Bird News: Ibsley Water – sand martin 9+, goosander 16+, green sandpiper 1. Ivy lake – Cetti’s warbler 1. Woodland – brambling 1+, mealy redpoll 1 (reported).
Not much to report today as I was away from Blashford for almost the entire day, apart from the opening and closing of the hides at the start and end of the day. I did see a few sand martin over Ibsley Water and a green sandpiper flying away northwards, but I could not find yesterday’s little ringed plover nor the black-necked grebes.
Over on Ivy Lake a Cetti’s warbler was singing loudly by the North hide and flying around, it headed off westward and when I was at the Woodland hide one was singing from beside the silt pond, I suspect it was the same bird, but cannot prove it. I have known them to hold very large territories and have two mates. I know there was a female bird around a week or so ago, but I am not sure if it is still on the reserve. The mute swans near the north hide are making good progress with their nest which is getting quite large now, they are having to collect material from further and further afield and have made a large hole in the reedmace bed.
The moth trap held the usual masses of small Quakers (54) with smaller numbers of other species including single pine beauty, lead-coloured drab and yellow horned.
I gather that the mealy redpoll was reported again today, I have yet to see it, but it is reported as being ringed so it will be fascinating if it gets caught when the ringers are in again as we could find out where it has come from.
Sorry for the lack of pictures today, I could blame the fact that I was not ont he reserve for long, but the real reason was that I left the camera at home!
Blashford Lakes Nature Reserve 