Not much to report today, highlights were a first summer little gull and a common tern, the latter was also reported yesterday. Two pairs of shelduck on Ibsley Water were good to see, they nest most years somewhere on or near the reserve, but don’t seem to be very successful, small ducklings are often seen but fledged ones very rarely. Otherwise there seemed little change from when I was last on the reserve on Saturday.
If you are planning to visit tomorrow you might want to avoid the Tern hide/Goosander hide area as we will be doing some digger work at the base of the spit to rough up the compacted gravel surface to make it more suitable for nesting waders like lapwing and little ringed plover. Both species are present nearby but not yet nesting, so a bit more habitat might be welcome.
If you are coming to see In Focus, they should be on hand in the Tern hide as usual, the birds may just be a bit further away, so more of a test for the optics!
Blashford Lakes Nature Reserve 