Between the Lymington River and Keyhaven, with its seaward boundary the Solent Way footpath, this area is part owned by HCC aided by the Wildlife Trust. It was an important area for salt extraction until the 1850's and in the past was a popular area for wildfowling and the collection of winkles and oysters. Gravel extraction has also taken place here making it an interesting area for wild life. The intertidal habitat is made up of mud flats with seaweed and eel grass, and saltmarsh of glass wort and cad grass. Sea campion, thrift and the rare golden samphire grow along the shingle. In the spring wild daffodils cover the drier grassland just a few yards inland from the coastal path.
The habitat attracts high tide waders such as red shank, ring plover, oystercatcher, dunlin and curlew. Plovers and avocet are also seen here. In the past 15 years the little egret has become a common sight and brent geese are regular winter visitors, together with the more common canada geese. Other wild fowl seen are mallard, widgeon, red pintail, shoveler, shell duck, gadwell and the red breasted merganser. In colder weather the smew, goosander and occasional grey goose can also be seen. There are also divers and grebes and the rare white billed diver was once recorded here.
Also to be seen are passage birds - wagtails, pippets and dartford warblers, and numerous raptors - the peregrine, merlin, hobby, and hen and marsh harriers.
All this is just a short walk from my holiday caravan at Hurst view www.cogb.com/lymington.
Pictures copyright and courtesy of Henry Szwinto at www.szwinto.com
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