Fishlake Meadows

This morning we joined several other members  of the local RSPB group on a  field trip to Fishlake Meadows near Romsey. It used to be farmland but since farming ceased there over twenty years ago, the floodplain has reverted to reedbeds, marsh, and other habitats, and all kinds of  wildlife have returned. In the summer, the area of reedbed in my photo is full of noisy, nesting Reed and Sedge Warblers, but it was fairly quiet today apart from the loud outbursts of songs from  Cetti's Warblers that  stay all year round.We spotted a perching Kingfisher just here, saw a March Harrier patrolling over the trees, and then further on, in  the wet meadows we found a small flock of  Snipe, which are always  good to see.  On the  lake there were some Greylag  geese and various  ducks. More will join them later in the winter. In spring and late summer migratory Ospreys  are often seen here, on the dead trees, and the hope is that one year a pair  may nest here. 

In the afternoon we returned to Romsey to attend the funeral of a neighbour who had died after a long illness. The  sunny conditions, turnout of over a hundred people,  and the uplifting, sometimes humorous, nature of the  service celebrating J's life made it a very special and appropriate send off for him.