Motacillidae and Turdidae (via Blashford Lakes)

Pied Wagtail (Motacilla alba); Meadow Pipit (Anthus pratensis); Grey Wagtail (Motacilla cinerea) and Northern Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe).

Vis-mig at Blashford Lakes

A stochastic event interrupted Excel population modelling this afternoon, when a post lunch phone call arrived inviting me to join a friend at Blashford Lakes Reserve for some late afternoon birding in the shelter of the Tern and Goosander hides.

Shortly after arrival at the Tern hide I missed 3 little ringed plover (Charadrius dubius) as they flew in and disappeared one to the south west and two east over the spit towards the gossander hide. Fortunately a single bird was picked up from the goosander hide a little later. 4 (poss 5) of these birds are now on site.

Around 16:30 I spotted a single barn swallow (Hirundo rustica) hawking amongst a small flock of sand martins (Riparia riparia) - the martin flock swelling in size to circa 120 birds over the next half hour.

Other highlights included a raft of goldeneye (Bucephala clangula) in total 33 on Ibsley Water, complete with displaying males, goosander (Merganser merganser) in very small numbers and 2 grey wagtails (Motacilla cinerea) feeding within meters of the Tern hide.

A large flock of m'ipits was misidentified as 20 water pipits in the Tern hide log book.

Blashford Lakes - birding highlights

Highlight of the day: a single water pipit Anthus spinoletta which alighted briefly on the shoreline of Ibsley Water in front of the Tern hide around 12:30. The water pipit is a scarce winter visitor to Hampshire last year having only 8 county records for December (Hampshire Bird Report 2008) - so we were very pleased to have this albeit brief encounter. Other Ibsley Water highlights included a small number of both goldeneye Bucephala clangula and goosander Mergus merganser; 13 snipe Gallinago gallinago - the only waders noted; a single kingfisher Alcedo atthis and two meadow pipit Anthus pretensis.

Elsewhere on the reserve other birds of note included 3(4) chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita feeding over the reed bed seen from the Ivy North hide along with 1(2) cetti's warbler Cettia cetti; 2 goldcrest Regulus regulus amongst a mixed tit flock.

Blashford Lakes Volunteering

Pulling Himalayan Balsam Impatiens glandulifera along the banks of the Dockens Water at Blashford Lakes Wildlife Reserve (Nr. Ringwood, Hampshire) produced an unexpected and much needed highlight when a grass snake Natrix natrix was uncovered beneath the damp tangle of ferns and bramble - this individual was carefully replaced behind the advancing line of the volunteers where it quickly recoiled and settled.

Natrix natrix For more information on this species see http://www.herpetofauna.co.uk/grass_snake.htm

The path edges around the reserve are brightened by the displays of St John's Wort sp. Hypericum sp.

Hypericum sp.

Several Buddleia Buddlleja davidii or "butterfly bush" are growing around the visitor centre attracting a large number of butterflies including the peacock Inachis io, painted lady Vanessa cardui, red admiral Vanessa atlanta, brimstone Gonepteryx rhamni, large white Pieris brassicae, small white Pieris rapae and comma polygonum c-album. Speckled wood Parage argeria, small heath Coenonympha pamphilus and gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus were also noted around the site.

Inachis io (top) Vanessa cardui (bottom) feeding on Buddleja davidii

Parage aegeria on common nettle Urtica dioica