Blashford Lakes, New Forest

Saturday 27 December

Heavy overnight frost but clear blue skies all morning as I drove over to the New Forest to visit Blashford Lakes near Ringwood.  But first a thirty-minutes stop at nearby Harbridge to look over the meadow from the river bridge to check the distant feeding flock of mixed geese.  It looked like mainly Canada with the odd Greylag but also featured 34 White-fronted Geese. Also present more than a dozen Mute Swans.  Turning the car near the far corner I came across a flight of eight Pheasants.

the distant flock of White-fronted Geese Anser albifrons

On to Blashford itself and first a stop at the Tern Hide overlooking Ibsley Water. Lots of Coot and Tufted Duck with many gulls, especially Lesser Black-backs but also Shoveler at the back and Wigeon to my right and close by a pair of Goldeneye.  A distant Great White Egret was recorded plus a few Great Crested Grebe but not too many Mute Swans on this occasion.

Female Goldeneye Bucephala clangula

On to the main reserve with Blackbird, Robin and the first Long-tailed Tits on the way to Ivy North Hide where I found Mallards and Teal along with a number of Cormorant and a nearby Cetti's Warbler.  Once inside the Woodland Hide chance to see the many tits, mainly Blue, but also Long-tailed, Coal and Great.  Blackbirds, Dunnocks, Robins, Goldfinches and Chaffinches also present plus a visiting Jay and a Magpie at the back of the trees.  The visiting Nuthatch was also a pleasant addition.

Coal Tit Parus ater

Before departing I took a first ever walk through the trees to the path running alongside the nearby Rockfort Lake.  Lots more Long-tailed Tits and a Goldcrest noted before reaching the screen overlooking Ivy North but all the water birds seemed to have moved away from where first sighted form the hide on the opposite bank.  On the lake itself hundreds of Wigeon accompanied by many Tufted Ducks, Mallards and Coots plus a few Great Crested Grebe and a couple of Mute Swans.  But nearer to me and almost masked the the hedge, I found not only a pair of Shelduck but also a drake Goosander.

Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus

A most enjoyable, if somewhat cold, morning that finally produced a total of 40 species.

the Teal Anas cretta flock on the move

Birds seen:

White-fronted Goose, Greylag Goose, Canada Goose, Mute Swan, Shelduck, Wigeon, Mallard, Shoveler, Teal, Pintail, Tufted Duck, Goldeneye, Goosander, Pheasant, Great Crested Grebe, Cormorant, Great White Egret, Coot, Black-headed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, Rock Dove, Woodpigeon, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Cetti's Warbler, Goldcrest,  Long-tailed Tit, Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Nuthatch, Jay, Magpie, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Starling, Chaffinch, Goldfinch.

Blue Tit Parus caeruleus

Great Tit Parus major

Dunnock Prunella modularis

Very distant Great White Egret Ardea alba

Robin Erithacus rubecula

Mute Swan Cygnus olor

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