Blashford

Sunday was a twitching day, not something I very often do, but I thought it was about time I went and had a look for one of the Great White Egrets and the Red Crested Pochards that have turned up around Blashford lakes (a series of former gravel pits near Ringwood). I didn't see either. However, there was plenty of other things to see although most of them were quite distant. I was reminded of one of the reasons I don't go twitching and that is twitchers, especially that special brand of Sunday morning ones. I was trying to listen over the flooded meadows for things I didn't immiediately see, but it was impossible over the chatter about forthcoming social events, clothing, recipes, other twitches etc, with occasional shouts of "there it is!" and everyone else chorusing "oh yes!". It is quite a powerful feeling to very quietly point out its a Little Egret and hear the disappointed chinese whisper go round "its a Little Egret".

I went to the trouble of looking up Caspian Gull as well and had a mental list of what made it different from a Herring Gull. And despite listening to a few birders debating in a hide, I knew that the gulls we were looking at all looked the same to me other than that at sometimes they were pointing in different directions. Over Ibsley Water everything, including the aforementioned gulls, were quite a way off, but there were good numbers of Widgeon, Goosander, Coot, Gadwall, Cormorants, with a sprinkling of Tufted Duck, Shovellers, Pintails and Goldeneye. As there were apparently something over 100 Goosander about I was hoping for a good photo opportunity, but no, despite my friendly disposition, they resolutely stayed several hundred yards away (I mean metres).

 Anyway, on to the woodland hide which I hadn't been to before. There is only one open window in this hide and it was occupied by two photographers who looked pretty well settled for the day so we sat and watched the busy feeding stations through the perspex for a while and I took a couple of photos of a lovely male Brambling and a Great spotted Woodpecker just to see what they would turn out like.

Not too bad as it happens, they won't win prizes, but considering the light and the plastic, much better than I was expecting.

 

I love Brambling, especially if you get to see the males in summer plumage with jet black heads and that indescribable orangey/pinky chest colour. Apparently they are often overlooked in Chaffinch flocks, I can't see how. Also present were a few Siskin, Chaffinch, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Coal Tit, and Nuthatch while we were there.
The next hide was over Ivy lake and for some reason it was deserted, which was nice, and a chance to hear a little of all those truly wild sounds of wildfowl that wrench at even the most city-hardened individual's wild heart strings. There is something timeless, ageless almost, about these sounds which for some reason seem unconsciously imprinted on our brains and immiediately yell between your synapses WILD.
Anyway, enough of this romantic nonsense (almost). On to the pictures.
When I put "almost" in brackets it was because my favourite program when I was little was Nogin the Nog, and as such I am delighted to post these pictures of the much maligned cormorant, which whatever pose I see one in, immiediately takes me back to those brilliantly observed cartoon sketches of my childhood. Thats my age blown then.

I seem to have reached the limit of photograghs for one post, so part 2 is beckoning, but I had to chortle at the above photo which was supposed to be of two cormorants, but the one on the left fell off!