Keyhaven & Pennington Marshes

Leader: Simon Ashley

Meet: Cheapside Car Park, Stroud, at 07:00, returning around 5.30pm
Venue: Keyhaven car park, Keyhaven, near Lymington, Hampshire (Keyhaven village green, SO41 0TG)

About the day
The Lymington and Keyhaven Marshes stretch along the Solent shore between Keyhaven and Lymington, looking out to Hurst Spit and the Isle of Wight. A flat sea wall path runs past saltmarsh, a chain of coastal lagoons and grazing marsh, so there’s always something to scan. Late April is one of the best times of year here. Waders and terns are moving through on spring migration, the breeding birds are settling in, and there’s always a chance of something scarce dropping in. We’ll walk the sea wall from Keyhaven towards Pennington, taking in Keyhaven Lagoon, Fishtail Lagoon and the Pennington lagoons, and return by the inland track past the grazing marsh and scrub.

What we might see
Based on eBird records for late April at Keyhaven and Pennington Marshes:

Very likely (seen on more than half of visits): redshank, shelduck, oystercatcher, little egret, lapwing, avocet, black-tailed godwit, dunlin, turnstone, whimbrel, greenshank, ringed plover, curlew, little tern, common tern, Mediterranean gull, great black-backed gull, cormorant, great crested grebe, gadwall, tufted duck, shoveler, teal, coot, whitethroat, Cetti’s warbler, reed warbler, linnet, skylark, meadow pipit, pied wagtail, reed bunting

Good chance (seen on 20–50% of visits): marsh harrier, Sandwich tern, bar-tailed godwit, spotted redshank (often in breeding plumage), spoonbill, ruff, little ringed plover, grey plover, snipe, eider, brent goose, wigeon, pintail, little grebe, water rail, sand martin, swift, wheatear, lesser whitethroat, raven, common gull

Possible: common sandpiper, knot, sanderling, curlew sandpiper, little gull, garganey, yellow wagtail, bearded tit, water pipit, green sandpiper, merlin, white-tailed eagle (from the Isle of Wight reintroduction)

Also look out for: stonechat, sedge warbler, Dartford warbler, peregrine, osprey, hobby, cuckoo and whinchat.

Cost and booking
There’s no event fee. Organisation and car sharing will be arranged through the group’s WhatsApp channels.

Parking
Keyhaven public car park, beside the village green, is pay and display.

Facilities
There are public toilets at Keyhaven car park, and the Gun Inn is in the village. There are no facilities along the sea wall.

Practical information

The walk is about 6 km, level throughout, on a gravel sea wall path, grassy tracks and a quiet single-track road. The sea wall is exposed, so bring a windproof layer even on a sunny day. Bring a telescope, as many of the birds will be out on the lagoons and saltmarsh. Bring a packed lunch and water.

If the trip has to change
Cancellations or weather changes will be shared on the group’s WhatsApp channels.

Further reading
New Forest National Park: Keyhaven Marshes walk
Hampshire County Council: Lymington and Keyhaven Marshes
eBird: Keyhaven and Pennington Marshes LNR