Red Overhead

Once again Thursday rolls around and the volunteer "crew" were in doing various jobs around the reserve. The main task was getting things ready for putting up the new rabbit fencing around Millennium Meadow. This involves digging out a ditch at the base of the fence line to put a return of wire under ground to prevent the bunnies tunnelling in. There was such a good turn out that we were also able to get the paths trimmed where the overnight rain had bent branches down and put in two new badger feeding stations.

There was rather little to report on the wildlife front apart from a fly-over Red Kite around lunchtime which disappeared in the direction of the New Forest trailed by a Buzzard. At least 2 Hobby were catching insects over the trees, at times right above the Centre. At the Tern hide the Pied Wagtails newly fledged earlier are now making their own way, the creamy yellow of their faces making some question if they are really Pied Wagtails. Of course they are and this yellowish tint is typical of very young ones and slowly fades as the summer goes on. The picture shows one of the three preening on the perch outside the hide.
The moth trap was once again quite productive with the highlight being an Alder Moth, but with supporting caste including Vine's Rustic, Iron Prominent and Pale Oak Beauty.

In late news I heard today of 2 Sanderling seen on Tuesday and a Greenshank yesterday, so a few more migrant waders, although this has still been the worst spring in the four years I have been at Blashford for passage birds.