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Blashford Lakes - Year List 2023 - (#42)


Wednesday 26th July 2023 & Friday 28th July 2023.

On my recent trips to Blashford Lakes over the past week I’ve done well with birds, I have two new species to add to my year list and some wonderful sightings of the more common species. The two new additions are Green Sandpiper seen from the Tern hide flying out of sight towards the Goosander Hide, and Ruddy Shelduck on Ibsley.

Ruddy Shelduck. 

Green Sandpiper - (A.W. Seaby).

There have been large congregations of Coot in certain areas of Ibsley Water and so to Great-crested Grebe, where the groups of Coot are seen there is always other birds waiting to pick up titbits as the Coots resurface with weed.

Other birds seen from the Woodland Hide. Juvenile Greenfinch with the adults, Blue Tit, Great Tit,  Goldfinch, Dunnock, Collared Dove and a very obliging  juvenile Great spotted Woodpecker. The Stock dove was a pleasant surprise with three turning up on one of the seed feeders.

Apart from that there wasn’t much else to see, Egyptian Geese on mass, Gulls were out on the small islands and small groups of Tufted Duck.

Common Sandpiper seen from the Tern Hide.

Two juvenile Greenfinches.

Greenfinch - hen.

Adult Greenfinch. 

Chaffinch - hen.

Scruffy adult Blue Tit.

Juvenile Robin.

Feeding on dropped seed.

Grey pate - juvenile Goldfinch.

Shall I ? Shan't ?


Grey Squirrel. 

The juvenile Great spotted Woodpecker with its distinctive red cap.



Feeding on sunflower hearts.

Three Stock Doves.


The beautiful iridescent nape and black eye.

--------------------------------------------

28-7-23.... Another good day and two more species for the year list. Yellow legged Gull seen from Goosander Hide and at last a juvenile, and very welcomed, its nice to see the gull in full, legs and all! Kingfisher at Ivy Lake South, this is very late in the year for me to actually see one.

Yellow legged Gull, image taken through mh spotting scope 

Kingfisher.

Panther Cap.

Year List 113.

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