Bird News: Ibsley Water – common tern 5, little gull 1, common sandpiper 3, little ringed plover 5, goldeneye 3, yellow wagtail 2, white wagtail 1, swallow 30+, house martin 3+, sand martin c100. Ivy Lake – reed warbler 2, Cetti’s warbler 1.
A much colder and wetter day than of late but with rather more birds as a result. Opening the Tern hide I saw 3 common sandpiper and 3 little ringed plover on the shore near the hide and a few hirundines over the lake. It was then cool but dry and as I left the hide I heard a yellow wagtail calling as it flew over northwards. However the day fairly quickly became wet with a persistent light rain, this resulted in an increase in the number of birds over Ibsley Water. In particular there was an arrival of a small group of 5 common tern, a fine adult summer plumage little gull, complete with a full hood and a pink flush on the breast and a mixed flock of swallows and martins. A search of the islands revealed 2 yellow wagtails distantly near the western shore and later a single male white wagtail. There were also at least 3 goldeneye still present, including an adult drake.
The night was not as cold as many recently and there were a few more moths including a pale pinion.
pale pinion
Otherwise the day was quiet and I spent much of it doing an analysis of waterfowl data for the last ten years, which accounts for the lack of pictures here. A better day is forecast for tomorrow so there might be more people out and about and perhaps even more birds to be found.
Blashford Lakes Nature Reserve 