Firstly on bird photography: we are absolutely delighted and thrilled to have local wildlife photographer and lecturer John Combes back for the first time since the pandemic hit delivering his popular and brilliant photography courses.
Sadly the “Basics” day course, which should have run today, didn’t, and this is particularly sad as it is almost certainly simply because of the fact that with our current (temporary!) reduced staffing levels I have been too busy to advertise it as well as I should have done. So I am working at home late tonight to make sure that more people are aware of the follow up “Birds” photography course which is being held next Saturday, 2nd July. With some places sold already this course is definitely running – but we are keen to fill it if we can!
Please visit the website to find out more – and book!
https://www.hiwwt.org.uk/events/2022-07-02-wildlife-photography-birds
Now onto dragonfly photography – I have a special request…
Nigel Kendall, a Blashford Lakes supporter, one of our Welcome Volunteers and a keen photographer himself, is working up a “Blashford Dragonflies” book which will be sold from the Welcome Hut with all proceeds to Blashford Lakes. The book will feature a small amount of information alongside images of all of the Odonata species currently known to frequent the nature reserve as well as a small number of other species not yet recorded which are likely to be at some point in the future (based on a list compiled by Bob Chapman).
Nigel has good quality images which he is happy to publish of the vast majority of dragonfly and damselfly species on the list, but is missing the following:
Willow Emerald Damsel
Scarce Blue-tailed Damsel
Green-eyed Hawker
Vagrant Emperor
Lesser Emperor
Yellow-winged Darter
Red-veined Darter
So, if you have images of any of the above you are willing to share for this publication, or can forward this blog post onto anyone who you think might be able to help, we would be very grateful. Could you please email us at BlashfordLakes@hiwwt.org.uk with your consent for me to forward your email on to Nigel, and I will do so so that he may correspond with you directly.
In return you will obviously be credited as you wish within the book and you will receive your very own copy of the book free of charge when it is published – and, as if it could get any better, you will also get to experience the wonderful, warm, glow of knowing that your image contribution is indirectly contributing to the ongoing support and management of the Blashford Lakes Nature Reserve & Education Centre!
We hope to hear from you!
It turns out a well, or rather a badly, placed branch can still get in the way. Eventually I got one that was more or less alright, although it was almost too close.
Up close drake gadwall are not the boring grey they sometimes appear at a distance.
In fact this was not the only problem, I dare not open the hide window so the picture had to be taken through the glass, never ideal. It did change perch and at least this time I could more or less focus through the twigs.
Overall better results than yesterday’s avocet, which had, unsurprisingly, gone today. I was only at Blashford in the morning and so do not have a lot to report on the bird front. I understand that 2 brambling were seen at the Woodland hide, along with a chiffchaff and lesser redpoll. When I opened the Tern hide I saw a shelduck and 5 pintail (4 of them drakes) and later there was a report of a green sandpiper there.
Blashford Lakes Nature Reserve 