ZELLA COMPTON: Looking afresh at our beautiful spot in the world

Isn't it amazing how you can live somewhere for more than 40 years and yet never visit what's on your doorstep?
Zella had a fantastic day at Titchfield Haven and wonders what other local gems she's overlooked      Picture: Gary TawZella had a fantastic day at Titchfield Haven and wonders what other local gems she's overlooked      Picture: Gary Taw
Zella had a fantastic day at Titchfield Haven and wonders what other local gems she's overlooked Picture: Gary Taw

Last year was the first time I’d ventured out to one of the forts in the Solent, and last weekend was the first time I’d been to Titchfield Haven – the nature reserve which is entered at Hill Head and runs between the sea and Titchfield.

I’ve never been birdwatching before with serious intent, (I’ve pulled over for a murmuration or two, haven’t we all?) but birdwatching is what the nature reserve is primarily about with a series of hides along easy access paths.

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The scenery, whether through a slit in the hide, or passing between hides is stunning. You can imagine what most of our local coastline might have looked liked – wetlands, with reeds and teeming with feathered friends before we drained and built.

Hiding is fun. There are benches of all heights and the reserve lent our group enough binoculars that we weren’t squabbling for who had the best view.

But it starkly brought home to me how lacking my bird identification skills are. I could manage about five species, and those were broad classifications. Goose, swan, duck – that type of spotting.

There were plenty of serious twitchers on hand though to guide my quest for more knowledge, along with information such as ‘snipes are easy to spot today’. Who knew I was looking at a snipe? Not me.

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But there my education began with detailed descriptions and before long I too was quite taken with the four on view.

I can see why people get immersed in this world, the peace, the fresh air, the rewarding sights.

It’s compelling to watch animals in the wild doing their thing, bobbing, ducking, diving and weaving.

I was particularly taken with outstretched wings, drying in the sun.

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I expect I’ll be back, but next time I’ll go armed with a book of pictures and a bit more of an idea of what I might be seeing, to accompany my one fact of interest to no one, that I once watched a documentary which suggested that it was through these waters that the great plague was carried into the UK.

Experiences like the Haven (which is super reasonable and has a tearoom to hand) make me wonder what else I am missing on the doorstep, what other activities have passed me by because they’ve always been there and thus aren’t, in my mind, exciting places to visit.

Perhaps it’s time to wear a tourist hat and look at our beautiful spot in the world afresh.

QUIT IT WITH THE HYPERBOLE, WE WANT ACTION

The Winter Olympics do make me laugh, for the crazy bravado on display and also for the bizarre thought processes which go into creating each event.

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‘I know’, some bright spark said, ‘you have to keep your knees together as you go over little humps.’

What on earth is that about? Watching the winter games puts you on the edge of your seat as there is the threat of imminent death and destruction at any moment.

Apart from the curling. Oh, and the incessant chat on the BBC when Britain isn’t competing, or likely to get anywhere.

Quit with all the hyperbole of medals from previous games and show us more live action from other nations. We need our adrenaline shots please.

STUDENTS JUST WANT TO BE SAFE AT SCHOOL

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There’s a growing movement in the USA among the young to hold politicians to account for their actions – or lack of actions.

I’m referring to the exodus of students from schools to mark the fact that they want change when it comes to gun laws in the USA, they want to be safe in their learning environment and they want more than thoughts and prayers, they want action.

That these demonstrations are taking place is amazing and serves to highlight that the young appear to be awake to the damning statistics about gun death in their country – as much as politicians swerve around the issue of control.

Even small changes like a national searchable database with details of who has what would feel like a start.

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