tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89667000762731198792024-03-12T17:36:22.556-07:00Blashford Lakes Wildlife ReserveAbiJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16273751368966001494noreply@blogger.comBlogger485125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8966700076273119879.post-11534558494452903542011-11-08T09:49:00.000-08:002011-11-08T09:54:47.764-08:00Last Post<div><strong>Bird News</strong>: <u>Ivy Lake</u> - <strong>short-eared owl</strong> 1, flushed from beside the path to the Ivy South hide, rather an odd place I thought, but no doubt about the identity.</div><div> </div><div>This will be the last post I will make here, the blog has moved, the new address is: </div><div> </div><div><a href="http://blashfordlakes.wordpress.com/">http://blashfordlakes.wordpress.com/</a></div><div> </div><div>It might work as a link, but if not a copy and paste should do it. Hopefully regular followers will move across to the new site. I intend to continue regular postings.</div>Robert Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00490116130871584359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8966700076273119879.post-69831587221822752112011-11-06T10:16:00.000-08:002011-11-06T10:40:55.504-08:00Red Crests and German Wasps<div><strong>Bird News</strong>: <u>Ibsley Water</u> - <strong>red crested pochard</strong> 5 (4 drakes, 1 duck), <strong>green sandpiper</strong> 1, <strong>dunlin</strong> 7 (but I only saw 5), <strong>pochard</strong> c30, <strong>yellow-legged gull</strong> 3+ (at dusk), <strong>Egyptian goose</strong> 3, peregrine 1.</div><div><u>Ivy Lake</u> - <strong>Cetti's warbler</strong> 1 (calling), <strong>water rail</strong> 1 (calling).</div><div>The night was cool and the moth trap contained rather little as a result, but this little did include a <strong>December</strong> <strong>moth</strong>.</div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd8tf-SUdfwYjEXYZNaVBGh2bkvro9akPyz2txDOGr1PBryMqPL8jv27-W8j8KNtU5OFj4MQECQcyroCQklZSOjyBa6M_-OCe1wepB63bQsQ2tn5PnNoAtc0VT8NrZQaayhM_euQ7NQJDF/s1600/December+moth.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5671949257187142146" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd8tf-SUdfwYjEXYZNaVBGh2bkvro9akPyz2txDOGr1PBryMqPL8jv27-W8j8KNtU5OFj4MQECQcyroCQklZSOjyBa6M_-OCe1wepB63bQsQ2tn5PnNoAtc0VT8NrZQaayhM_euQ7NQJDF/s400/December+moth.jpg" /></a>There was also another well furred species, a <strong>sprawler</strong>.<div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVnarbijGpL6ct8pBAjXkBsun4GA7alFUM3VqWujliJ8JM2_ZQGKzqknFWMBUqNelh_eD6rdpnm0FpmXq8ozmTs4EHRuc-GOT8hg5Sxz4zzPiW6uTHkoxyh1mTTGYoge-Gfn3Vbiho6ObT/s1600/Sprawler.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5671949253009097010" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVnarbijGpL6ct8pBAjXkBsun4GA7alFUM3VqWujliJ8JM2_ZQGKzqknFWMBUqNelh_eD6rdpnm0FpmXq8ozmTs4EHRuc-GOT8hg5Sxz4zzPiW6uTHkoxyh1mTTGYoge-Gfn3Vbiho6ObT/s400/Sprawler.jpg" /></a>As it was the first Sunday of the month, nine volunteers came in today. Unfortunately my plans for the morning were scuppered by reports of an escaped pony, so off we went to try and reunite it with the other seven. For some reason a whole section of fence had been knocked over, I would guess that the animals had been spooked or chased and blundered into the fence in the dark. After a certain amount of discussion we arrived at plan and better still it worked. The fence was then repaired and we returned to the Centre. We now had only half an hour to do something so we sorted the tools in the store so that we could make enough space to stack the maize sweepings we were donated yesterday, it makes ideal winter feed for finches.</div><div>We also sorted some rubbish and came across a group of queen wasps gathered for hibernation, they appeared to all be <strong>German</strong> <strong>wasps</strong>.<div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOO26ZNGvYDPtZqKGVRcpFx-erYb3mHecURDI99NaKqPbhoKKDzOb5po72aOr-xGVFxdxFheQk1XW9fjVZ5S97QZwKVA3fKAACdmoXA-qu8xDsWcUvGmUnwj404q8xrOEw1tbxcGPOkVEu/s1600/Wasp+queen.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5671949239898391698" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOO26ZNGvYDPtZqKGVRcpFx-erYb3mHecURDI99NaKqPbhoKKDzOb5po72aOr-xGVFxdxFheQk1XW9fjVZ5S97QZwKVA3fKAACdmoXA-qu8xDsWcUvGmUnwj404q8xrOEw1tbxcGPOkVEu/s400/Wasp+queen.jpg" /></a>The three dots on the front of the face along with four on the rear of the thorax identify the species. Although this does not seem to have been a really bumper year for wasps at Blashford there do seem to be a very large number of queens about now, perhaps the warm autumn has enabled more than usual to be produced.<div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNRnai6zgcZsFD1qZnM92eRuNOx0Wi364YWW4taoAZfJQSExuaEut-mkcs_krNEOCRJ5J6ulofuT8-gOHAmC8gjXwi7OCtn-ad8_rZAJRotO_AZI6ra2S3O8NthYZoWflXe2xUX0sL0qyr/s1600/wasp+head.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5671949238352427362" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNRnai6zgcZsFD1qZnM92eRuNOx0Wi364YWW4taoAZfJQSExuaEut-mkcs_krNEOCRJ5J6ulofuT8-gOHAmC8gjXwi7OCtn-ad8_rZAJRotO_AZI6ra2S3O8NthYZoWflXe2xUX0sL0qyr/s400/wasp+head.jpg" /></a>The bird highlight of the day was the group of 5 <strong>red</strong> <strong>crested</strong> <strong>pochard</strong> that spent the day near the northern shore of the lake. The very bright, clear light made the drake's ginger heads and red bills shop up well even at the long range.<br /><div></div></div></div></div></div>Robert Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00490116130871584359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8966700076273119879.post-91811345701773738082011-11-04T10:44:00.000-07:002011-11-04T10:57:58.508-07:00Streaks in the Rain<div>Only briefly at Blashford today, just about long enough to open up the hides and check the moth trap. Despite a wet night the moth trap was quite busy, there were a lot of "<strong>November</strong>" <strong>moths</strong>, a groups of species that cannot reliably be separated by sight. There were also 2 <strong>streak</strong>, only ocassional at Blashford.</div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvyMC4j7BtH33Kog4HFdTmG3OBRCL8jFl7nQppQeSe_q0PCnLNL6y7Uy4PCP-dIxXSuWlEKm30Mrcuhs3KOCH1RtClI6ZiXx6iQOu0CLGSrbbFoM-OaEi91idU0LHYjmg-3h-8DJmeaALJ/s1600/Streak.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5671198405303332834" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvyMC4j7BtH33Kog4HFdTmG3OBRCL8jFl7nQppQeSe_q0PCnLNL6y7Uy4PCP-dIxXSuWlEKm30Mrcuhs3KOCH1RtClI6ZiXx6iQOu0CLGSrbbFoM-OaEi91idU0LHYjmg-3h-8DJmeaALJ/s400/Streak.jpg" /></a>Less frequent still was a <strong>cypress</strong> <strong>carpet</strong>, these are not rare but as their caterpillars mainly eat ornamental conifers they are usually found in gardens.<div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3IdKjHQ04fMeeplhKF0RZixyI8F0cvd_jrk7TzXR-UFRy00RBqpIbAK8J6saaKyrJsu14mgYvDtFd6pbCs-P6eYmEste8h5zEiR2z0-s80NbDX-urr247dACFEoieS8I0zvYATL0SDUd9/s1600/Cypress+Carpet.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5671198399205269298" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3IdKjHQ04fMeeplhKF0RZixyI8F0cvd_jrk7TzXR-UFRy00RBqpIbAK8J6saaKyrJsu14mgYvDtFd6pbCs-P6eYmEste8h5zEiR2z0-s80NbDX-urr247dACFEoieS8I0zvYATL0SDUd9/s400/Cypress+Carpet.jpg" /></a><div></div></div></div>Robert Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00490116130871584359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8966700076273119879.post-57160093376231542212011-11-03T13:40:00.000-07:002011-11-03T13:59:47.920-07:00A Fit of the Vapours<div><strong>Bird News</strong>: <u>Ibsley Water</u> - <strong>goldeneye</strong> 2.</div><div><u>Mockbeggar</u> <u>Lake</u> - <strong>great white egret </strong>1</div><div><u>Centre</u> - <strong>fieldfare</strong> 1+, <strong>short-eared owl</strong> 1</div><div>The night had been mild, if very wet, luckily the moth trap at Blashford can be run under the eaves of the building and it had managed to stay dry and had a good haul of moths. These included a male <strong>vapourer</strong>, not that females would ever come to light as they do not fly. The males seek out the females as they emerge from the cocoon using the feathery antennae to detect the female pheromones.</div><div><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670873003617800130" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaBAXq2EShSW4Og8U_UmEfqixNOJ_P32Nw8WtaFiqQBs6eBONr07wtpKQQCYdnovrrFXoBYcy0O9SbcfKnOUjYp_kjEkvfzzpN6ElxpLC5wrT7Lz1zXnxkyVbzDVoVaQay_mGN6LOHZNbC/s400/Vapourer.jpg" />Other moths included 2 <strong>rusty</strong>-<strong>dotted</strong> <strong>pearl</strong>, a <strong>vestal</strong> and the <strong>common</strong> <strong>marbled</strong> <strong>carpet</strong> below.<div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi8CSPFrtmKGRapsdrJZeDD7uavxYxuSJWYhfC3BUqYsmqJSyOSPpPN6gsUKDV7jGDXWW9YQKPD1Z15Fmtf50PedLo5rUOjKzhRQYGTGS0YgqbtDvk2jciWX2rFWoBGiF4EQLLVVqhAd_0/s1600/Common+Marbled+Carpet.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 301px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670872996021389250" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi8CSPFrtmKGRapsdrJZeDD7uavxYxuSJWYhfC3BUqYsmqJSyOSPpPN6gsUKDV7jGDXWW9YQKPD1Z15Fmtf50PedLo5rUOjKzhRQYGTGS0YgqbtDvk2jciWX2rFWoBGiF4EQLLVVqhAd_0/s400/Common+Marbled+Carpet.jpg" /></a>We are definitely edging into late autumn now, the recent rain has coaxed out some more fungi and as I took the picture below I heard my first Blashford fieldfare of the season. <div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidhcwL-jn3F19jlsxjtKRixcheuMnVzKtqrdCcdwgByDy9IqI2zSWdQprdSFlPCzIgKaZtMnl5t3AEplpN46MQxWfg5XzUX_8G1fT3FcyAaiQCqznoiZh-0Y5tSWGx4CZZkPiZRnY18QKx/s1600/Fungi.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 267px; height: 400px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670872989490104866" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidhcwL-jn3F19jlsxjtKRixcheuMnVzKtqrdCcdwgByDy9IqI2zSWdQprdSFlPCzIgKaZtMnl5t3AEplpN46MQxWfg5XzUX_8G1fT3FcyAaiQCqznoiZh-0Y5tSWGx4CZZkPiZRnY18QKx/s400/Fungi.jpg" /></a>Just to the right of this picture Michelle saw an owl perched in a clearing, she thought it was a tawny owl, and it might have been. However some hours later a short-eared owl was flushed from the same area, so I suspect that is what she saw. This is certainly the first record for the reserve, at least since 2006, unfortunately I missed it.</div><div>There was also a "new" goldeneye on Ibsley Water this morning, very obviously a young drake.<br /><div>The volunteers were in again today and we cleared more of the view from the Ivy North hide and I made a start on a "Bittern channel", I will have to refine the line over the next week or so though. Then we will just have to wait and hope for some bitterns.</div></div></div></div>Robert Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00490116130871584359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8966700076273119879.post-33070560550915862432011-11-02T13:34:00.000-07:002011-11-02T13:49:20.054-07:00Velvet Sack Racers<div>I have no bird news, or indeed much else to report today, the day was fine at first and grim at the last. The picture of the drake <strong>pochard</strong> here was taken in the fine bit.</div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit0HyjUwOmv7xWid9PP3tXp_m2Z_9kpiPZ8oJZ1HCmmaiY01jvw-xmxFJxar023QUqVTtNJLldu1-pp-QUGovWxBzspCQYDt4kLtIS6DpkSIbNc3vZZvEuqREQeDLAUH8y-aR3SYTiyLLv/s1600/Pochard.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670499722079262834" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit0HyjUwOmv7xWid9PP3tXp_m2Z_9kpiPZ8oJZ1HCmmaiY01jvw-xmxFJxar023QUqVTtNJLldu1-pp-QUGovWxBzspCQYDt4kLtIS6DpkSIbNc3vZZvEuqREQeDLAUH8y-aR3SYTiyLLv/s400/Pochard.jpg" /></a>I spent the day blowing leaves and clearing small trees from under the electricity lines, which largely accounts for the lack of bird sightings.</div><div> </div><div>I realised after yesterday's post that I had forgotten to mention perhaps the best sight of the day. We were sorting out the diaries up to the end of the year and sitting beside the Centre pond as we did so, when a rustling was heard. The Michelle then spotted a <strong>mole</strong> which dashed out and back from the picket fence. Then as we watched two moles came racing, yes racing, along the fence edge over the stones. We assume one was chasing the other off, the lead mole nipped through the fence and slipped into the pond, swam a short way and disappeared under the boardwalk. Running over the stones they were surprisingly fast although they had the look of a small mammal in a sack race.</div>Robert Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00490116130871584359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8966700076273119879.post-33827274468547673552011-11-01T13:59:00.000-07:002011-11-01T14:29:41.465-07:00Something in the Water<div><strong>Bird News</strong>: <u>Ibsley Water</u> - <strong>goldeneye</strong> 1, <strong>goosander</strong> 10.</div><div><u>Mockbeggar Lake</u> - <strong>little egret</strong> 12, <strong>great white egret</strong> 1.</div><div><u>Ivy Lake</u> - <strong>water rail</strong> 2.</div><div>The moth trap was quite busy this morning after a mild night, nothing new for the year, but a <strong>merveille du jour</strong> and a<strong> mottled umber</strong> were both good to see. The mottled umber is pictured below.</div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhETRBAYB1WgppJqahk1Cf_R8vlVQ83FtiUrbwT1f9LxFDkhQ6mb6dNiffYFhuFNtGThrqb4axmJiYg4LCDVLeuHj7s4HB9c9zmIVGNIYjr4P9malOVRE6_6TVJ9njtHYapJe4GnsL_lBYB/s1600/Mottled+Umber.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670136135384283618" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhETRBAYB1WgppJqahk1Cf_R8vlVQ83FtiUrbwT1f9LxFDkhQ6mb6dNiffYFhuFNtGThrqb4axmJiYg4LCDVLeuHj7s4HB9c9zmIVGNIYjr4P9malOVRE6_6TVJ9njtHYapJe4GnsL_lBYB/s400/Mottled+Umber.jpg" /></a>As well as the moths a single hoverfly was also in the trap, an <em><strong>Eristalis</strong></em> <strong><em>pertinax </em></strong>a species that will hibernate and fly again in the spring.<div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPY0GG_AkUf9y-1XR2xtk0tCa0UhMHXUvyFKqLvNsgs5aQoexigQ1Z4aHJczUR7kn8-zxim_HzptBXf-x2XffAvf6XFLECtHH7o9YRsieCjBUfU3SA6fnvxbhRdA-GKlCjFYidcbbp8U4I/s1600/Eristalis+pertinax.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670135948458275106" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPY0GG_AkUf9y-1XR2xtk0tCa0UhMHXUvyFKqLvNsgs5aQoexigQ1Z4aHJczUR7kn8-zxim_HzptBXf-x2XffAvf6XFLECtHH7o9YRsieCjBUfU3SA6fnvxbhRdA-GKlCjFYidcbbp8U4I/s400/Eristalis+pertinax.jpg" /></a>I had to go and look at the fence along the northern shore of Mockbeggar Lake in the morning as we are looking to replace the old fence, which has seen better days. Looking across the lake a group of egrets included the <strong>great</strong> <strong>white</strong> <strong>egret</strong>, I gave digi-binning a try and the result is below.<div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7tC5ynPy7Qlmvldr_DJYbzSaDtI8Ti5ZHPFIV-zp7wpEXs8Be0OBrj5g_3GN_GI6YCjIMbaBEkTyIS4Xg7fjKAOe6QdQCTXhAuwKHK33wxafEJ1U9Bpm2nIDy9h4dbnzG4CIpycTZdHpM/s1600/Egrets+and+herons.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670135941456276802" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7tC5ynPy7Qlmvldr_DJYbzSaDtI8Ti5ZHPFIV-zp7wpEXs8Be0OBrj5g_3GN_GI6YCjIMbaBEkTyIS4Xg7fjKAOe6QdQCTXhAuwKHK33wxafEJ1U9Bpm2nIDy9h4dbnzG4CIpycTZdHpM/s400/Egrets+and+herons.jpg" /></a>The sun was out for much of the time and I saw several insects including <strong>migrant</strong> <strong>hawker</strong> dragonfly, several <strong>red</strong> <strong>admirals</strong> and a late <strong>small</strong> <strong>copper</strong>. The copper was very worn, perhaps not surprising at this late date, but it did allow a picture.<div><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670135932551491506" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxqS9ZNUf9VDkOMaXnU24aM6hMbcVQ00XyI9VOUh3z1iYq060EahQjw8px-BEWq87lNu1ArBFDGYe8Fg6UayZ_WlVXosyDUDEg9ZHZ4XvNph4qz17_aqaD0p1eoN7ADwEqLuKur8DfZftj/s400/Small+Copper.jpg" />Less surprising was a <strong>speckled</strong> <strong>wood</strong>, I usually see one or two in November and today was ideal for them. This too was a very worn individual.<div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis5u77_3iJRUStEbyFh6Z0XMIli_7y2HyZlPyboTXRNnsBTSWyzGJ2U82TwWhv6O6pUK0eFapBREslGBO3ByMoBwiqJGF8LvaorhYjWIO27rRj8dpaMe9NpMnid-292eshh_L4ePzN7TZV/s1600/Speckled+Wood.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670135922366130306" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis5u77_3iJRUStEbyFh6Z0XMIli_7y2HyZlPyboTXRNnsBTSWyzGJ2U82TwWhv6O6pUK0eFapBREslGBO3ByMoBwiqJGF8LvaorhYjWIO27rRj8dpaMe9NpMnid-292eshh_L4ePzN7TZV/s400/Speckled+Wood.jpg" /></a>Despite these reminders of summer there was no doubt that it is autumn, the light, the dampness in the air and even the smell of the day all spoke of autumn.<div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuni0cO2ophdFcLuwX24eshNy1Ix-7xjhd1dBx_kXdKxFi-4IKFbnwraIT2z-RsFpTsTVAT8l2PNSrcjHprU2Wq-b4DokySn2otxEumZnohJu2AWM9kzqiKgrEth_nzyZdPBPyACfrwxbL/s1600/Silver+Birch.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 267px; height: 400px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670135912538231570" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuni0cO2ophdFcLuwX24eshNy1Ix-7xjhd1dBx_kXdKxFi-4IKFbnwraIT2z-RsFpTsTVAT8l2PNSrcjHprU2Wq-b4DokySn2otxEumZnohJu2AWM9kzqiKgrEth_nzyZdPBPyACfrwxbL/s400/Silver+Birch.jpg" /></a>When I went to lock up the Tern hide, I had just sat down to have a quick last look, when all the birds from the eastern side of the lake suddenly dashed westwards, in flight or, in the case of the <strong>coots</strong> by pattering over the surface. At first I though there must have been someone on the bank near the Goosander hide, but looking that way I saw a <strong>buzzard</strong> perched in a tree, so not a person, but what? Then I noticed the gulls circling over the lake just out of sight to the east of the long shingle spit, there was obviously something in the water they did not like. My guess would be an <strong>otter</strong>, the reaction of the birds was typical and although it did not come into view I am pretty sure that if I had been int he Goosander hide that is what I would have seen.<div> </div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Robert Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00490116130871584359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8966700076273119879.post-89074818517314035142011-10-31T09:58:00.000-07:002011-10-31T10:17:02.454-07:00Autumn Antics!Autumn has definitely arrived. Although the temperature is still eerily warm it is starting to feel more autumnal on the reserve and the trees are starting to turn. Not much to report except a very exciting sighting of a mammal, its head popped up out of the water and it then swam across the far side of Ivy Lake. This was viewed from Ivy South Hide by one of our volunteers visiting the reserve with his family. Suspect = otter!<br /><br />I took our new camera out for a play today and took this shoot from Ivy South hide:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz1xSbLzpb20ZYxhqqQ1B0ntBBeTlBC8Ui7CPhV8f25KNWlnAhhTKOnS-JQUauFesTwhaNeT9CdRGyd9T0EFn2ftqGMSJuPRIiLGL2dZSRiVC9rcfuvNt9N6sND3k4uCjjP4Cl5fQeCwJP/s1600/IMGP0065.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 80px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz1xSbLzpb20ZYxhqqQ1B0ntBBeTlBC8Ui7CPhV8f25KNWlnAhhTKOnS-JQUauFesTwhaNeT9CdRGyd9T0EFn2ftqGMSJuPRIiLGL2dZSRiVC9rcfuvNt9N6sND3k4uCjjP4Cl5fQeCwJP/s320/IMGP0065.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669703361581533122" /></a><br /><br />And this badger eye view of Woodland Hide!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-fnmvKM8L75ZQRhIpsMATKzwkqSqMTukvd1x3sPsZo2WrKCT5IMcOdHRit8M6U6kHfcwDfapKihSZfsgFFjcg9Ncapluo1ougbR0-xDJtVev1YH8uIK0yImnsfMyU9NnAnYV89r-TGVbq/s1600/IMGP0071.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 89px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-fnmvKM8L75ZQRhIpsMATKzwkqSqMTukvd1x3sPsZo2WrKCT5IMcOdHRit8M6U6kHfcwDfapKihSZfsgFFjcg9Ncapluo1ougbR0-xDJtVev1YH8uIK0yImnsfMyU9NnAnYV89r-TGVbq/s320/IMGP0071.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669705438446982146" /></a><br /><br />I leave you with some yellow spiky fungus I found growing on a log. It looked a little bit like a bright yellow hedgehog!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7-gmjG-sclCKP5MqYU_m8kdLR3ggWOj8nwrOLZfwwdGlXrve5BvnKatCPhxJo2b0JqSSoahW-uslxP8bIDlTp0JN7LtO1_gvL6zVJbATpyZPgrcQToV64QkkNjZ2TWPFeN54nWwVod0gU/s1600/IMGP0073.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7-gmjG-sclCKP5MqYU_m8kdLR3ggWOj8nwrOLZfwwdGlXrve5BvnKatCPhxJo2b0JqSSoahW-uslxP8bIDlTp0JN7LtO1_gvL6zVJbATpyZPgrcQToV64QkkNjZ2TWPFeN54nWwVod0gU/s320/IMGP0073.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669706213958944114" /></a>Michelle Crookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07275868555518544825noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8966700076273119879.post-30095657479161977912011-10-30T15:11:00.000-07:002011-10-30T15:42:16.954-07:00Drizzle, Disputation and a Murmuration<div><strong>Bird News</strong>:<u> Ibsley Water</u> - <strong>goldeneye</strong> 1 (redhead), <strong>rock pipit</strong> 1, <strong>water pipit</strong> 1 (reported), <strong>yellow-legged gull</strong> 6.</div><div><u>Ivy Lake</u> - <strong>starling</strong> c5000 to roost.</div><div>I waited for much of the day for it to get light today, it was murky, grey and drizzling for much of it, when the drizzle stopped it rained, although we did get a little sunshine in the end. This made for a poor day to see much and even worse for getting pictures of very much. I did take the chance to visit all the hides today and in the process finally saw the goldeneye which has been reported for a few days now.</div><div>At the Goosander hide there was quite a bit of grebe activity. Close to the hide 2 little grebe were feeding and the clear water allowed me to see them swimming underwater.</div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRVjaZk-K049TR9QEae6jp36_ecBAmpfcaI6JsBgE9b6AV_doSZSOld-rFpHYWUkqLewHoH2SpqCoTy8g2zX3uhXSRbBnbBMI53UiVctywM9XBQ_FzjKz2su-ddJxGsJBEyvSnzxRLTMqT/s1600/Little+Grebe.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669412083803094994" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRVjaZk-K049TR9QEae6jp36_ecBAmpfcaI6JsBgE9b6AV_doSZSOld-rFpHYWUkqLewHoH2SpqCoTy8g2zX3uhXSRbBnbBMI53UiVctywM9XBQ_FzjKz2su-ddJxGsJBEyvSnzxRLTMqT/s400/Little+Grebe.jpg" /></a>There was also quiet a dramatic scrap between two <strong>great</strong> <strong>crested</strong> <strong>grebe</strong>, one chased the other so much that it eventually took refuge on the shore, a very unusual thing for it to do as they are very poor at getting about on dry land. I got a really poor picture, my excuse is distance, low light etc., etc. If you look closely you can see one on the shore to the right-hand side and one in the water, as a bonus there are also 2 <strong>green</strong> <strong>sandpiper</strong> in the shot as well, although I would forgive anyone who cannot make them out!<div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK3iYW4smziQXf5kwiOvsW-TAR29hPOP96A90OXi7BWNH0xysU4ZNJE6uQHo22mPkjS4kmoaIdTfQ940d3XPArSdeyBw7eScWSVSWzwt2r56uDxXeeB3vjoW1U-aM1Fqlbc1B52K45oafe/s1600/GCGs+and+Green+Sandpipers.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669412067324952482" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK3iYW4smziQXf5kwiOvsW-TAR29hPOP96A90OXi7BWNH0xysU4ZNJE6uQHo22mPkjS4kmoaIdTfQ940d3XPArSdeyBw7eScWSVSWzwt2r56uDxXeeB3vjoW1U-aM1Fqlbc1B52K45oafe/s400/GCGs+and+Green+Sandpipers.jpg" /></a>I was also quite pleased to see another species using the perching rails, this time a <strong>cormorant</strong>, sadly without any rings.<div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRnJQx-btFRdASg_tBuQYiPQDBmE9kSkFzMxmWrLVi59M5RVW5fX34riuhK4NCNTdPP3Shn5GPVqUYB5ZzkwqEiryc-cx_Ok3UwjDDhFm4nX5MEM77vo56PNNuaCc1E6kaj-vvWBG894Um/s1600/Cormorant.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669412061100582706" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRnJQx-btFRdASg_tBuQYiPQDBmE9kSkFzMxmWrLVi59M5RVW5fX34riuhK4NCNTdPP3Shn5GPVqUYB5ZzkwqEiryc-cx_Ok3UwjDDhFm4nX5MEM77vo56PNNuaCc1E6kaj-vvWBG894Um/s400/Cormorant.jpg" /></a>Despite the gloom I did see a <strong>migrant</strong> <strong>hawker</strong> dragonfly int he Centre car park, hunting in the drizzle, although it was wet it was also very mild. At lunchtime a <strong>rock</strong> <strong>pipit</strong> at the Tern hide was a bonus, I heard later that a <strong>water</strong> <strong>pipit</strong> had been reported early in the morning as well, although that would have been on the eastern shore somewhere.</div><div> </div><div>Right at the end of the day when I was locking the Ivy South hide the <strong>starling</strong> flock was good value over the lake wheeling and twisting, I estimated about 5000. I hope there will be some good opportunities to get pictures of them, with the grey cloud tonight was not ideal but, but you can see that there are a lot of birds out there. They were chattering and squealing, just as a good murmuration of starlings should.<div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp4oYXlYmdlRoUMGLXx8uIj7kXUZ1f_Tpjs4OHSLi4OyWRaEROL5dLtxiBzoh9ZhkA34ycFkutw2gwwGDceHbqFHIo1dfWQw3clvjh0dY1EIkxkCJv2B0I0c_IC7MNEfuIcGqqmUKn1MmO/s1600/Starling+flock.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669412057504263330" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp4oYXlYmdlRoUMGLXx8uIj7kXUZ1f_Tpjs4OHSLi4OyWRaEROL5dLtxiBzoh9ZhkA34ycFkutw2gwwGDceHbqFHIo1dfWQw3clvjh0dY1EIkxkCJv2B0I0c_IC7MNEfuIcGqqmUKn1MmO/s400/Starling+flock.jpg" /></a>Lastly, we are intending to move this blog over to WordPress very soon, information will be posted here about how to find it in the next few days<br /><div></div></div></div></div></div>Robert Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00490116130871584359noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8966700076273119879.post-60244728658605268742011-10-29T06:09:00.000-07:002011-10-29T07:23:29.948-07:00Normal service will resume shortly...i.e. Bob returns from holiday tomorrow and the high quality images and thoughtful prose that you have all come to expect from this blog will resume! <br /><div><br /><div>It has been an exceptionally busy week for Michelle and I this half-term holiday, with groups, holiday activity days and public events every day, occasionally with a couple running consecutively, and we are both hoping for a quieter November to recuperate and catch up with everything else - including Bob!</div><br /><div>As such I have little new in the way of wildlife to report as for the most part the only wildlife I have really encountered over the last week has been of the two-legged young human variety! Having said that, all went well and it was nice to venture a bit further afield than we are often able to manage with groups:</div><br /><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668916986578066930" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibckIvEjFA45BT0w-V2HrkVPphAsq8d-5XEbjQyXGTYw2pk1pixvoaMvTEjetvg3Qak19HEMM1fTtXxTsJqi1DkqjuZtuwYneo2JPreDRNK7GD4rDVfd2rxrdNfW0l_AA_DR8GvlA1PpcQ/s320/111027AutumnPlayday7+J+Day.JPG" /></div>Even if that meant getting a "bit" wet on Thursday afternoon!<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668917712089629234" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkJXhX7CJkZ2eYmtELX4dcKHcRVOq4CudcLQfcr5Q38HZ2oIdDfOP5YssL-yy2IKATuE9pAUboWA93CH9qkR4KuIEPHu8tMtMsCXk2xgZJigyfj5r-kPbiK05me6nBqPCKXbcdvzlSVnpt/s320/111026AutumnPlayday6+J+Day.JPG" /> <br /><div>The great white egret has been reported most days - either on Mockbeggar Lake or Ibsley Water and there are some lovely flocks of siskin reeling around. The Ibsley Water fallow deer are regularly seen on the eastern shore of the lake in the evenings (and mornings on the days when it has been not so misty that you can't see beyond the shingle spit!), including a very handsome stag. In previous years the reserve has played host to the young males who are keen but not up to taking on the older stags on the Forest, but this year we seem to be hosting one of the main players himself.</div><br /><div>It has (at last) definitely been autumnal weather this week and one of the obvious autumn signs this morning was the number of grey squirrels scampering about on the woodland floor where they are presumably caching their nut stores in preparation for winter. There is no shortage of acorns this year - the pigs were put out to pannage early on the Forest this year and I guess they will probably not be bought back in until a bit later then normal too (pannage being one of the ancient commoners rights that permits commoners to let their pigs out on the Forest in the autumn, normally for 60 days, in order that they "hoover up" the acorns that are poisonous to the ponies and cattle if consumed in any quantity).</div><br /><div>The last of the cBBC "Deadly Scene Investigation" events ran today, with yet more families visiting the reserve, many for the first time, to solve the clues and find out "who done-it". Lovely weather they had to - there was even a southern hawker dragonfly hawking around the car park as I set a family off on their activity shortly after lunch.<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668910406816301282" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX7dF1b7lUp2jsKHUN-yBx-r8HBzjfjRqxQBism-Pl7WEP7CKsnKH5hieHO4Ya2z4myezHNhSdLnSTyt3u09av1fvhllgpBCPHFrbxgu4vYdecKwFzGstTvCJ2n8YOFb6Gq003sWXoKkok/s320/111029+BBC+DSI+event+J+Day.JPG" /></div><br /><div align="center"><em>Jay Fuller proudly showing off his certificate having successfully completed the DSI activity!</em></div></div>Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00293275789330977299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8966700076273119879.post-60045799980743127632011-10-26T12:24:00.000-07:002011-10-26T12:37:58.091-07:00Sand Martin News<div><div>I may just have blogged about autumn, but now for a reminder of summer, to be precise sand martins. All gone now, but they will be back in just over four months.</div><div><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5667884557182777170" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcv_OLoY7AVMYKO1roAQT5RnbLzrOFKZhJl8O9j9FkJoRz24fYRzsigZrPBon2BNZfgvZnxXiKpCzUNQ8CFCOl4gA3cgHgyqsGPl4vjhtvN-mofHpxWZPdtot9yOBb4UsR3gjsOaXmsUFW/s400/Sand+Martins.jpg" /></div><div>The reason for posting on sand martins now is news of one of the birds caught at Blashford earlier this year. We knew it was an interesting one as it carried a Spanish ring, but it proved even more surprising now that the details have come back. An edited version of the details are copied below.<br /><br />Ringing date: 10-Dec-2010<br />Reg code: --- Place code: --- Site name: Sant Louis, Djoudj Park<br />Biological Station, Senegal<br />County code: NU00 Grid ref: Co-ords: 16deg 25min N 16deg<br />18min W<br />Hab1: -- Hab2:<br /><br />Biometrics: Wing: 104 mm. Weight: 10.6 g. Time: 0000hrs<br /><br />Finding date: 09-Jun-2011<br />Reg code: --- Place code: BLASH Site name: Blashford, Ringwood,<br />Hampshire<br />County code: GBHAM Grid ref: SU1508 Co-ords: 50deg 52min<br />N 1deg 47min W<br />Hab1: A3 Hab2: G5<br /><br />Biometrics: Wing: 110 mm. Weight: 13.2 g. Time: 0400hrs<br /><br />Duration: 181 days Distance: 4044 km Direction: 19deg<br />(NNE)<br />Finder: Mr K Sayer, 4821</div><div> </div><div>It was nesting at Blashford, in our sand martin bank, having been ringed on the wintering grounds almost six months to the day earlier.</div></div>Robert Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00490116130871584359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8966700076273119879.post-72868546895355945712011-10-26T10:31:00.000-07:002011-10-26T10:53:24.027-07:00Autumn Leaves and a Few Snaps<div><strong>Bird News</strong>: <u>Ibsley Water</u> - <strong>goldeneye</strong> 1 redhead (reported).</div><div>Not really any news as I was not actually at work today, but I did drop in with some bird food. I then took the chance to have a try out with my newly acquired digital camera, the old one having got a bit clunky recently. Even after just a few days off it was very clear that autumn had moved on as witnessed by the splendid colour of the field maple by the entrance. </div><div><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5667855548513518914" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-rIyqORiC3Xbe4toONj2640CDvI0EUlzLOyOoWWWjHGwYXYHY7uVTsb7a7mhO5DISoOgJpp0-bCRtL0Krrzaefp3tuNMwg0zAUp3bFOqQfabryPBJV1be2qlJBbaenmRX8nGBHb6stotZ/s400/Field+Maple+autumn+colour.jpg" />The play with the camera seemed to go reasonably well, I don't think it is quite as instantly easy as my old one but the results look as though they will be OK for the blog and hopefully pictures for talks. But you can perhaps judge for yourself, a male chaffinch sat up nicely in the sun.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxHk1dl33rgkkJFuQ8IyjZ39kGoAxKUQhjOxq8q6bLkg0XBPlnsKS4UrZdC_zSH3vCOH0hpuq6cr_Oi3GLrdSSXiCelzzwbeQYGikOzcvsfEJggq0bou4x1V9bk2SPNzn76-KzWYBIJxlA/s1600/Chaffinch+male.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5667855536430311282" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxHk1dl33rgkkJFuQ8IyjZ39kGoAxKUQhjOxq8q6bLkg0XBPlnsKS4UrZdC_zSH3vCOH0hpuq6cr_Oi3GLrdSSXiCelzzwbeQYGikOzcvsfEJggq0bou4x1V9bk2SPNzn76-KzWYBIJxlA/s400/Chaffinch+male.jpg" /></a><div>He was looking quite smart in fresh plumage and was having a good look around.</div><div><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5667855547681154802" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWlWmnMo2_ZXbJ3A1dU2q4gegI2NmoutQfef4vn1zREW99-bjAh7CiGz_MuBSKR1M4j_2_-wc4FHFFvLU3L_Zjwb6M0Y9WMNZYJ03DuNoT9OZdRt3YpCmN6xynoMlzY4gj_iSQj8ew2Akp/s400/Chaffinch+male+looking+down.jpg" /></div><div>Possibly on the look out for females and there was one which also sat up well for a brief time.<div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVHDjFnR6uZB6MQp5c3bzJe1wreWKf20tfdiF1L6nsI7elG6wjkE7fYrQFcS57FW4PoeYZnoXH3xoCGOJY3C46GpC6sEgwXxxXFiu0Weskoad23_sUx8QSpv0mT_hJ9uF891qQnioXRiMn/s1600/Chaffinch+female.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5667855532888431954" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVHDjFnR6uZB6MQp5c3bzJe1wreWKf20tfdiF1L6nsI7elG6wjkE7fYrQFcS57FW4PoeYZnoXH3xoCGOJY3C46GpC6sEgwXxxXFiu0Weskoad23_sUx8QSpv0mT_hJ9uF891qQnioXRiMn/s400/Chaffinch+female.jpg" /></a>I had a look from the Tern hide before I returned to my days off, I could not find the reported <strong>goldeneye</strong>, or much else of real note, unless you count 5 <strong>Egyptian</strong> <strong>geese</strong>. The visit did allow me to try the camera again, this time on a pair of <strong>gadwall</strong> which were close to the hide.<div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi936AgefQRXiPBW1-ZJIn-LENdhyphenhyphencZr-fTvxOuVdLv3YIcfOsvdf-wZBKb4OKUjEZBB4nP9YH8YuWvYM3iRj1_D1RnokIV4i_aCN3lnl9yIuHcunDQC-HwZQo1BjnCZG-aQToYe7bJkz3q/s1600/Gadwall+pair.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 301px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5667855528733417650" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi936AgefQRXiPBW1-ZJIn-LENdhyphenhyphencZr-fTvxOuVdLv3YIcfOsvdf-wZBKb4OKUjEZBB4nP9YH8YuWvYM3iRj1_D1RnokIV4i_aCN3lnl9yIuHcunDQC-HwZQo1BjnCZG-aQToYe7bJkz3q/s400/Gadwall+pair.jpg" /></a><div></div></div></div></div></div>Robert Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00490116130871584359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8966700076273119879.post-43099023668261785742011-10-25T08:35:00.000-07:002011-10-25T09:00:26.960-07:00DSI: Calling all nature detectives!Apologies for the Blashford Blog silence! Bob is on holiday and myself and Jim have been busy solving a wildlife crime scene....with a little bit of help! So far over 40 families have visited the reserve to participate in CBBC's Deadly Scene Investigation which has involved following a trail of clues to find out who stole the eggs from a nest. The trail has been given a big thumbs up and was thoroughly enjoyed by all and introduced new families to the reserve who had not visited before. If you would like to take part we are running our final trail day this coming Saturday 10am-3pm. The trail should take approx. 1 hour. Please phone to book your place: 01425 472760. <br /><br />On the wildlife side of things the Great White Egret has been regularly seen on Mockbeggar and Ibsley Water. Jim reported the beginnings of a big starling roost gathering over Ibsley water which then went in to roost over Mockbeggar. There is also a starling roost taking place on Ivy Lake. <br /><br />We have also been hosting wildlife cameraman Graham Hatherley who has been setting a trail camera on the Docken's Water over the last month in the hope of capturing footage of tawny owls fishing for bullheads. Unfortunately so far he has not had much luck, however he has filmed some fantastic footage of a fallow stag drinking which we have uploaded onto Youtube, you can find it by copying and pasting this link (sorry I couldn't manage a hyperlink!): <br /><br />http://youtu.be/xXdfBe5oAMM<br /><br />He has very kindly given us all the other snippets of film he has captured which you should be able to find on Youtube with the title of "Wildlife at Blashford Lakes by Graham Hatherley" - these mostly include fallow and roe deer passing across the river and also a pigeon taking a bath! The pigeon was a particularly good result as it shows that the camera would be triggered by a similar sized tawny owl. Enjoy!Michelle Crookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07275868555518544825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8966700076273119879.post-65622753909622323472011-10-21T03:21:00.000-07:002011-10-21T04:28:52.541-07:00A Couple of Days<div><strong>Bird News</strong>: <u>Ibsley Water</u> - <strong>great white egret</strong> 1 (the usual bird on both Wed and Thurs.), <strong>yellow-legged gull</strong> up to 6 (mostly adults or near adults), <strong>"white-winged" gull</strong> 1 (apparently adult reported on Thurs afternoon, but identity uncertain) , <strong>dunlin</strong> 1, <strong>goosander</strong> 5+, <strong>crossbill</strong> 1+ (reported Wed), <strong>brambling</strong> 1 (reported Wed).</div><div><u>Ivy Lake</u> - <strong>water rail</strong> 2+, <strong>Cetti's warbler</strong> 1 (singing).</div><div>The last couple of nights have been much colder, resulting in our first grass frosts of the season and the moth catch reduced to zero. The misty mornings have made for some atmospheric views over the lakes though, the shot below is of Ivy Lake on Thursday as I opened up the Ivy South hide.</div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI53w6ZMWSI4ZKRERg2_uDHgWWa3ffYAPTJWNSSyKeubTpb38XoyN_EkLN8WDzdEaiLzwWZRTq3u40A9DkChRMhwOxMhy9vA8tfV_8xEtmdo2N8PwAWjjmNXZ_6BJDFXfKU3kPnpjDy8ns/s1600/Ivy+Lake+in+mist.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5665893005479690338" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI53w6ZMWSI4ZKRERg2_uDHgWWa3ffYAPTJWNSSyKeubTpb38XoyN_EkLN8WDzdEaiLzwWZRTq3u40A9DkChRMhwOxMhy9vA8tfV_8xEtmdo2N8PwAWjjmNXZ_6BJDFXfKU3kPnpjDy8ns/s400/Ivy+Lake+in+mist.jpg" /></a>The same morning I kept running into <strong>roe</strong> <strong>deer</strong>. A doe with two youngsters was in the alder carr near the Woodland hide, along with a young buck. The doe and youngsters were running in circles and passed me twice without obviously seeing me. One, or possibly both of the youngsters were making a very odd squeaking sound, unlike anything I have ever heard from roe before. In the poor light I failed to get a picture of these deer, but at the Ivy North hide I came across the young buck again, this time with another doe and her two youngsters. Although the light was poor I managed a "digi-bin" shot of three of the group. Although the buck seems to have seen me they did not move off and I left them there. At the same time a very bushy-tailed <strong>fox</strong> trotted through the group, moving towards Rockford Lake.<div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh_pAaa_pMmp3S4XzRTOIVhSDo5-092MsUfPc1t0Szw6XOn-dR4KwqBz_Q0zCjFpu8qHY8KLmD95VA7IjX56jU5M13xoP1bcAG6LannOlWh-kFMIBK3CtBgLQRRYQ8BCeF9_MNpA5jzuAQ/s1600/Three+roe+deer.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5665893000975999058" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh_pAaa_pMmp3S4XzRTOIVhSDo5-092MsUfPc1t0Szw6XOn-dR4KwqBz_Q0zCjFpu8qHY8KLmD95VA7IjX56jU5M13xoP1bcAG6LannOlWh-kFMIBK3CtBgLQRRYQ8BCeF9_MNpA5jzuAQ/s400/Three+roe+deer.jpg" /></a>Although the days started misty and cold, this quickly gave way to clear blue skies and a good bit of sunshine, especially on Wednesday.<div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXz0upyXKMdjl8lZv-YoDPS78aTCrIESSlNgroA6EpI_AY81y_6-0aGk3vApMQAWqawoGTAPTzDM76vvLS4UxFa7HSv1JcD3KWkMVAnjp2A9iLFyhaAroXkk-w3nmsz2RcrrHYM_k12yRx/s1600/006.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5665893002826677986" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXz0upyXKMdjl8lZv-YoDPS78aTCrIESSlNgroA6EpI_AY81y_6-0aGk3vApMQAWqawoGTAPTzDM76vvLS4UxFa7HSv1JcD3KWkMVAnjp2A9iLFyhaAroXkk-w3nmsz2RcrrHYM_k12yRx/s400/006.JPG" /></a>These conditions favoured a movement of birds overhead, with <strong>crossbill</strong>, <strong>brambling</strong>, <strong>skylark</strong>, <strong>meadow</strong> <strong>pipit</strong> and <strong>siskin</strong> all on the move in small numbers. Siskin look like arriving in large numbers this winter, there are already flocks of fifty plus about the reserve as the <strong>alder</strong> cones open to reveal their seeds.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRuL8SwMIC_6YvXBBQ-0kkQUJIS6Hn_WOJHsl-BZ4gV2h_tlawCMXIUK6OgRXvKcYjT9W3ucgyTgDoBdTJhdmyCjm3Xq3ZPU3zd3TJ4lcvDG11pRk7wzRtgA81mQ23lazw91mw39snqwVn/s1600/Alder.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5665889758398935154" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRuL8SwMIC_6YvXBBQ-0kkQUJIS6Hn_WOJHsl-BZ4gV2h_tlawCMXIUK6OgRXvKcYjT9W3ucgyTgDoBdTJhdmyCjm3Xq3ZPU3zd3TJ4lcvDG11pRk7wzRtgA81mQ23lazw91mw39snqwVn/s400/Alder.jpg" /></a>A close up view of the alder branches shows that the sausage-shaped male catkins are already there and ready to open in the early spring as soon as the conditions are favourable. The cones in this shot are just starting to open.<div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjixrT8ZawSxbll7_GKkqiXKO8nag3Uwu7nA81dCvlCyktaSOSV6xc6JzkAIFQvF_r8bFodVRorzxZ657MhpFkqa1KNtLh2IDQaa3TbU9s9-DPbhcRxVxDB5VDJQrkMgIAggrMAcLQdWOr/s1600/alder+cones+and+catkins.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5665889744125490594" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjixrT8ZawSxbll7_GKkqiXKO8nag3Uwu7nA81dCvlCyktaSOSV6xc6JzkAIFQvF_r8bFodVRorzxZ657MhpFkqa1KNtLh2IDQaa3TbU9s9-DPbhcRxVxDB5VDJQrkMgIAggrMAcLQdWOr/s400/alder+cones+and+catkins.jpg" /></a>Thursday was volunteer day and we set about some of the large <strong>laurel</strong> bushes planted years ago to screen the gravel works. Unfortunately most of the plantings along the western side of Ellingham Lake were of miscellaneous alien species, with just a few natives. Plants such as the laurel swamp and shade out native species and we hope to encourage the growth of some of the hawthorns and others that are hanging on in their shadow. Below is a picture of one such large bush just as we started.<div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmbUbMoJI55oT03zICSF0OlxrfCfjm0Y67KIQH39F-apQC7Oi8awa4VtbtoPIL0FU1newtCcNfa7H1k2aONdz6BJkvm5ISZqdkrhdYSqZhadGPJdKYEeIA472i4uZQCF17iihyRCz41gO0/s1600/before.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5665889736301959138" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmbUbMoJI55oT03zICSF0OlxrfCfjm0Y67KIQH39F-apQC7Oi8awa4VtbtoPIL0FU1newtCcNfa7H1k2aONdz6BJkvm5ISZqdkrhdYSqZhadGPJdKYEeIA472i4uZQCF17iihyRCz41gO0/s400/before.jpg" /></a>Then what was left at the end of the task. We may have to come back when the branches have dried out and burn some up as there is a lot of material left. This shot also shows that laurel are far from the only alien species planted, a variety of conifer trees and other garden shrubs also got included and it will take many years to remove these and get them replaced with more desirable native species.</div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTA9xjnXZyW_isx09IbCGxhGvWBPWFingCL0BQGkSkZdVFMihkG1s8jeOB9DuOleNEVjAjfLtwBfXBjnL2u5OrZ1RGsYZsO7N5ZDMcAAhoYsOQ7gUYV_zRzSln53s55e7b4oMslqo7I9NQ/s1600/after.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5665889724264253330" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTA9xjnXZyW_isx09IbCGxhGvWBPWFingCL0BQGkSkZdVFMihkG1s8jeOB9DuOleNEVjAjfLtwBfXBjnL2u5OrZ1RGsYZsO7N5ZDMcAAhoYsOQ7gUYV_zRzSln53s55e7b4oMslqo7I9NQ/s400/after.jpg" /></a>On both days the <strong>great</strong> <strong>white</strong> <strong>egret</strong> made quite lengthy appearances on Ibsley Water stood with the <strong>grey herons</strong> on the small island near the northern shore.<div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio0Pi8Igw23CZkqRpkLdSaSEi1FsJTgKL6BXHpF-6tmKeSyVBnaGaOjMpw1zyqapw5jRq4oxr-m5Cqcg-GVCRznpxFNW3SAUvweBdsRxmyS_c7GZRPZtMHPwumqW1i_hEO501lmT8GiHwJ/s1600/Herons+%2526+GWE.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5665889719839804066" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio0Pi8Igw23CZkqRpkLdSaSEi1FsJTgKL6BXHpF-6tmKeSyVBnaGaOjMpw1zyqapw5jRq4oxr-m5Cqcg-GVCRznpxFNW3SAUvweBdsRxmyS_c7GZRPZtMHPwumqW1i_hEO501lmT8GiHwJ/s400/Herons+%2526+GWE.jpg" /></a></div></div></div></div></div></div>Robert Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00490116130871584359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8966700076273119879.post-15860436859435833512011-10-18T12:08:00.000-07:002011-10-18T12:32:22.612-07:00Clear(ed) View<div><strong>Bird News</strong>: <u>Iblsey Water</u> - great white egret 1.</div><div>The bird news was a bit thin as I was working with the volunteers all day. Actually only two were ion but this was an ideal number for the tasks we had to do. Firstly we repaired the gate which had been damaged by whomsoever it was that used the reserve to get into the old block plant on Sunday night. The sooner this site is cleared the better it attracts break-ins with monotonous regularity and attendant damage to the access with broken padlocks, gates etc.</div><div>We then got down to clearing the view form the screen overlooking Mockbeggar Lake form the path to the Lapwing hide. Below is the "view" before we started.</div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdVO67AK_1EGSDakzxt_xzPBrtD4oUt2CTkUHxczZK9AnC9O453mhwRmFkfjNcRYKg6Q8OjU4WeNqN8OOLgBrXsAaeVTORm1HknRXbibj7eOTN-LK364HIsd30NXjduM1i7bFC-1OfV5Et/s1600/Mockbeggar+view+uncleared.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664911918994436818" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdVO67AK_1EGSDakzxt_xzPBrtD4oUt2CTkUHxczZK9AnC9O453mhwRmFkfjNcRYKg6Q8OjU4WeNqN8OOLgBrXsAaeVTORm1HknRXbibj7eOTN-LK364HIsd30NXjduM1i7bFC-1OfV5Et/s400/Mockbeggar+view+uncleared.jpg" /></a>Actually it is not really right to call it a view as you cannot see anything, However after we worked on it for a bit it became possible to see the lake again.<div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCOfn5rcN1pyipSNrWXIqBbAZFa74kiXqac8DrXRjlXgdAZV9EPWGVi4c5io7zE5RySAUJTzb94snOQHdvgEZ-etVLncFm6tp0NDkOzWpIt9rOEeW_ksm7AzVj_iDlLteG_8d2Y73FTfTE/s1600/Mockbeggar+view+cleared.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664911911729817618" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCOfn5rcN1pyipSNrWXIqBbAZFa74kiXqac8DrXRjlXgdAZV9EPWGVi4c5io7zE5RySAUJTzb94snOQHdvgEZ-etVLncFm6tp0NDkOzWpIt9rOEeW_ksm7AzVj_iDlLteG_8d2Y73FTfTE/s400/Mockbeggar+view+cleared.jpg" /></a>There is still scope for more clearance but we will be working on this lake during the winter so things will change quiet a bit in any case.</div><div>In the afternoon we relocated one of the web cams, it will be interesting to see what, if anything, it turns up.</div><div>At the end of the day I briefly saw the <strong>great</strong> <strong>white</strong> <strong>egret</strong> on Ibsley Water, where there were also rather more <strong>lesser</strong> <strong>black</strong>-<strong>backed</strong> <strong>gulls</strong> than I would have expected at such an early time. I may have another look at the roost tomorrow evening. </div><div>The occasional sunshine did tempt out a <strong>southern</strong> <strong>hawker</strong> dragonfly by the Centre pond at lunchtime and there were a few <strong>red</strong> <strong>admiral</strong> around again. Otherwise insects were few and the moth trap unremarkable after a rather cool night.<br /></div><div></div></div>Robert Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00490116130871584359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8966700076273119879.post-50322589021105306302011-10-17T10:49:00.000-07:002011-10-17T11:59:52.289-07:00Ducks and Deer and Spots<div><strong>Bird News</strong>: <u>Ibsley Water</u> -<strong> redwing</strong> 13 over west with 4 <strong>blackbirds</strong>, <strong>yellow-legged gull</strong> 1 adult, <strong>green sandpiper</strong> 1.</div><div><u>Mockbeggar Lake</u> - <strong>great white egret</strong> 1, <strong>little egret</strong> 7.</div><div>The main task today was to do the wildfowl count for the month. The day started misty, which delayed me a bit, then the sun came out and conditions were excellent, until it started to rain and the wind picked up. Ibsley Water held the greatest number of birds, including 1027 <strong>coot</strong>, 104 <strong>gadwall</strong> and 202 <strong>wigeon</strong>. As well as the greatest numbers Ibsley water also usually has the greatest diversity of species. In the picture there are five, <strong>coot</strong>, <strong>mute</strong> <strong>swan</strong>, <strong>wigeon</strong>, <strong>teal</strong> and <strong>mallard</strong>.</div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik3g5OQX96mWFIIzGIetriwKDTOxxNdZKe47o_lHsFmx_gy6VrZFpazhRZso3k2eOqQa5anB5uEyIHdoAPzXBTN4YJmj9UQUWFp12e3bYIUuu1m92A2fxamiqRqToy6PLc3Sju8fPFHQsj/s1600/five+wildfowl.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664520576401511778" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik3g5OQX96mWFIIzGIetriwKDTOxxNdZKe47o_lHsFmx_gy6VrZFpazhRZso3k2eOqQa5anB5uEyIHdoAPzXBTN4YJmj9UQUWFp12e3bYIUuu1m92A2fxamiqRqToy6PLc3Sju8fPFHQsj/s400/five+wildfowl.jpg" /></a>It was not all birds though, on my way to count Mockbeggar Lake I came across a small group of <strong>fallow</strong> <strong>deer</strong>, including a very pale fawn young buck and an almost white adult buck, unfortunately I only got a picture of a typically coloured doe, just as it spotted me and dashed off. <div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmIm5pIIkBpmNKVvUAv93DAmf_K7N41GFK1E-V4sTKuL3fdmTutOVBTtIodadI3DXrR6_urLne0CowJCWwxU7EYeTmWLok_f6RTDJiD_iYIK7A45LoGd0aBXS2cqcAQTeZ0t03WHI63Yk0/s1600/Fallow+doe.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664520569094923170" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmIm5pIIkBpmNKVvUAv93DAmf_K7N41GFK1E-V4sTKuL3fdmTutOVBTtIodadI3DXrR6_urLne0CowJCWwxU7EYeTmWLok_f6RTDJiD_iYIK7A45LoGd0aBXS2cqcAQTeZ0t03WHI63Yk0/s400/Fallow+doe.jpg" /></a>I am sure I have noted before that Blashford is of special importance for the large population of <strong>gadwall</strong> that winter here, approximately 2% of the Western European population last winter. I did not see all that many today but a few of them were showing well in the early sunshine like the pair below doing their daily toilet outside the Tern hide. <div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKKXM_uaiB2mr1d2L5tOdzMxDdfwHTzWJilxtEeWrzq4F0cnGLyD4inE7rvnw5ZZh0W2FdmC7bJH8MUtN_QjSpikCbjb8hZXwBniyd3pxG0mRciF8T7COnZTt9nuKDT9tkEHzC1UuhlN8Q/s1600/Gadwall+drake+scratching.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664520566776136962" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKKXM_uaiB2mr1d2L5tOdzMxDdfwHTzWJilxtEeWrzq4F0cnGLyD4inE7rvnw5ZZh0W2FdmC7bJH8MUtN_QjSpikCbjb8hZXwBniyd3pxG0mRciF8T7COnZTt9nuKDT9tkEHzC1UuhlN8Q/s400/Gadwall+drake+scratching.jpg" /></a>The drake above and the duck below both displayed their white speculum, in the duck especially, this readily separates them from the many other similar ducks.<div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikIny_LtiGLWRQvtmme1f3TXtZIXf2CioSV_A_wuF4XQWmy8kV_SIIJj4mM7HWj4ZSg9Eoi-sBhpSQdyX0QeYfo2Cr1CkXvYSVenYVdsOMQiRxa0fBTTGckJdQRTkHweYibs6ybHynIrSK/s1600/gadwall+duck+preening.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664520556358856290" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikIny_LtiGLWRQvtmme1f3TXtZIXf2CioSV_A_wuF4XQWmy8kV_SIIJj4mM7HWj4ZSg9Eoi-sBhpSQdyX0QeYfo2Cr1CkXvYSVenYVdsOMQiRxa0fBTTGckJdQRTkHweYibs6ybHynIrSK/s400/gadwall+duck+preening.jpg" /></a>A particular feature of the <strong>sycamore</strong> trees this autumn has been many blackish spots on the turning leaves. It is something called tar spot fungus and attacks sycamores and maples, specifically it is <strong><em>Rhytisma</em></strong> <em><strong>acerinum.</strong></em><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVe4UsP1B6YPapb27HfBnrtqaTMtCgG3hczE7eU685kWhVFin_9VqxQgfiqTgiZ4ezAFV0Sro7CTjKInbSdN_fBxLlVqxHLCsnbwHr7mSt8O6klCzhblrLOSaj_bj41KvSIIL86hCeMcFg/s1600/Sycamore+leaves+and+blotches.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664520553129096146" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVe4UsP1B6YPapb27HfBnrtqaTMtCgG3hczE7eU685kWhVFin_9VqxQgfiqTgiZ4ezAFV0Sro7CTjKInbSdN_fBxLlVqxHLCsnbwHr7mSt8O6klCzhblrLOSaj_bj41KvSIIL86hCeMcFg/s400/Sycamore+leaves+and+blotches.jpg" /></a></div><div>If the predictions of rapidly deteriorating weather are correct we may not see too many insects this year, so a few <strong>red</strong> <strong>admiral</strong>, <strong>migrant</strong> <strong>hawker</strong> and <strong>common</strong> <strong>darter</strong> dragonflies were good to see. Usually I expect to see all of them into mid-November, but such things are never guaranteed.</div></div></div></div></div>Robert Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00490116130871584359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8966700076273119879.post-79287506482929697072011-10-16T11:37:00.000-07:002011-10-16T12:26:46.328-07:00Christmas is coming.<div><strong>Bird News</strong>: <u>Ibsley Water</u> - <strong>dunlin</strong> 1, <strong>goosander</strong> 3+, <strong>great white egret</strong> (reported a couple of times), <strong>yellow-legged gull</strong> 3+ adults, <strong>pintail</strong> 1, common gull 4.</div><div><u>Ivy Lake</u> - <strong>Cetti's warbler</strong> 1 singing, <strong>water rail</strong> 2 calling.</div><div><u>Centre</u> - <strong>redwing</strong> 1 over with 5 <strong>mistle thrush</strong>.</div><div>Autumn rushes on, I failed to find any swallows or martins today and it was only after lunch that I came across the only <strong>chiffchaff</strong> of the day. I did see the my first redwing of the season though, a harbinger of winter birds to come. Walking along the Dockens Water path I found the <strong>holly</strong> trees loaded with berries, I wonder how many will survive until Christmas once the thrushes get here in numbers.</div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiDCYHik2RjxHWVnnjjniehziYHKYmx-rvjAo5xyLmsuTZdFcQh866uEpfsfGjZjsqvdRxeudrURW6n3T8iZHi2ybHyOoLZAemVPpUUmhwLxJR1qulV3uV0g4Zo7vhfmB5jbE-y_hp95ix/s1600/Holly.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664162530899619826" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiDCYHik2RjxHWVnnjjniehziYHKYmx-rvjAo5xyLmsuTZdFcQh866uEpfsfGjZjsqvdRxeudrURW6n3T8iZHi2ybHyOoLZAemVPpUUmhwLxJR1qulV3uV0g4Zo7vhfmB5jbE-y_hp95ix/s400/Holly.jpg" /></a>The overnight temperature dipped to 6 degrees so I was pleasantly surprised to find at least a few moths in the trap, they included 2 <strong>red</strong>-<strong>line</strong> <strong>Quaker</strong> and the <strong>green</strong>-<strong>brindled</strong> <strong>crescent</strong> below.<div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg65S97X4gtMyqDxBNPFxPKYTRk8fHomMD4qPumD5qUT0CixKC4TvHVmTMcMoGH8fv_1niOjPHl6GS1L2OeTTjDq5gJKhgDlZFx7Vf0EY9Q0HmupDz_l0yA4GNW_3B38yHf5RwqqilaPFd8/s1600/Green+Brindled+Crescent.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664162529331843282" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg65S97X4gtMyqDxBNPFxPKYTRk8fHomMD4qPumD5qUT0CixKC4TvHVmTMcMoGH8fv_1niOjPHl6GS1L2OeTTjDq5gJKhgDlZFx7Vf0EY9Q0HmupDz_l0yA4GNW_3B38yHf5RwqqilaPFd8/s400/Green+Brindled+Crescent.jpg" /></a>Admittedly other moths were restricted to a couple of <strong>large</strong> <strong>wainscot</strong> and this <strong>yellow</strong>-<strong>lined</strong> <strong>Quaker</strong>.<div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAYfYZggXFXIQ8TtVuR-D2V48RKjK9Zdr1e6V653G5S9zO9KA48fm05dtJSKbZLGaZFU8lE8SN5XFFN7ehnG5xs0SvXevT3EMhy6Qz7YrEplJ-feJmj83cj2i_Wk-IHch6Zo3DaU99ylji/s1600/Yellow-line+Quaker.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664162524970357186" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAYfYZggXFXIQ8TtVuR-D2V48RKjK9Zdr1e6V653G5S9zO9KA48fm05dtJSKbZLGaZFU8lE8SN5XFFN7ehnG5xs0SvXevT3EMhy6Qz7YrEplJ-feJmj83cj2i_Wk-IHch6Zo3DaU99ylji/s400/Yellow-line+Quaker.jpg" /></a>The sunshine was pretty warm at times and brought out a few <strong>migrant</strong> <strong>hawker</strong> and <strong>common</strong> <strong>darter</strong> dragonflies. There were a few sun bathing hoverflies including this <strong><em>Eristalis</em></strong> <strong><em>tenax</em></strong>, or at least I'm pretty sure it is, although the front feet are in shadow so I cannot see what colour they are. This is one of the species that hibernates as an adult fly.<div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxHgueNJaRJnrFLNUIonExjc5NiaFwVi8k3swx7FINg6HoGqWubK278oTTg9eL2QhA3sGFj4RLZT-LeCSQ59MG01ZTuX651P405Clbr4NqOV95h7QBd2CspTlFIKxJ73F4TWrH4waH8qug/s1600/Eristalis.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664162044360121138" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxHgueNJaRJnrFLNUIonExjc5NiaFwVi8k3swx7FINg6HoGqWubK278oTTg9eL2QhA3sGFj4RLZT-LeCSQ59MG01ZTuX651P405Clbr4NqOV95h7QBd2CspTlFIKxJ73F4TWrH4waH8qug/s400/Eristalis.jpg" /></a>I have not worked on a Sunday for a while except when I have been working with the volunteers. So once I had got the classroom set up for the course that was running and polished off a bit of paperwork I decided to take the chance to look round the reserve and reached some of the part s I have not been to for several weeks. This included the Lapwing hide where I saw the 2 <strong>goosander</strong> below. A visitor there at the time was surprised when I said I have not been in the hide since late September, like many I suppose, he had assumed I visited all the hides every day. In truth a site warden does not get much time to look around the site, other than incidentally when doing some task or other. This can be quite a problem at times as it is the time taken to look at how the site works and what wildlife is doing that leads to the biggest improvements in management.<div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3HZS6Y7-570uL7bDxq1rhyiR3km1h9NR0cqVvPAJ4bCSgIzitE4kLBf-MahsPTpA2wQMkQ9p89f064NsvT9UaSBlsmcZ-s9wc2koFEPj8IE17-WW4l1QW0mh21-4xlouE74FbxNDgByDr/s1600/Goosanders.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664162002627920994" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3HZS6Y7-570uL7bDxq1rhyiR3km1h9NR0cqVvPAJ4bCSgIzitE4kLBf-MahsPTpA2wQMkQ9p89f064NsvT9UaSBlsmcZ-s9wc2koFEPj8IE17-WW4l1QW0mh21-4xlouE74FbxNDgByDr/s400/Goosanders.jpg" /></a>At the Goosander hide it was good to see a <strong>heron</strong> preening on the perching rails we put up last week. They look a bit odd, but do provide something to focus interest near er to the hide when the sand martins are away.<div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7LjGiiiKDzfc8r1FWbYYbTuoIb1Tle1xv9I2XOBXLxqk8wVoGfZyt5iZ3rLGXolHy465lmwsGpMu_rsmPudpefZiRdl9Db9Y9cqok4qGhgAqkJT4GfweHOAi8LPGOrBsR_nPduFhDw4rO/s1600/Grey+Heron.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 299px; height: 400px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664161994910739762" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7LjGiiiKDzfc8r1FWbYYbTuoIb1Tle1xv9I2XOBXLxqk8wVoGfZyt5iZ3rLGXolHy465lmwsGpMu_rsmPudpefZiRdl9Db9Y9cqok4qGhgAqkJT4GfweHOAi8LPGOrBsR_nPduFhDw4rO/s400/Grey+Heron.jpg" /></a>At Ellingham Pound I came across a fine <strong>reedmace</strong> stem, with the seed head exploded but still attached.<div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1sMcbcK-rjfNK1CyXZ3yWGI5pqLn7wQtr_GT69Glc39FxWysavEaILy6v6MNbo8WSHg5UMzoKZgz0TUIq7cS5twYFUWEGxRbmqLKhwzRxy4Y0hLmY3rAhJ17CvRxwr5yCQf2UZtquo3Gr/s1600/Reedmace+seedhead.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 300px; height: 400px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664161997636123042" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1sMcbcK-rjfNK1CyXZ3yWGI5pqLn7wQtr_GT69Glc39FxWysavEaILy6v6MNbo8WSHg5UMzoKZgz0TUIq7cS5twYFUWEGxRbmqLKhwzRxy4Y0hLmY3rAhJ17CvRxwr5yCQf2UZtquo3Gr/s400/Reedmace+seedhead.jpg" /></a>Further wandering brought me to the path between Rockford and Ivy lakes where I found the only 2 Egyptian geese I saw all day, after being around for mush of the latter part of the summer most of them seem to have absented themselves recently.<div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhatAjNj2R861bh2FXVHdoagHDexB6JnDGJUVQrOWVk744hauqrWyHBUmsdaAIRZIxMXh6MsX4IEYYLh9sOezRD2r03D3F2DewUhPPb83ehGjvJJSJRj6C4QgXlYM9I5_HGov8NME9vkatO/s1600/Egyptian+goose.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664161990367206050" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhatAjNj2R861bh2FXVHdoagHDexB6JnDGJUVQrOWVk744hauqrWyHBUmsdaAIRZIxMXh6MsX4IEYYLh9sOezRD2r03D3F2DewUhPPb83ehGjvJJSJRj6C4QgXlYM9I5_HGov8NME9vkatO/s400/Egyptian+goose.jpg" /></a>One or two other notes from the day included a <strong>mole</strong> beside the pond at the Education Centre, at times it was coming out on top of the gravel and even allowed some to get pictures of it. On Ibsley Water for the last week or so there has been a very pale adult <strong>cormorant</strong>, clearly it has a pigment abnormality. There has only been one breeding record of cormorant on the lake and the single juvenile was an abnormally pale one, this could very well be that bird returned.</div><div>Lastly I stayed a little longer to look at the gulls this evening, although I did not see the almost 10,000 counted the other morning, there were over 3000 by the time I had to leave. These included at least 3 <strong>yellow</strong>-<strong>legged</strong> gull, a few <strong>lesser</strong> <strong>black</strong>-<strong>backed</strong> <strong>gull</strong> of the Scandinavian <strong><em>intermedius</em></strong> type and one very dark, thin one with long wings. It was yet another that approximates to <strong>Baltic</strong> <strong>gull</strong>. They only seem to turn up at this time of year and are small, with rather steep foreheads, small, white heads and very long wings. Instead of being mid-grey their "backs" are almost black and the wings as well as being long, show no white tips to the feathers, this is because they have not yet moulted their primaries, which all the others have by now. Unfortunately, although these birds are quiet distinctive, the "experts" cannot agree on their identity, so they remain anonymous.<br /><div> </div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Robert Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00490116130871584359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8966700076273119879.post-86107509894474621442011-10-13T12:28:00.000-07:002011-10-13T13:09:07.181-07:00A Brambling and the Problem of Trees<div><div><strong>Bird News</strong>:<u> Ibsley Water</u> - <strong>lapwing</strong> 111, <strong>yellow-legged gull</strong> 3, <strong>goosander</strong> 1.</div><div><u>Ivy Lake</u> - <strong>water</strong> <strong>rail</strong> 2.</div><div><u>Centre</u> - <strong>brambling</strong> 1, <strong>lesser redpoll</strong> 4+ over.</div><div>What with one thing and another I never really got any pictures today. The volunteer team were working on the morning, clearing small trees and brambles from the lichen heath. Although the heath is not part of the designated wildlife site it is the rarest habitat we have and home to many rare and very rare species. The slow encroachment of trees shades out the lichens and in the end would give us fairly ordinary secondary woodland, not really a "good deal". In addition the bare patches that result from digging out the tree roots provide valuable habitat for many insects that use the heath like solitary bees and wasps.</div><div> </div><div>I also felled a few planted <strong>Scots</strong> <strong>pines</strong> to open up the canopy for some of the other trees. A particular problem we have at Blashford is the large amount of tree planting that went on as the gravel extraction finished. In places the species mix includes many aliens and everywhere the aftercare has been poor with tree guards being left on and no thinning resulting in severe overcrowding.</div><div> </div><div>The whole issue of tree planting is a very tricky one for conservationists. An ancient woodland of native trees is a wonderful place, with a range of species found nowhere else. Secondary woodlands that have grown up following an earlier clearance can have quite a few specialist species, if it is old enough and close to ancient woodland. Planted woodlands, sadly tend to have few specialist species and are a very pale imitation of their ancient counterparts. High nutrient levels are had to overcome and the incredibly slow colonisation rate of most ancient woodland specialist species make it hard to see that many planted woods will ever reach the hoped for condition. </div><div> </div><div>Curiously, following the last Ice Age Britain was quite quickly covered with woodland including many woodland plants that today seem unable to colonise at a rate of more than a metre or so a year. </div><div> </div><div>Perhaps the lichen heath offers some sort of a model for what things might have been like after the ice retreated. There would have been almost no soil as we would recognise it, nutrients for growth would have been almost totally absent. Over time lichens and mosses would develop and collect nutrients. The first trees would have been species with wind blown seeds and low nutrient needs, like birch, coincidentally the main tree spreading onto the heath at Blashford. Obviously the climate is somewhat different now, but just possibly if we really wanted to try and develop something like an ancient woodland from scratch we should use sites like the lichen heath, next to woods with ancient character and just leave them to develop. The drawback is that we would loose the lichen heath in the process.</div><div> </div><div>As I arrived in the morning a <strong>brambling</strong> was calling from the top of a birch tree near the Centre, my first of the autumn. It was a bit of a day for finches with several <strong>lesser</strong> <strong>redpoll</strong> flying over as well. At the end of the day I had a rare opportunity to look at the start of the arrival of the gulls to the roost on Ibsley Water. These included one especially thickset <strong>lesser</strong> <strong>black</strong>-<strong>backed</strong> <strong>gull</strong> with a very heavy pale bill. Although this is a very variable species this particular one was not quite like any I remember seeing before. With a record of slaty-backed gull in the UK last winter another potential species to look for has been added to the ever growing list for gull watchers to consider, so who knows maybe this winter Blashford will come up trumps. <img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 301px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5663067905969157538" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxfn4Hxolnp-m0Dp5C6-6xrBju_7Jy9gubxn18JKpJ-8lGMFAuyWsGirAZ8viWvIVoHFUrHxrKLe4pCkFXmsYekFLJFiCObqbgqfli81eI0o7-LnZeQCTX6_ecC_cbUHPvTG-LVNfc8voU/s400/A+chunky+one.jpg" />Lastly, "Pondcam" really performed today, at various times I saw a <strong>common</strong> <strong>toad</strong>, two <strong>water</strong> <strong>stick</strong> <strong>insects</strong> sparring and lastly one of them catch a water beetle.</div><div> </div></div>Robert Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00490116130871584359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8966700076273119879.post-90932984531865893612011-10-12T11:44:00.000-07:002011-10-12T12:18:48.665-07:00Pale, Watery and Brooding<div><div><strong>Bird News</strong> : <u>Ibsley Water</u> - <strong>dunlin</strong> 1, <strong>little stint</strong> 1, <strong>kestrel</strong> 2, <strong>greylag</strong> c300.</div><div>Not many moths in the trap this morning, but there was one of my very favourite species a <strong>merveille du jour</strong>, a moth perfectly designed to be camouflaged on a lichen covered branch. </div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6cIQ_zRqlDXJKqn8zgM6_MjTaavE-dCCkPT4ETa60qEKMaJFPGNEehfiwpxY0Gkj0cumd7J9xRhfA4KuGJkijKiH94RWLYY-3eqFfQVqOXN1gPwW4uyCLQ0Mqth417oQhYs3Tn2T2sMxu/s1600/Merveille+du+Jour.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662679488883913330" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6cIQ_zRqlDXJKqn8zgM6_MjTaavE-dCCkPT4ETa60qEKMaJFPGNEehfiwpxY0Gkj0cumd7J9xRhfA4KuGJkijKiH94RWLYY-3eqFfQVqOXN1gPwW4uyCLQ0Mqth417oQhYs3Tn2T2sMxu/s400/Merveille+du+Jour.jpg" /></a>Amongst the moths there were lots of caddisflies and several mayflies, including one small one with yellow eyes and bold markings. I had not seen one like to before but it seems to be <strong><em>Beatis</em></strong> <strong><em>fuscatus</em></strong>, the <strong>pale</strong> <strong>watery</strong>. The picture I got was only of it on the egg boxes in the moth trap beside a <strong>large</strong> <strong>wainscot.</strong><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLLfFKhysh6UDFL_1TDCje9YS6CWWY_3rlcHw4ed8mHxgEpa2Pe3OG4Qv6NmEI8zWHHWt9Qu6dcgj2xXzxwjuJNTYqpSdjo1nlhyphenhyphenRIPIog5mlk-Dqki-QqyyF2nc6FSGAXOcHzRkDpYohp/s1600/Pale+Watery.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662679475773465826" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLLfFKhysh6UDFL_1TDCje9YS6CWWY_3rlcHw4ed8mHxgEpa2Pe3OG4Qv6NmEI8zWHHWt9Qu6dcgj2xXzxwjuJNTYqpSdjo1nlhyphenhyphenRIPIog5mlk-Dqki-QqyyF2nc6FSGAXOcHzRkDpYohp/s400/Pale+Watery.jpg" /></a></div><div> The Lower Test volunteer team were working at Blashford today, cutting on the shore of Ibsley Water. The low cloud made for a rather brooding scene. <img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662683448784504354" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqui0DnmCk7obaZNm-zVYP0AUhLmzxWu5xgTYAh0QmYqlidiVToP_XLHz_UvrM5SxvO9sRg0WjthYUz3UOBa9S0YgBqOAU1u4jPktIgwvB4tkHBxqcKbqiT9gFdXfxb1nUHgBcSXYFUofw/s400/Ibsley+Water+W+shore.jpg" /></div><div> The main task was to cut and clear the island in the north-west corner of the lake, this island is used by the nesting gulls, tufted and other ducks and <strong>oystercatcher</strong>, important because ground predators like fox cannot get out there. If the vegetation gets too tall or woody most of these specie swill not nest, hence the need to cut it. You can just make out the workers on the island in the picture.</div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMCJnx1faboj3EzY3Sky9zOHIbkwirbmXL3Skw-NcNPJcPm-P37W-hjqICLuyYzM29emVEL4TuODQtetuq8H1Sh22QFd5jF6_kcjNQOeMJBniKX_nl1rM266PWIE3OvjO-kBxP_PzmukjM/s1600/Ibsley+Water+island+with+volunteers.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662679477415800802" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMCJnx1faboj3EzY3Sky9zOHIbkwirbmXL3Skw-NcNPJcPm-P37W-hjqICLuyYzM29emVEL4TuODQtetuq8H1Sh22QFd5jF6_kcjNQOeMJBniKX_nl1rM266PWIE3OvjO-kBxP_PzmukjM/s400/Ibsley+Water+island+with+volunteers.jpg" /></a>Over the last few years we have been cutting the banks of <strong>nettles</strong> and <strong>creeping</strong> <strong>thistles</strong> that grow on the bunds of topsoil stripped away to expose the gravel to be excavated. We are winning and it is increasingly becoming grass and low herb dominated. This allows grazing by wildfowl and makes it suitable for nesting <strong>lapwing</strong>. One consequence is that sometimes when we cut in July we set back flowering, which then happens later in the year. Today we came across a group of flowering <strong>dark</strong> <strong>mullein</strong> plants, normally they would have flowered a couple of months ago. <div><div><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 300px; height: 400px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662679857350843762" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLh-oh-l7wkKSFbdeGuWFBlrFjcV-na7H8-wKmfvskdSGBOHvn_Tfj2ULL58JzzilXgUoJvDLn_DaXqe_GgTJgkBRRWUnsFVEUBC4NgRbazjlAx8YKfPGK00KKpdvbhSnpt2c7ibUrSu0U/s400/Dark+Mullein.jpg" /></div></div></div></div></div>Robert Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00490116130871584359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8966700076273119879.post-40690910746405032022011-10-11T11:22:00.000-07:002011-10-11T12:00:06.489-07:00Work for Later<div><strong>Bird News</strong>: <u>Ibsley Water</u> - <strong>lapwing</strong> 100+, <strong>goosander</strong> 1 redhead, <strong>pintail</strong> 1 duck,</div><div><u>Ivy Lake</u> - <strong>Cetti's warbler</strong> 1 calling.</div><div>A remarkably unremarkable day, very quiet for birds, as the list above shows and too cloudy for insects, apart from mosquitoes. </div><div>Despite what I have said above, it was a very busy and productive day. Four volunteers came in and we worked near the Goosander hide beside, on and in, Ibsley Water. We cleared the banks to improve views and the flight lines for the martins in front of the nesting bank. I also put out some perching rails on a shallow bank out in the lake.</div><div>Incidentally I came across a few plants of <strong>viper's</strong> <strong>bugloss</strong>, a plant I had not previously found at Blashford. It is a bit late in the season and the plants were a bit tatty, but I got a picture anyway.</div><div><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 300px; height: 400px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662303106428262802" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG8WLIVWm7xVPONSGxjwYeoXf28IUfLuOv4ycJOiAfH5Px0-bbLenSXazffpLHpL-6tjOSEqWdALUL8SXYW8VZVrsbLdxB9twTZ4VSAvpoTR0Wjhyphenhyphen33mIqEJK0qE71UdM8P6olcVQ4MYBU/s400/Viper%2527s+Bugloss.jpg" />Tomorrow we will be clearing the island at the north end of Ibsley Water. Although this does cause some disturbance, there are not that many wildfowl about yet and it does improve the conditions for the birds nesting next spring. Fortunately we don't have to do that many days management work around the lake so the disturbance is limited. Also as the water is so large the birds can always move to other parts of the lake.</div><div><div></div></div>Robert Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00490116130871584359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8966700076273119879.post-77434763821760042262011-10-10T10:56:00.000-07:002011-10-10T12:19:34.799-07:00Flying in and Flowing Through<div><strong>Bird News</strong>: <u>Ibsley Water</u> - <strong>dunlin</strong> 3, <strong>little stint</strong> 1, <strong>swallow</strong> 50, <strong>house martin</strong> 5.</div><div><u>Centre Area</u> - <strong>lesser redpoll</strong> 1+, </div><div>The moth trap contained a couple of migrant species this morning, a <strong>rusty dotted pearl</strong>, which is basically small and in shades of brown and the much more attractive <strong>vestal</strong>.</div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaRY_4iEKasSKFJA1ec_TRvbCxPuEuBDysvQFSxXiLnA-Vi5lkxFuZrBvx5eYsZLYeu8MBHrqAZh9uRL5WWwYFi99YKYmw5AMC2-qLrxuvntdKWm7Uh31Wf6-efWeBIiRs9et2JFOI-82g/s1600/Blast+shelter.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5661925383486342786" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO1wUC4EA56vWlmMSZssoa2sVDzhsXkFbji14gga77_c56CC7Gsnz5V6gSaJUCrXNq7GabP_JUW8QCK1Wluq0xUnNPivjxJIJdsskvKTQmolawmOI5_pHfF9ZsvOmJbTGufB9VMfRTj-Ht/s400/Vestal.jpg" /></a></div><div>In fact it was quite warm today and this made it pretty good for insects, a few <strong>red</strong> <strong>admiral</strong> and <strong>speckled</strong> <strong>wood</strong> butterflies were about and several <strong>southern</strong> <strong>hawker</strong> dragonflies were near the Centre. </div><div>I was briefly beside the Dockens Water, the New Forest stream that passes through the reserve on its way to meet the River Avon. It winds through the trees with alternating shallow riffles and deep pools. On the way it passes an old World War II blast shelter, a refuge for maintenance crews in the event of an air raid.</div><div><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5661925381463634882" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaRY_4iEKasSKFJA1ec_TRvbCxPuEuBDysvQFSxXiLnA-Vi5lkxFuZrBvx5eYsZLYeu8MBHrqAZh9uRL5WWwYFi99YKYmw5AMC2-qLrxuvntdKWm7Uh31Wf6-efWeBIiRs9et2JFOI-82g/s400/Blast+shelter.jpg" /></div><div>The Dockens Water has not always looked as it does today, the section in the picture is actually a man made course cut in 2005. Initially it was all the same depth and width, but time has allowed it to establish a very natural look, with all the characteristics of a natural stream.<div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh93kMlasVhp2bTTvODYdSa357mkSv1H6e_1g2ZOwHaME6MW3sVHkTtge6EsE6lk0WPI5Z_PdP7awEoCvOaRBJB93lexsebixWFG0lik8YsGb18TUr3h9PsxkeR4Kos85LooqA9QO8fGeIY/s1600/Dockens+Water+restored.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 300px; height: 400px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5661925372737540050" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh93kMlasVhp2bTTvODYdSa357mkSv1H6e_1g2ZOwHaME6MW3sVHkTtge6EsE6lk0WPI5Z_PdP7awEoCvOaRBJB93lexsebixWFG0lik8YsGb18TUr3h9PsxkeR4Kos85LooqA9QO8fGeIY/s400/Dockens+Water+restored.jpg" /></a>The previous course was straightened and in many places had the banks made up with concrete block walls. This was keep the water on the "straight and narrow" and get it through the site as quickly as possible and keep it well away from the gravel pits being dug at the time. The last thing you would want if you were working five or six metres down in a gravel quarry is a New Forest stream in spate rushing in on you.<div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPSvyzW4LWLecir4tBEimSCzp3tgQZHODfiQ9PlmU3-_XJu7Togc_hcBh-k-rnwzcK_V3IyyzUlBNRUmVSl3Co9GSbA-L0y8HC1Nj5S6nRntXDRJ-EPFV_D39atma8XKP-jB4O7fRMHhG1/s1600/Old+course+of+Dockens+Water.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5661925366755253090" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPSvyzW4LWLecir4tBEimSCzp3tgQZHODfiQ9PlmU3-_XJu7Togc_hcBh-k-rnwzcK_V3IyyzUlBNRUmVSl3Co9GSbA-L0y8HC1Nj5S6nRntXDRJ-EPFV_D39atma8XKP-jB4O7fRMHhG1/s400/Old+course+of+Dockens+Water.jpg" /></a>Today was the quiet day of the week, the rest of the week there will be volunteers working on the reserve everyday and we also have schools visiting and a guided walk. I also have a couple of meetings to look forward to. Still the weather seems set fair so we should get a good bit done and even the meetings might be productive, with a bit of luck.<div></div></div></div></div>Robert Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00490116130871584359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8966700076273119879.post-9648970367026491622011-10-07T13:36:00.000-07:002011-10-07T14:05:15.664-07:00Empty Cups and Swallows Go West<div><strong>Bird News</strong>:<u> Ibsley Water</u> -<strong> little stint</strong> 1, <strong>dunlin</strong> 1, <strong>black-necked grebe</strong> 1, <strong>swallow</strong> 20+ with most moving west, <strong>goosander</strong> 3 redheads .</div><div>Tied up doing tedious stuff for most of the day so hardly got out on the reserve. Near the Centre I was struck by the number of acorns littering the ground, this leaves lots of empty acorn cups on the trees, each like a tiny parabolic reflector.</div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-E359oBu0Lafxk0x8FlJbA4xbkxvskhkI06tPQpOThNgWZ9cc-j9Z_50_QrtX2K7vUKtFh7tHRLjj0CpHqS7e8KPDhbeE0wnKvYjbrzqiEq6yCfP00Q-s1nU9qqF33QLpufTXoDoknBMO/s1600/Southern+Hawker.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5660852294549136914" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyLXGfySDgp9WziabGSGXVqIppIb2-JPn66p-o7a5auHZo82VLfaAhDRohe6Hgol0gvJ0jLqhC4s331GNuHuVHmkg1noeuLwAGsn_2VSDrd1N2cqy2B3L-HfQmowvjE522DFYPDAbQ68ug/s400/Acorn+cups.jpg" /></a></div><div>The sun came out in the afternoon and this tempted a few dragonflies out. I was alerted to the <strong>southern</strong> <strong>hawker</strong> below by our regular bird photographers and got a passable shot of it.</div><div><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 300px; height: 400px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5660852289598597682" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-E359oBu0Lafxk0x8FlJbA4xbkxvskhkI06tPQpOThNgWZ9cc-j9Z_50_QrtX2K7vUKtFh7tHRLjj0CpHqS7e8KPDhbeE0wnKvYjbrzqiEq6yCfP00Q-s1nU9qqF33QLpufTXoDoknBMO/s400/Southern+Hawker.jpg" /></div><div>The <strong>little</strong> <strong>stint</strong> on Ibsley Water today was a bit of a surprise and the first this autumn and probably the last too. Later in the day it was joined by a <strong>dunlin</strong>. First thing I arrived just in time to see 3 redhead <strong>goosander</strong> flying off to the north. The <strong>black</strong>-<strong>necked</strong> <strong>grebe</strong> was again on the northern part of the lake all day. Apart form a few <strong>meadow</strong> <strong>pipit</strong> flying over the only obvious migrants were a slow but possibly steady passage of <strong>swallows</strong>,more or less westwards into the wind. I got a count of 87 <strong>lapwing</strong> on Ibsley Water today, they seem to like the newly lowered and widened bank on the western shore.</div>Robert Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00490116130871584359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8966700076273119879.post-24153225534861249602011-10-06T11:01:00.000-07:002011-10-06T11:46:29.894-07:00Tangled Snakes and the Tiger Path<div><strong>Bird News</strong>: <u>Ibsley Water</u> - <strong>black-necked grebe</strong> 1, <strong>swallow</strong> 20, <strong>house martin</strong> 10, <strong>peregrine</strong> 1.</div><div>Following a rather windy and at times, wet, night I was not too surprised at the small number of moths in the trap, there was one species that I see very rarely at Blashford, a <strong>barred sallow</strong>.</div><div><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5660443584288371026" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieSnvgvkkDa8gpP-p7BKvnyrw6CdLxj9WmS3c-Ia2Yqq6gQ32JTWTCOiqLeOHDpgk8KzaQmqvul2KdXwF2YDvmEFAvIlONHE3IO8yhPLD6t2uCizje8VlamrVdo5z7z4cmz05-x0zx88nO/s400/Barred+Sallow.jpg" />Thursday today, so it was volunteer day, I was not sure what to do but took a risk on the rain holding off and the wind not getting up too much and we got the tern rafts in for the winter. I had some trouble with the amount of weed in the lake tangling the prop on the boat, but they all got to shore in the end.</div><div>Eventually the sun came out in the afternoon and the whole reserve was looking very autumnal. The wind has brought down a good few leaves, a lot of which are now being carried down the Dockens Water.</div><div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicLmA4EPDoVDUCcUkMloMTHzFxVcXHVsHL_Pc86FOoOI7OaB-IxCujsDUPd11ZBd8o2YkJNm-1_sBjgShe9VV40wfQljwbK971niYOVHVXnjo22Uj3ZE80ZToqsuUbQYt_gNn-gPlFCiKc/s1600/Leaves+in+the+Dockens.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5660443583216829218" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicLmA4EPDoVDUCcUkMloMTHzFxVcXHVsHL_Pc86FOoOI7OaB-IxCujsDUPd11ZBd8o2YkJNm-1_sBjgShe9VV40wfQljwbK971niYOVHVXnjo22Uj3ZE80ZToqsuUbQYt_gNn-gPlFCiKc/s400/Leaves+in+the+Dockens.jpg" /><font color="#000000"></font></a>Despite undoubtedly being autumn, I did find a remembrance of spring, a few flowers of <strong>foxglove</strong>.<br /><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIj5gOIINhfZfPqM0kyjmWXWPZFdkN7tlxhmIjScC85AauScUvxqcRr0BdrPka7xT1MBn-LyoQlyZmovjsuoE5v1c3qOrQzh1hT4GCk0j1i-DiPl92LsmUaZCiLWBpv429mDBwCdXyBJTR/s1600/October+Foxglove.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5660443582090414946" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIj5gOIINhfZfPqM0kyjmWXWPZFdkN7tlxhmIjScC85AauScUvxqcRr0BdrPka7xT1MBn-LyoQlyZmovjsuoE5v1c3qOrQzh1hT4GCk0j1i-DiPl92LsmUaZCiLWBpv429mDBwCdXyBJTR/s400/October+Foxglove.jpg" /></a>I was looking at the state of some of the trees near the Centre, where there are a lot of <strong>alders</strong> which have a fungal disease, they develop tell tale black marks on the trunk before dying and sadly I found several that will need felling before they fall down.<div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Qr6ob4Ll1M9defhRb_OLibq2Jzg5SU0s8WPW5IlJW0NoGSa95KZUJLbmrWIX02C714HwFv1iB7miBtXu9iCndvqmOosvjLrXvtMYoRV6W4wd_2cRSZvrE-dG4Wxz_9kIrmeY0z2oSYV6/s1600/Alder+disease.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 300px; height: 400px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5660442712253551042" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Qr6ob4Ll1M9defhRb_OLibq2Jzg5SU0s8WPW5IlJW0NoGSa95KZUJLbmrWIX02C714HwFv1iB7miBtXu9iCndvqmOosvjLrXvtMYoRV6W4wd_2cRSZvrE-dG4Wxz_9kIrmeY0z2oSYV6/s400/Alder+disease.jpg" /></a>I had a speculative look under one of the tin sheets and found a group of <strong>grass</strong> <strong>snakes</strong>, I got a quick picture of two of them, the others had shot off before I managed to deploy the camera.<br /><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuzkSbu5sr07VKGwJm2lc46IxEC81xJAm8GZJQuBu1RjVQRh81HJXZnGjvfV14-8jHV9hX1Bk54Ig4OYqqR7TfI6ync60ywyADlzuGipJ_btxb7eUypFfiD_Qb5IXjmBAFswcXYlZuyWyM/s1600/Grass+Snakes+2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5660442709745635842" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuzkSbu5sr07VKGwJm2lc46IxEC81xJAm8GZJQuBu1RjVQRh81HJXZnGjvfV14-8jHV9hX1Bk54Ig4OYqqR7TfI6ync60ywyADlzuGipJ_btxb7eUypFfiD_Qb5IXjmBAFswcXYlZuyWyM/s400/Grass+Snakes+2.jpg" /></a>By the time I went to lock up the sun was already low, but it did a great job of highlighting one of the <strong>silver</strong> <strong>birch</strong> beside the path to the Ivy South hide.<br /><div><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 300px; height: 400px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5660442702943631922" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt1oJTZ9Sa7uf2c6pDlQds9mWgBSQyOjRZm3Kg5B9gmCzCILrPZDYo1j9Wg6pug-O67uTCmXDUI9d5jKFqogDOk4Qv7okRLoSCWggKaU2x-hqittMKZyAU-iz7mDbizVKlD2IGkf7vRDbg/s400/Silver+Birch.jpg" />Later, near the Ivy North hide the same low light produced a tiger pattern on the path, produced by the crossing shadows of the trunks of trees.<br /><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPZ_jfdAycaiicF7PrTzckD-9NeDwGAeEF1XtkOzsC75G6k09IjodrEwMMKM8ewJLDZUsU2gLKrd272omTGbEjvXj3eJjA8qshHrg2WOIpoBnriVjdJ_AHr3fliwOanp3TWopY4_bM4p5b/s1600/Tiger+path.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 300px; height: 400px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5660442695981925058" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPZ_jfdAycaiicF7PrTzckD-9NeDwGAeEF1XtkOzsC75G6k09IjodrEwMMKM8ewJLDZUsU2gLKrd272omTGbEjvXj3eJjA8qshHrg2WOIpoBnriVjdJ_AHr3fliwOanp3TWopY4_bM4p5b/s400/Tiger+path.jpg" /></a><br /><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Robert Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00490116130871584359noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8966700076273119879.post-50611433814763560082011-10-05T11:59:00.000-07:002011-10-05T12:32:00.179-07:00Eating Their Way Through the Reserve<div><strong>Bird News</strong>: <u>Ibsley Water</u> - <strong>black-necked grebe</strong> 1, <strong>yellow-legged gull</strong> 2, <strong>swallow</strong> 5, <strong>house</strong> <strong>martin</strong> 1.</div><div>Despite the settled weather starting to break there was no real sign of any new migrants around, the few hirundines flying over being the nearest thing to movement. About 65 <strong>lapwing</strong> have taken to using the newly created islands near the western shore of Ibsley Water and in turn they attracted the attentions of a <strong>peregrine</strong>. A further raptor sighting came when an adult female <strong>sparrowhawk</strong> flew passed the Goosander hide, it then flushed and chased a young male that I had missed sitting on a fence post just north of the hide.</div><div>Beside the path to the Lapwing hide I found a group of <strong>shaggy</strong> <strong>ink</strong> <strong>cap</strong>, living up to their name being both shaggy and inky.</div><div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpkOWVzB4LLe19sMYOjdl-DSVUe7B4dS2NgWjoxTCC_cQiVUnggz-v2bDLAIKdLpBneo6lGXps8suJJPD0J21B8rkPw6PqODaugCpJCkNVeZJh4T25Z_E1_Uh_fSQ15NfCOi_zO0yWvhzw/s1600/Shaggy+Ink+Cap.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 300px; height: 400px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5660086091806401810" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpkOWVzB4LLe19sMYOjdl-DSVUe7B4dS2NgWjoxTCC_cQiVUnggz-v2bDLAIKdLpBneo6lGXps8suJJPD0J21B8rkPw6PqODaugCpJCkNVeZJh4T25Z_E1_Uh_fSQ15NfCOi_zO0yWvhzw/s400/Shaggy+Ink+Cap.jpg" /></a></div><div> I went to check on the ponies, I think they have more or less done the grazing I had hoped for so I reckon they can go home soon, or more likely back onto the New Forest.</div><div><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5660086095446770194" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi10-Kg-DMCyGFGYP4jtHqQsNN_xOa21TsHzFjXi7njPh857fxMj_cqC1PVs5chVtIpZjMw6XBYxhQUjI3s3YgYsUKwu1qQjgKc-LCsn1yzoDgL2qmsGjVSgUh0O1h0x_EX58zJEfwzUiP7/s400/Pony.jpg" /></div><div>We do not have many ponies to graze the reserve, although they are far from the only grazers, there are lots of rabbits. <strong>Rabbits</strong> have so modified the countryside that it is hard to imagine what it must have been like before they were introduced and went wild. There would also have been almost no deer in the open countryside then either. <img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5660086941092219586" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi18i1L5_NFpvjRvbuMVZ_s7NdFNRCPT2_YPt5MmfU-JEjWxyKoy1xtlMSjBpP2nEBF1zzTP_DHJ7pEYWjMybs5yaYUHF2fTHTQAiAQqAWMxFpFq5WppcGmJoVx-_JMjmlSdHvKHZ6gO8kk/s400/Rabbit.jpg" /></div><div>I have seen it claimed that the grazers that consume most vegetation are invertebrates. Many of these are also not natives, recently we have found the alien snail <strong><em>Hygromia</em></strong> <strong><em>cinctella</em></strong> on the reserve, this species apparently came in via the plant trade, first establishing in Devon.<div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbLhwC0O0BahMO26PpjvpJPdIiGlkS5QP8qDgqTyF0qBqK-liyKvQWxWLUa3A8-GhRZuKhjabY652f_lhp4WcdbLUzd3g3eb7-V-yXADbZ_zHVoxakB4zeGOUL2P_qTcJR_5VxyOD4TEcO/s1600/Hygromia+cinctella.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5660086087189834338" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbLhwC0O0BahMO26PpjvpJPdIiGlkS5QP8qDgqTyF0qBqK-liyKvQWxWLUa3A8-GhRZuKhjabY652f_lhp4WcdbLUzd3g3eb7-V-yXADbZ_zHVoxakB4zeGOUL2P_qTcJR_5VxyOD4TEcO/s400/Hygromia+cinctella.jpg" /></a></div></div></div>Robert Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00490116130871584359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8966700076273119879.post-12556082506707454012011-10-04T10:44:00.000-07:002011-10-04T11:30:38.322-07:00A New Moth and a Big Beetle<div>No bird news today as I saw no birds of note and did not hear of any being seen either! The continued settled weather has meant that there has been very little movement of late, but a change promised for tonight might bring in some new migrants.</div><div>The moth trap did produce a new record for the reserve though. A <strong>southern chestnut</strong>, a species only found in Britain in 1990 and in Hampshire in 1996. There has been much speculation as to the reason for this recent discovery, was it just overlooked or has it recently colonised? In either event they are being recorded more frequently, I have even found one in my garden. This one is very fresh and brightly coloured.</div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpnLGp16caV9PNk_GIqOwYCRDp-ffrwTKuR0-xx14aS9h_UOwugYO1cGM40O5IC2SjhKgS798EAs8nHBmzvJ4lVjXEGbza6cYu04Epyx90oc0uJSp7lK5SgJDEQmtOhA4Qyt0x-KDKkaKw/s1600/Southern+Chestnut.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5659695748885954674" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpnLGp16caV9PNk_GIqOwYCRDp-ffrwTKuR0-xx14aS9h_UOwugYO1cGM40O5IC2SjhKgS798EAs8nHBmzvJ4lVjXEGbza6cYu04Epyx90oc0uJSp7lK5SgJDEQmtOhA4Qyt0x-KDKkaKw/s400/Southern+Chestnut.jpg" /></a>Other moths included a <strong>mullein</strong> <strong>wave</strong>, a <strong>turnip</strong>, <strong>pinion</strong>-<strong>streaked</strong> <strong>snout</strong>, <strong>beaded</strong> <strong>chestnut</strong> and a few other regulars. A number of <strong>sallows</strong> included a very pale, unmarked one.<div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0gbwCHJRPRA2Uh8WKuzZMF5y-SvdrK5xXBK1nt98gLAZdk4CO0xw2vu6WIkLSk7fjs5SZQsVWVw70j9ZrGTQ4IPKc6WcQBsPLC1PHttjUJw0Wlg_uDt1Hw9a43XoJbfgWjy2Uy3HebcMJ/s1600/Sallow.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5659695744192599122" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0gbwCHJRPRA2Uh8WKuzZMF5y-SvdrK5xXBK1nt98gLAZdk4CO0xw2vu6WIkLSk7fjs5SZQsVWVw70j9ZrGTQ4IPKc6WcQBsPLC1PHttjUJw0Wlg_uDt1Hw9a43XoJbfgWjy2Uy3HebcMJ/s400/Sallow.jpg" /></a>Perhaps most unexpected was a <strong>great</strong> <strong>diving</strong> <strong>beetle</strong>, a male as it has smooth wing-cases. I had to transfer it to the pond with care though as they have a considerable set of jaws and can deliver a sharp bite.<div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis3NtEWXVkDEJbOhPQMYCttt3RhyzcjYwtpr5zB4hQtzhec07_ZJvFjPKfl-_wOS1j3N9AA5zARtwmfiRvcK1ipAhJzSxNvyyVrmfYG57KN9rwENURTCo9Tx2Z_KGi-KGQLMpT1zVdHfnm/s1600/Dytiscus+marginalis+male.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5659695742748153922" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis3NtEWXVkDEJbOhPQMYCttt3RhyzcjYwtpr5zB4hQtzhec07_ZJvFjPKfl-_wOS1j3N9AA5zARtwmfiRvcK1ipAhJzSxNvyyVrmfYG57KN9rwENURTCo9Tx2Z_KGi-KGQLMpT1zVdHfnm/s400/Dytiscus+marginalis+male.jpg" /></a></div><div>It was pretty busy today, there was ongoing <strong>carp</strong> removal from Mockbeggar Lake, I had two of the Tramper buggies booked out and there was a volunteer task all day. In addition when we got back to the Centre at lunchtime the power was off, it was not just a trip switch so I had to get the electrician in. Luckily he fixed the problem for now, so we eventually got back to work, doing more clearing beside the Ivy North hide. The view has really opened out now, below are two more or less similar views, the first from 2009.</div><div><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5659695755653856546" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjjNnKd0GX7-DagYUhbYXWo7fCAh-PKnzvuH4LkMH7EigbYg7rAKnnplwWm1w5duJjGp3Mcj2R1lqfoYsGU4Qk-qyKs84-iRV_sJZPoI2xYy7TKe5E7nLwStFqk-Wefh5fZsAA0F2FumF7/s400/IMG_6099.JPG" /></div><div>Then after the end of today's work, we have opened the view out so far that I had to swing the view round to get the edge of the trees in. Not only has this opened up the view it has also increased the area of reeds and these should extend further, providing habitat for a number of specialist species.</div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaV099a_EIoCP09GtwYR1tGxnBggo1afSjJMglzZ9wICCM2fLhEWcvPYtJuV58BNyi4phc0R7Thnw1Qtz4LJhgt1DuGcLS3yuVXbQVXXib84oUvpl7CQHUsespZGn8Ato6nEpO0TyNZpaC/s1600/Ivy+North+view+now.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5659695739016346802" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaV099a_EIoCP09GtwYR1tGxnBggo1afSjJMglzZ9wICCM2fLhEWcvPYtJuV58BNyi4phc0R7Thnw1Qtz4LJhgt1DuGcLS3yuVXbQVXXib84oUvpl7CQHUsespZGn8Ato6nEpO0TyNZpaC/s400/Ivy+North+view+now.jpg" /></a><div></div></div></div></div>Robert Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00490116130871584359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8966700076273119879.post-66858559299294149762011-10-03T11:43:00.000-07:002011-10-03T12:25:29.712-07:00A Manx Tale<div><div><div><strong>Bird News</strong>: <u>Ibsley Water</u> - <strong>great white egret</strong> 1 (the usual bird).</div><div>For various reasons I neither saw nor heard of anything much else in the way of birds all day. The moth trap included a few notables. A migrant dark swordgrass was especially fine, which probably indicates that it was actually locally hatched rather than a real migrant from overseas.</div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjeAz2C_xO19DmhscaEI-5imTtzVScMRAePYZXnPi7Wwmr19FyM0i0fDtIsYQzvAN8qHG-UmL_Enxu-ZV0p9KVQLFpIz6pJkx9YfJGsWs3PzhEPcM4uwPghWY8yaR3UQKLoR1GSWfX6uCL/s1600/Dark+Swordgrass.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5659339446477168594" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjeAz2C_xO19DmhscaEI-5imTtzVScMRAePYZXnPi7Wwmr19FyM0i0fDtIsYQzvAN8qHG-UmL_Enxu-ZV0p9KVQLFpIz6pJkx9YfJGsWs3PzhEPcM4uwPghWY8yaR3UQKLoR1GSWfX6uCL/s400/Dark+Swordgrass.jpg" /></a>Autumn is the season for "large" wainscots, these include several heavy-bodied species, including the <strong>large</strong> <strong>wainscot</strong> itself. Today there was also a <strong>bulrush</strong> <strong>wainscot</strong>, a rather darker species than the large.<div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJjtFCp7OG7z-QIrMJfnG1mZTGNy7GmLBxNsxGIcgR0wQ63Z6BARrmFVn4NEsZ3_oe2l5kbIS5eeLKUWyhpJbRCA4-3J9mPgA9qDB9Nxh4R71CcJa2dMBMqzVxnT6NKO7jfY4PRGOYBCZs/s1600/Bulrush+Wainscot.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 300px; height: 400px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5659339441837219762" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJjtFCp7OG7z-QIrMJfnG1mZTGNy7GmLBxNsxGIcgR0wQ63Z6BARrmFVn4NEsZ3_oe2l5kbIS5eeLKUWyhpJbRCA4-3J9mPgA9qDB9Nxh4R71CcJa2dMBMqzVxnT6NKO7jfY4PRGOYBCZs/s400/Bulrush+Wainscot.jpg" /></a></div><div>The other day there was another one of these wainscots, the rather scarcer <strong>Webb's</strong> <strong>wainscot</strong>, as I did not post the picture at the time I do so now.</div><div> </div><div><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5659341575859194290" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Pkcmg_iIiPVj-XtPPs7fYsMKhs-fd1U0ZCXEwbd0GsOl9CARLOmhUC8xG_i-mxKDhQ0AXK9iQd6y-Z8uuF4uTb5ET1cJNMZvQQy2Ql2xhKDY4BHRjH1rEhjM_HFBlS-_5Eq8cDZlujmO/s400/019.JPG" />I managed to get the rest of the front face of the Ivy North hide treated with preservative this morning, possibly just in time as the weather is on the change tonight. In the afternoon I closed the seasonal path, it is open 1st April to 30th September, but I thought it best to leave it open over the weekend. It has been quite popular with locals and visitors alike, there some misuse, but not too much.</div><div>At lunchtime a small spider walked down off Michelle's arm and onto the table, it was one of the crab spiders, although I have not establish which one. On the subject of spiders, we could not see either of the <strong>raft</strong> <strong>spiders</strong> on the pond today, I hope they are still around as they should reach full size next spring.</div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMiNoXAnqoGA9ZvkIxPArZsaW_dBaVeFWC6egNg7fHmskuflLUqAi8i7vfNuFw0kHcqDfbadJSsepNiRN0rkElGAaczICLTj5m1wW3DmrKdIkyOSb4tOMJmGt1Fv3n34Jk54MtZfUw_qq4/s1600/Crab+Spider.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5659339440081381010" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMiNoXAnqoGA9ZvkIxPArZsaW_dBaVeFWC6egNg7fHmskuflLUqAi8i7vfNuFw0kHcqDfbadJSsepNiRN0rkElGAaczICLTj5m1wW3DmrKdIkyOSb4tOMJmGt1Fv3n34Jk54MtZfUw_qq4/s400/Crab+Spider.jpg" /></a>Tomorrow I will be out with the volunteers again, doing a but more work near the Ivy North hide, so sorry in advance if you are planning to visit, but the view should be much better after we finish.</div><div> Lastly a cormorant's tale. For a couple of weeks or so there has been a <strong>cormorant</strong> carrying a white ring with an engraved code out on Ibsley Water, always too far away to be readable. Then I got sent the picture below from Martin Bennett and it shows the bird with the ring readable as Z7P. I tracked down the likely origin and sent an email this morning. The result is that it was ringed as a chick on 9th June this year at Stack Mooar, Maughold, Isle of Man. Although this is the first from the Isle of Man at Blashford we have had previous birds from the Bristol channel, confirming that at least some of our birds do come from <strong><em>carbo</em></strong> race colonies from western Britain. So far we have not had any from the tree nesting colonies in the east, which include many of the continental <strong><em>sinesis</em></strong> race.</div><div> <img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 267px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5659345947027589874" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX9uSiGjxsS1RapprKKMgnAdBjPRhlqapG_lZL2f3W8b-unbEUOj0Q1XI9mD2WW7DQvUS7bX-bo3axCcAOyTQnfsFJaxtWSA-VJRsUMZ46DrX0tfbKuRxEKrzKEB1kN5pzIBzdvwq2nSaT/s400/Cormorant+A39J6036+-+Version+3.jpeg" /></div><div><div> </div></div></div></div></div>Robert Chapmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00490116130871584359noreply@blogger.com0