Back after being off for a while and quiet a bit has changed at Blashford. The Common Terns on the rafts on Ivy lake have hatched their chicks, I reckon at least 12 pairs several with three chicks. Most are of a similar age but one, on the southern raft is much larger and will be growing real feathers very soon.
There are now swarms of geese on Ibsley Water, come to moult on the safety of a large lake with lots of grass to graze. Most are Greylag but there are also lots of Canadas and a few hybrids and a single Bar-headed. The Lapwings continue to fail to hatch any chicks, something is taking their eggs with depressing regularity. However a pair of Little Ringed Plovers near the Tern hide are still sitting on eggs and a second pair nearby probably are. The female Little Ringed Plover is pictured just returning to her nest, look closely and you can just see a small spider on top of her head, it was there for a long time, possibly looking for a high point to "balloon" from.
The Sand Martins continue to do well with the bank really busy today and a Little Grebe on a nest just below the hide as well.
Near the Centre the feeders still have Siskin on them, including at least two juveniles.
A few other picture from the day below:
Moles often seem to be found dead on the surface at this time of year. I have always assumed they are out and about in the night and get caught by predators who, finding them distasteful, discard them. This one was next to the path on the east side of Ellingham Lake.
One of the Dark Mullein plants on the west side of Ellingham Lake had several Mullein Moth caterpillars feeding on it. They were of very different sizes, some almost full grown others looked newly hatched. Presumably they are from eggs laid by different females. In this picture there are also several Figwort Weevils.
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