Bird News: Iblsey Water – shelduck 1, pintail 14. Ivy Lake – yellow-legged gull 1, starling c2000 (to roost). Centre – lesser redpoll 5.
Volunteer Thursday again and the weather held off for us once again. We were working at the southern end of the boardwalk on several tasks. The main job was scraping clear the grass growth from the gravel path, a difficult job but one that needed doing. Meanwhile I hoped into the Dockens Water to clear a log jam, these are desirable in some places but not beside the silt pond where they could compromise the bank.
digging away the grass, roots and all
Wildlife was hard to come by with all the activity, but the fallen oak does have quite a crop of small fungi growing out of it now, no idea what they are though.
fungi on fallen oak
After a few delays the fencing of the northern side of the reserve continues apace, almost all the posts are now in place, just the wire to go.
The feeders at the Centre are getting even busier, all the perches on the nyger feeder were occupied for almost the whole day, I think I had better deploy one or two more feeders.
Closing up in a brisk wind I saw about 2000 starlings wheeling over Ivy Lake and being attacked by a female sparrowhawk, the starlings eventually roosted near the Ivy North hide. From the Tern hide a single shelduck and at least 14 pintail were about all I could see in the gloom, and blowing rain.
Blashford Lakes Nature Reserve 