Thursday, 30 October 2014

Scott's Farm East Whittering

Day Four - our last over night stay so we decided to drive back towards Chichester so that we'd be only a few miles away for our 10am van return tomorrow. After checking out the site at Selsey (too expensive £33-39!) and Witts Farm (too far away from anywhere) we eventually ended up at the first place we looked at - Scott's Farm which is remarkably better than I thought it was going to be. I'd imagined a site jamed with caravans & vans and children running around making too much noise..... AND it was expensive £29 because it's half term! Gladly it's a very quite site (probably because of the weather which has turned dramatically to rain rain, cloud, rain rain) and we were charged just £20 so that's very acceptable. It has toilets, showers & small shop much like Hurst View. It is basically a field and in high season I would think it is a mass of caravans etc. but it's a good location oposite Joffrey Road which leads to the beach and where we parked the car on our last visit to EW. The village is literally 2 mins away. Not very picturesque but if you just need a bit of sea air, waves & a bag of chips, it does the job.





Bird log
At Selsey
Turnstones 
Cormorants/shags 
BH Gulls 
A grey seal bobing it's head in the sea. 

Wednesday, 29 October 2014

Homlsley

Day 3
We rang ahead and booked in at Snetthorn in the New Forest. Only a 15 min drive away...
On arrival thou we were told they had no electric so could either stay without hook up or go to Holmsley down the road. Had it been in the summer we probably would have stayed but we didn't want to be cold and miserable with no cooked food so headed for the more open plan commercial site at Holmsley.
Right in the new forest so walks galore but no clear marked routes or circular ones that we found... 
Village nr by but not sure how far to walk. 
Pitch very pleasant and spacious but not as remote as Hurst View. Feels more like your in a camp sight which of course you are.....

Holmsley (New Forest Camping)
Nr Burley
Tourers only: caravans, vans & tents 
£?   We paid £16 but were originally meant to be at Snetthorn which has no facilities. They were also off electricity when we arrived so rebooked us here. I pretty sure this is a more expensive site. 
No campfires / BBQ allowed
Toilet & shower facilities excellent 
Well stocked shop/info centre

Our luck has run out with the weather but in a weird way I'm glad. It wouldn't have been much if a trial if the weather had been glorious for 4 days. It rain most of the night and still raining now... But it's not cold and we managed to go for walkies without getting soaked so still enjoying the experience.
Bacon, egg again for breakfast but still have masses of food in the fridge and cupboards. We definitely over packed on that score... 

Sunday, 26 October 2014

Campervan adventures

26th-30th October
Our first Campervan adventure (well it's actually a motor home but some how that doesn't sound right)

First stop Chichetser to pick up our home for the next few days. The hand over was all very straight forward and after instructions on all the vital functions: electricity hook up, waste water pipe, chemical toilet disposal, fresh water tank, heating, microwave, cooker etc etc......  we were off on our own to explore the road....

We'd book our first couple of nights so we knew where we were headed. Lymington, Only an hour away. Long enough to get a feel for the drive, short enough to avoid travel lag. The campsite was Hurst View Leisure, promising views over the Solent. It didn't disappoint. We were shown to a pitch right at the end of the line so had uninterrupted view of the rural scene before us and yes distant views of the sea cliffs... And very free and pleasant land.. 

Hurst View Leisure
Residential caravans, tourers, vans & tents. 
£25 per night with hook up
Campfires & BBQs allowed
Excellent toilet / shower facilities
Very small shop, essentials only (no chocolate!)
Fab walks on door step - marsh land, reed beds and sea. Views over to IOW
Two Pub walking distance 
About 3/4 full even in October ....
Booking very informal thou. Name only no payment or deposit. 
##### 5 stars. Return :def. 

Bird life
Brent Geese (many flocks of)
Red shanks galore
Godwits
Lapwings
Curlews
Little Egrets
Pink footed or grey lag geese
Canada Geese
Cormorant
Wigeon
Shelduck
Shoveler
Mallard
Tufted duck
Coot
Heron

Robin
Magpie
Blackbird
Starlings
Pigeon
Blue tit
Great tit
Crow
Jackdaws
Mute swans 
Long tailed tits
Back headed gulls
Herring gull

Reed warbler of some kind LBJ
Wheatear?
Bird of prey? 

Other wildlife 
Clouded yellow butterfly (first 😀)
Red Admiral 
Comma

Common darter
Southern/migrant Hawker