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Overview
Farlington Marshes is a Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife reserve that covers 308 acres. It is a coastal habitat and supports thousands of waders.
Birds
Notable Species
In winter several thousand Brent geese can be seen on the marshes with seaducks such as Red-breasted Merganser. Black-tailed Godwit, Dunlin, Oystercatcher and Grey Plover and Golden Plover can all be seen in large numbers during the winter with smaller numbers of Redshank, Greenshank, Ruddy Turnstone, Curlew and Common Snipe. Avocets are present here and Spoonbills often stop here on passage.
Wildfowl such as Teal, Shoveler, Shelduck, Wigeon, Pintail and Goldeneye are also common here during the winter. Little Egret are extremely common here and can be seen all year round.
In summer this is a haven for warblers along with migrants such as Whinchat, Whitethroats, flycatchers, Barn Swallow, Swift and Wheatear.
Rarities
To do
Check-list
Birds you can see here include:
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Other Wildlife
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Site Information
History and Use
Reclaimed from Langstone Harbour in the late 1700s the site has been used for cattle grazing more or less ever since. Parts of the site were used by the military during both World Wars, with munitions disposal resulting in several of the smaller pits and pools. The three round ponds in the Bushes area represent an inadvertent act of habitat creation by the Luftwaffe when they missed their intended target, the rocket battery that was in the area during World War Two.
Areas of Interest
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Access and Facilities
The reserve can be entered from the west, from the roundabout at the junction of the Eastern Road and the A27; it coming along the A27 the junction is the one signed to Southsea. The turn in itself is small and situated between the west-bound slip road off the A27 and the eastern road going south onto Portsea Island. There is parking alongside the track from the roundabout, to the entrance to the reserve proper.
It is also possible to walk to the reserve along the northern shore of the harbour from the car park near Bedhampton Sewage Works. Although close to the road this part of the harbour is a major low-tide feeding area for many species and the channel often has Black-necked Grebe.
One third of the area of the reserve is open access, the remainder being sanctuary areas, all of which is easily viewable from the sea-wall. A map of the reserve with this information is situated at each entrance.
The building in the north central part of the reserve has some interpretation of the site, leaflets and a list of recent sightings.
Contact Details
To do
External Links
Some information taken from the HOS website
Reviews
teamsaint's review
For the spectacle Farlington is definately worth it. Thousands of waders and Brent Geese should be seen, and depending on the time of year patience may reward you with a Black Brant amongst the Brents, a Curlew Sandpiper or Little Stint amongst the Dunlin or a Garganey amongst the Teal. Pros
- Thousands of waders and lots of good birds as well. Easy to see 60+ species in spring or autumn.
Cons
- Right next to a motorway, can't think of anything else!
