap.bsky.social · 03/03/2025

A group of 10 Brent geese remained by Woolston Sewage Works this morning as the tide came in. 4 of the group had rings, 3 of which I have recorded there in the last few weeks. 03.03.25 #HantsBirds #HantsBirding

A single Brent goose with an orange ring on its left leg reading "5" and a black ring on its right leg with 2 horizontal white bands on it

2 Brent geese and a single juvenile herring gull. One goose has an orange ring on its left leg reading "5" and a black ring on its right leg with a white lite "A" on it. The other goose has an orange "5" ring on its left leg and a black ring on its right leg with a white "9" on it

3 Brent geese. The lefthand goose has 2 leg rings. The left leg as an orange ring stamped "5", the right leg has a black ring with a white "X" on it

Agroyp of 7 Brent geese feeding at the water's edge. 4 of the geese have identifying leg rings

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Michael Caponi @chinstrap.bsky.social · 02/03/2025

Queen Early Bumblebee, Bombus pratorum, visiting winter-flowering honeysuckle. Woolston, Hampshire 02.03.25 #Bees #HantsBees

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Michael Caponi @chinstrap.bsky.social · 02/03/2025

Hairy-Footed Flower Bee, Anthophora plumipes. First of the year in garden sunshine. Woolston, Hampshire 02.03.25 #Bees #HantsBees

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Michael Caponi @chinstrap.bsky.social · 25/02/2025

Courting Oystercatchers and feasting Brent, Woolston Sewage Works 25.02.25 #HantsBirds #HantsBirding

2 oystercatchers exhibiting courting behaviour, one bird has identifying rings on it's upper legs

A group of Brent geese feeding at the water's edge

A mixed group of 3 oystercatchers and 3 Brent geese at the shoreline

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Michael Caponi @chinstrap.bsky.social · 23/02/2025

Hundreds of Mediterranean Gulls have started arriving for their breeding season. These were seen at Hayling Island Oyster Beds 22.02.25 #HantsBirds ##HantsBirding #Gulls

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Michael Caponi @chinstrap.bsky.social · 10/02/2025

Four more ringed Brent by Woolston Sewage Works, all different from those previously reported 06.02.25 #HantsBirds #HantsBirding

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Michael Caponi @chinstrap.bsky.social · 04/01/2025

Lesser Yellowlegs, Keyhaven Marshes 04.01.25 #waders ##HampshireBirding #HantsBirds

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Michael Caponi @chinstrap.bsky.social · 21/12/2024

3 ringed birds amongst a flock of 24 by Woolston Sewage Works. None of these 3 were amongst the 5 ringed birds recorded 2 days earlier at the same site; none of those 5 were present in this group. 20.12.24 #Brent #HantsBirds #HampshireBirding