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Description
Whilst on first appearance the site may look just like a theme park - they have zip wires, adventure playgrounds, cycling trails, orienteering, horse riding and a Saturday morning park run etc - don't be fooled as this is a good birdwatching area. 40 years ago before the local council took over the park, a lot of the ancient deciduous woodland was clear felled and replaced with commercial soft wood. Since the council take over many of these soft wood trees have been removed (still ongoing) and deciduous trees have been encouraged to grow, coppicing of Ash (Fraxinus), Hazel (Corylus) and Alder (Alnus) continues in the woodland nature reserve annually. Other areas are grassland and flower meadows. On the West side of the River Itchen is Itchen Valley Nature Reserve, an area of water meadows.
Depending on season expect to see (Κοκκινόλαιμο) Νανοβουτηχτάρι, Σταχτοσουσουράδα, Σχοινοποταμίδα, Καλαμοποταμίδα, (Ευρωπαϊκή) Αλκυόνη, (Μεγάλο) Καλαμοτσίχλονο, Μαυροκέφαλη Πάπια, Καπακλής, (Ευρωπαϊκό) Κιρκίρι, Mandarin Duck, (Ευρωπαϊκή) Νεροκοτσέλα, Κηποτσιροβάκος, Lesser Whitethroat, (Κοινό) Μπεκατσίνι, Κουφομπεκάτσινο, Κεδρότσιχλα, Κοκκινότσιχλα, (Κοινό) Λούγαρο Lesser Redpoll. Autumn migrants include Ακτίτης, Δασότρυγγας, Κιτρινοσουσουράδα, (Κοινός) Φοινίκουρος, Καστανολαίμης, Χιονοκότσυφας. With Southampton International Airport just to the West, large birds such as Χουχουριστής, Ανθρωποπούλλι and Βαλτόμπουφος have been involved in bird strikes with aircraft at the airport, active bird scaring is in operation.
BE WARNED: do not trespass on banks of river Itchen - private fishing only, view only from river bridge.
Details
Access
The M27 motorway between Cadnam (in the West) and Portsmouth (in the East) runs just South of the site. For both Eastbound and Westbound traffic leave M27 at junction 5 signed Eastleigh/Airport. At large roundabout follow signs (brown in colour) to Itchin Country Park. The good news is every roundabout has similar signs to the Country Park from here on. The road soon becomes the A27, after turning Left off a roundabout along the tree lined Allington Lane you reach the final roundabout (without signs). Continue straight ahead (second exit), this Allington Lane goes over the M27, on the next gently sweeping Right hand bend look for Itchen Valley Country Park sign and turn Left. The car parks are on this long driveway.
There are numerous car parks (Fee Payable) within the park. The park opens at 0530hrs daily, closes at 1800hrs 1st October - 31st March and 2030hrs 1st April - 30th September.