The birds less ringed

Not so cold today and thankfully a lot less windy, it felt almost warm by comparison with yesterday. The overcast almost calm conditions should have been ideal for mist netting and everything was set up for a ringing session this morning, however the birds had other ideas and almost four hours ringing resulted in barely ten birds being caught. Admittedly the target species are Siskin, Redpoll and other finches, it would always be possible to catch lots of Blue and Great Tits. The finches are mostly visitors from further north, perhaps just from Scotland or possibly Scandinavia and there are also the birds that can be caught already ringed somewhere else.

Other things today went better, the pole for our Osprey nest site arrived, all we have to do now is get it upright and put a nest on top, should be easy, shouldn't it? The installation of the video equipment also proceeded and we now have live pictures from the Woodland hide on view in the foyer of the Education Centre.

I understand that the Smew was once again on Rockford Lake although it was flying about a good bit, so perhaps it is thinking of going somewhere. The duck Red-crested Pochard was still on Ellingham pound, seeming quite settled there with a few Coot and a handful of Tufted Duck. On Ivy Lake at dusk (see picture above) one of the Mute Swan cygnets appears to have left following the aggressive chasing from the parents yesterday. Also reported today was a Raven over Ibsley Water, as it was calling it is probable there were two as single birds rarely seem to call much.

A chill wind

Colder than ever today thanks to the stiff wind. Despite this there was a good turn out of volunteers with sixteen people turning out to do coppicing and dead-hedging, the hides also got a good sweep out. With spring coming we have perhaps two weeks left to finish the winter work, it is the same every year, in October the winter seems to stretch ahead giving lots of time to get a range of seasonal tasks completed, then from nowhere, it is mid February and the time is all but gone.

Another sign of the end of winter is the increase in the numbers of Chaffinches and Brambling visiting the feeding station at the Woodland hide. This is because the natural seed sources are now running out and birds wander in search of something to eat. Today I saw at least 15 Brambling and heard reports of more. I got a quick picture of a female and missed getting one of a very smart male that already has an almost completely black head. Although there were perhaps 200 birds feeding there a Sparrowhawk which dashed through completely failed to catch anything, probably confused by the mass of potential targets.
Other wildlife today included the duck Red-crested Pochard still on Ellingham Pound and a Peregrine over Ibsley Water at the end of the day. As I locked up the Ivy South hide there were two pairs of Wigeon and Gadwall feeding just below the hide. Seeing them so close and together I realised how different they are in body shape, the Wigeon are remarkably round when viewed from above compared to the much longer bodied Gadwall.

A Big Bank Bonus comes to Blashford

Today's job was to install the pipes in which the Sand Martins will nest into the new length of bank to the west of the Goosander hide. As each layer of pipes was installed the back of the bank is filled with rejects, large stones that will ensure good drainage. Each pipe is one metre long and filled with sand and we put in just over one hundred. All that remains is to finish off the top of the bank, render the face of the wall and tidy up the entrance holes. Even though it was bitter winter out there today the fist Sand Martins will be back with us within about three weeks, so we have to get a move on to complete the job.
Wildlife today included the 11 White-fronted Geese again on Ibsley Water for a few minutes in late morning, the Smew reported again from Rockford Lake (near east bank) and 16 Brambling reported at the Woodland hide.

I noticed the adult Mute Swans on Ivy Lake are getting quite aggressive towards their two cygnets from last year, they have not driven them away yet, but I don't think it will be long before they do.

Potholes no more

The big news at Blashford today was not of birds or beast and may not seem that big, if you don't go there often, but I assure you it is. The entrance track dried out enough for us to fill the potholes. Ok so this may not seem that big a deal, but I have been waiting to do this job since the autumn, thwarted constantly by rain or sometimes frost. Three of Blashford's finest (some of the Thursday volunteers forming a break-away Tuesday group) spent two hours breaking down the hard edges of the potholes so that the fill would bind better when the dumper loads of fill arrived not one of our usual conservation tasks but an invaluable job none the less. The picture below shows a sight I was beginning to think I was never going to see.
Despite all the excitement of gravel there were some birds. Ellingham Pound scored again, this time with a duck Red-crested Pochard, probably the last of the group influx from earlier in January. The Smew was seen again on Rockford Lake, although I did not see it on a brief look in the afternoon. Also reported were the 11 White-fronted Geese first seen on Sunday and again yesterday, today they apparently they flew in for a short time in mid morning with a party of Greylag. First thing this morning there were 2 Black-tailed Godwits on Ibsley Water, there have been thousands in the Avon Valley recently.

Around the Woodland hide and Centre good numbers Siskins, Lesser Redpolls and at least 6 Brambling were at the feeders.

At dusk I counted 2900 Black-headed Gulls at the Ibsley roost along with 50+ Common Gulls and perhaps 800 Lesser Black-backed Gulls.

Fencing and flurries

Spent pretty much the whole day fencing the soon to be seasonal path near Mockbeggar Lane, as result I did not see much wildlife and encountered few people to hear of things reported. Despite this I do know the Smew was still to be seen on Rockford Lake and there were Bewick's Swans at Harbridge.

At the start of the day there were good numbers of Lesser Redpoll on feeders near the Centre and at least one Brambling was with the Chaffinches. On the lichen heath near the Ivy North hide there was a party of 8 Fallow Deer does and 2 Roe Deer. In the little flood by the hide a Water Rail was running about.

As I locked up at the end of the day the Greenfinch roost in the laurels by the main car park entrance was gathering, with at least 200 birds in the bare twigged sycamore tree. On a cold and breezy Ibsley Water about the only ducks braving the exposed southern area of the lake were Goldeneye and Goosander, somehow they look at home in cold weather when other species look decidedly uncomfortable.

The day ended with snow flurries and brisk easterly, promising perhaps more grey geese, we could do with a few of the Bean Geese that seem to be arriving at various sites, we will see what the weather brings.

Geese and Gardeners

Another busy Sunday at Blashford, two visiting groups, one a coach party and it was volunteer day as well. The volunteers spent the morning working in the area around the Education Centre, particularly the garden area near the new shelter. The aim is to establish a new area for wildlife gardening next to the shelter, hopefully one that will not need to be fenced against the rabbits, so we are going to have to pick the plants with care.

Birds today included the Smew still on Rockford Lake, a Red-crested Pochard of Snails Lake and all the usual Brambling, Lesser Redpoll etc around the Woodland areas. After lunch I went over to the Tern hide, as I approached I realised I could hear geese calling and that they were not the usual Greylags but the laughing calls of White-fronted Geese. Eventually I found three birds dropping down onto the lake. On getting into the hide I could see there were eleven with a group of Greylags. The picture shows the whole group, with a Greylag, they did not stay long and flew off west at 14:40, they were not all adults, the initial group of three I saw were two adults and a juvenile and I think there were two or three more juveniles in the flock, although all had at least some "white-fronts". Below is another in a long line of iffy pics of Blashford birds, but at least they can be identified as White-fronts!
There was also another goose on the lake, a Bar-headed Goose, presumably the return of the regular, although the first time I have seen it this year.

Towards dusk I joined John Clark and Tim Doran who were doing a WeBS count today to carry out a co-ordinated count of the Goosander and Goldeneye on Ibsley Water. We ended up with 98 Goosander and 34 Goldeneye, the latter especially high as they usually peak in March.

Also reported today was a male Hen Harrier west over Ibsley Water. With more cold weather on the way and several reports of Bean Geese about the country today we will wait to see what the coming week brings.

Change for a Pound

A most surprising morning, when I opened up the Ivy North hide Cetti's Warbler was showing well and at the South hide there were 2 Green Sandpipers and all in very pleasant sunshine. I decided to walk back to the Centre the long way round via the Ellingham path and I'm pleased I did. When I got to Ellingham Pound there were the usual tiny number of birds, there is almost never anything of note on this pond, but they included a redhead Smew, possibly the one from Rockford Lake, or possibly not. I went to get a camera and got a few poor shots, although marginally better than my earlier efforts. However this was not the end of it, as I was taking the pictures a Great White Egret flew in, it was an unringed bird and did not stay long before a Grey Heron chased it off. Perhaps the Pound is turning over a new leaf, or perhaps this was it's purple patch and I just got lucky.
Over recent weeks there has been some bad feeling between photographers and general visitors in the Woodland hide. I decided to try an ease this by adding another feeder at the bend on the approach the hide, in a good sunny spot. Today I tried to get a few shots of Siskin and a couple are below, a male and a ringed female, possibly one of the birds ringed on the reserve recently.

The lichen covered branch is a decorative perch I added as being more interesting than either the feeder or the bare twigs of the neighbouring trees.

I spent most of the day moving willow brash to use on the banks around the main car park so did not see many birds for much of the day. However reports received, as they say, revealed that the, or a, Smew was on Rockford Lake and a Great White Egret was at Harbridge along with up to 18 Bewick's Swans. There was also a report of a male Marsh Harrier flying over, which I missed yet again, I seem destined never to see one at Blashford. Despite seeing no birds around the main car park I did make one observation of note, a Red Admiral, my first butterfly of the year.

At the end of the day I tried to get a Goosander count, however they had other ideas and I had to visit all three Ibsley Water hides, so would have missed some as they flew in. All the same the minimum number of birds present was 92, including 35 adult drakes. There were also at least 23 Goldeneye including 10 adult drakes.

I suspect the Red-crested Pochards have gone now as nobody reported them today, but there was a Bittern seen in the small patch of reeds north of the Goosander hide yesterday so the bird that has been around the eastern shore of Ibsley Water would seem still to be there.