March

Hayling is a first landfall for many of our summer migrants and towards the end of March, we can expect to see wheatear, sand martin, swallow and willow warbler. Most of these will simply stay for a few hours to replenish their energy on their way to their breeding grounds.

March also sees the return of the terns, the first of which is the sandwich tern, ready to start their breeding on the islands in the north of Langstone Harbour. The common terns and little terns usually follow a bit later.

There are still waders in the harbours until the end of the month, but many of them will have left or be about to leave by then. The end of March has seen the departure, to their breeding grounds in Siberia, of the majority of the brent geese wintering in Langstone Harbour. A few will linger and indeed a very few will spend the whole summer in the area.

Our own breeding species start to resume their habitat in March. Resident skylarks will start to sing while those that have been winter visitors will begin to leave as will the over wintering meadow pipits and stonechats.