Blashford Lakes - 10th November

A sunny and mild morning. Highlights were Black-necked Grebe, Green Sandpiper and Goosander.

We met at the car park to be told by the warden, Jim, that the new footpaths and hides were to be opened for the first time today and since we were there so early, we would be the first members of the public to go along there. So, off we went.
We stopped at the bird feeders a little down the path. Great, Blue and Coal Tits, Chaffinches and Nuthatch came to feed as we watched. Further along we stopped to look for some Long-tailed Tits that we could hear in the bushes. We saw them and a Pied Wagtail flew over. We walked along the Dockens Water stream and then over the road to the new footpaths. This led us through Willow carr mixed with reeds. We came to the first hide, but had a look at a small lake next to it as a Great White Egret had been seen here yesterday. It wasn’t there, so we went into the hide, called Lapwing Hide.
There were lots of birds to see. Mostly Wigeon and Coot with several Gadwall and Teal. There were a few Great-crested Grebe scattered about and some Shoveler. Nearer the back we saw some Tufted Ducks and Mallard and on a long island, some Cormorants and Great Black-backed Gulls. Scanning round the edges we picked up a Green Sandpiper feeding and all got good views of it. On scanning through the ducks more systematically we found a male Goosander. He swam around for a while and was joined by two females.
We walked back to the second new hide, Goosander Hide. From here we saw more of the birds we had seen from the first hide, but also several Little Grebes. Suddenly a grebe appeared that was not the brown colours of a Little Grebe, but was more black above and white below – it was a Black-necked Grebe. We got great views of it through the telescope and also saw a few Pochard here too.
On the way back we had a look at Rockford Lake as the Great White Egret had been seen here too. We saw a Little Egret, but no luck on the Great White.
Back at the car park we saw more Great Tits, Nuthatch and a Robin at the feeder and jut before we left a large flock of Siskin flew over us. We also saw a Red Admiral butterfly resting in one of the Oaks.
Simon Curson