Hope my contribution is not too late, but I'm a new member and have just found this topic and would like to offer my tuppenorth!
I live in Hampshire and am torn between three sites.....
1 Titchfield Haven - this is an NNR run by Hamshire CC. Arranged around the mouth of The River Meon it has estuary waters, reed beds, woodland fringes and meadows. It adjoins the bottom of Southampton Water where it meets the The Solent. The reserve centre includes a shop and an excellent cafe.
Birds seen there include lots of ducks and waders in the winter and I have such species as curlew sandpiper, little stints, spoonbills, avocet, etc. It was the first place in England to have breeding cetti's warblers.
2 Pennington Marsh - stretching from Lymington to Keyhaven this area of brakish lagoons separated from the Solent by a sea wall has open access. There is no reserve centre and no cafe but The Gun in Keyhaven makes a good lunchtime pause. Parking can be tricky in summer but in winter the marina in Lymington is freely available.
In winter there are large flocks of Brent Geese, and dunlin, godwits, grey and golden plovers, mergansers, goldeneye, slav' & great crested grebes, kingfishers and the occasional avocet, great northern diver, peregrine and merlin. There are usually a small number of dartford warblers in amongst the gorse growing on the sloping sides of the sea walls.
3 Blashford Lakes (nr Ringwood) - Large lakes which are the result of gravel extraction and areas of woodland and reedbeds. There is a reserve centre but no cafe. A summer speciality is little ringed plover and this year the area has had an osprey as a frequent visitor. Winter birds include siskins, redpoll, brambling in numbers. Ducks have included long tailed, goosanders goldeneye etc
If I had to choose one of the three it would be Pennington. A winter walk from Lymington with lunch at The Gun returning to Lymington with the chance of a hunting barn owl just as the light is starting to go is my favourite birding day.
Chaz
PS sorry if I've got on a bit but I do get carried away when describing my best birding places.
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