Lots of visitors today so plenty of sightings being reported including bittern being spotted just outside the Ivy North Hide by a number of people. On Ibsley Water black-necked grebe and red-crested pochard were seen from the Tern Hide, together with high numbers of waterfowl including unusually large rafts of shoveler. Many visitors were pleased to see pintail in among the other ducks. No reports of the smew that had been seen, I believe, on Rockford Lake, but that doesn’t mean it hasn’t been seen or isn’t there, just that no one mentioned it to us.
In and around the Woodland Hide and elsewhere on the reserve the wonderful mixed flocks of tits and finches continue to delight by their constant attendance on the seed and peanut feeders. The goldfinch, chaffinch and greenfinch numbers being augmented by their smaller cousins, siskin and lesser redpoll on the niger seed feeders, and a few brambling mixed in with the chaffinch flocks on the ground.
Jim kindly set out the light trap last night (first time this year), and as I’d seen reports from other moth-ers of some un-seasonal species being caught recently, with eager anticipation we set to unloading the trap to find……………just one moth – a Spring Usher. A little early, but nonetheless a welcome sight
First moth for the year in our light trap
In the floral line it’s nice to report that some of our more delightful winter flowers are starting to give us a glimpse of glories to come, in the form of these pioneering snowdrops poking through the leaf litter near to the Centre car-park.
A cheering sight – but, hopefully, not a herald of weather to come!!!
Blashford Lakes Nature Reserve 
Steve, you were right there was an e-mail cancelling today’s conservation day. I must read these e-mails more closely
All the very best
Keith Shackleton