11th May - Blashford Lakes, Hampshire

I had been aware of the report of four Black Terns at Blashford Lakes late morning.  I decided though to persevere with the search for the Marsh Fritillaries, feeling that they would stay for the afternoon.  But when it became clear they were not about I decided to make the short journey to Blashford.  The car park was closed and there were cars parked all over the area, but I managed to find a space.  I walked through to the Tern Hide, hoping that they were still about and, more importantly, were close enough to the hide for some decent photographs.

Settling in there were two Black Terns sitting on posts, while the other two were hawking around the middle of the lake.

Apparently the behaviour was: they would fly out into the middle of the lake, hawk around for fifteen minutes then return to the posts.

The hide was full, not packed, but this meant other things were going to be pointed out and somebody managed to find a Little Ringed Plover on one of the banks of the islands.  Not a classic photograph, but a record, and better than the head I got at Testwood and you can see the yellow eye ring.

It was then a case of watching the terns and enjoying the banter in the hide.

The black tern is not an easy bird to photograph, they are usually distant and heading past, or they are juvenile birds, so to get the chance to see these summer plumaged birds was a bit special.

The main body appears black, the wings shades of grey that can look a lot lighter in the sunshine.

There would be competition for access to the post , not just between the Black Terns, but the Common Terns and Black-headed Gulls.

Here you can see the variation in shades of grey and black.

Coming in to try and get on a post.

The posts were prime territory.

Showing the pale underwing.

There had been two Common Sandpipers about, one came on to the shore in front of the hide.  It made a change from the Black Terns.

And so it was back to the Black Terns.  An outlier in a world of white seabirds, breeding Black Terns are a handsome mix of charcoal-grey and jet black. Their delicate form and neatly pointed wings provide tremendous agility as these birds flutter and swoop to pluck fish from the water’s surface or veer to catch flying insects, much as a swallow does.

As mentioned earlier, the posts were prime territory and were defended vigorously.

A Common Tern on one of the closest sticks to the hide.

One of the Black Terns having a good preen.

The Black Tern and two Old World species, the White-winged Tern and Whiskered Tern, are known as “marsh terns” for their habit of breeding in freshwater marshes. 

The Black Tern is very social. It breeds in loose colonies and usually forages, roosts, and migrates in flocks of a few to more than 100 birds, occasionally up to tens of thousands.  These four birds were happy to feed together, although there would be some disputes.

A typical feeding pose, looking to pick insects or fish off the surface of the water.

My time was up, a great afternoon with one of those birds you rarely get to encounter like this.

11th May - Martin Down, Hampshire

We have had almost a week of glorious weather and it continued into the weekend.  May is the traditional month that visits are made to Martin Down out near the Wiltshire Hampshire border.  Unusually, this year we visited in early March, but we are now in the best time to get the beauty of the place.  I arrived just after 6:30 and I could hear Yellowhammer, Corn Bunting and Whitethroat singing.  I listened hard but could not make out any purring calls of Turtle Dove, once a strong hold here in Hampshire, it seems the Turtle Dove, is almost extinct now in Hampshire.  Last year there was just one present, it is possible that one or two could turn up, but I am not holding out much hope.

I walked up the path towards Bokerley Ditch.  This area was grazed in the winter and the grass was quite short.  At least fifty plus Corn Buntings were feeding on the ground and flew up into the bushes.

A Cuckoo called from the distant bushes, I heard it through the morning, but never actually saw it.  The track steepens as you approach the ditch.  Last year there had been a very confiding Tree Pipit along the ditch here, and as I approached I could hear one singing.  It did not take long to find it and like the bird last year it was easily approached.

In the ditch were Early Purple Orchids.

A Yellowhammer sat at the top of a Juniper bush.

Along the path there were more Early Purple Orchids on the bank, the early morning sunshine catching the flower heads.

This area is always good for Greater Butterfly Orchid and it was good to see several of them emerging, this seems early to me, we don't usually find them until June.

I walked along the ditch and on the other side there were birds singing and taking in the sunshine.  This Yellowhammer.

A Whitethroat.

Then a beautiful background for this sun lit Yellowhammer.

I reached the cross ways for the Jubilee trail and headed up it along side the copse.  I was looking, or listening for another special bird here, the Spotted Flycatcher.  They have been regular here for several years now and it did not take long to hear the thin "seeped" call.  I stopped near a clearing and it didn't take long to see the bird, perched on a horizontal branch about twenty feet up.

It then moved to another tree.

For such a weak song / call it was really putting something into the song.

This is also a very good place to see Brown Hare, but the field had been recently cut for sileage and was full of Rooks, but no hares.

I walked to the point where the woods end and it opens up into fields.  There were cereals growing, and I could only find one Brown Hare sitting in a bare area of the field.

Walking back I found another pair of Spotted Flycatcher in a completely different location.

I heard some more before I reached the original pair, so I reckon there are at least three pairs present in this small wood.

It was warming up and I now turned my attention to the ground and butterflies, but despite the warmth there were hardly any around, so I had to take this Stonechat.

Rather than perch on the top of a bush this Yellowhammer was singing from a low bush at the bottom of the ditch.

The Martin Down savannah.

I was approaching the area well know for Burnt Tip Orchids, but would it be too early?  Well the answer to that was no, there were at least a dozen flower spikes and they were in perfect condition.

It is quite a small orchid, with contrasting deep crimson buds and whitish flowers that are unique to this orchid.  There are two varieties and the Hampshire ones are considered to be later in flowering, so not sure what is going on here.

The orchid has suffered a severe decline over recent years and these here on Martin Down are quite special.

Taken from a different perspective from below.

Leaving the orchids, I returned to the ditch and found a butterfly at last, a Grizzled Skipper.

At the old rifle ranges I walked around the closely cropped area of Juniper and gorse and found another butterfly, this time a beautiful Green Hairstreak.

This is a widespread butterfly found in a variety of habitats, but like all hairstreaks it is easily overlooked as it sits patiently on a leaf.

It likes warm sheltered spots.  The males have favourite perches from which they will launch attacks on intruding males or chase passing females and then usually returning to the same perch.

A close up of the iridescent scales, that can appear blue.

Another Green Hairstreak was around the small path back where the Burnt Orchids were, this one in Juniper.

Then on a leaf.

I walked to the north end of the reserve, this Skylark was carrying food so there has to be a nest close by.

More Corn Bunting showing well and singing, with the characteristic head thrown back as the jangling song is delivered.

I crossed the road and searched the other side of the reserve, no butterflies or the hoped for Lesser Whitethroat.  I came back and headed towards the old ranges once more, this Green-veined White amongst the nettles and hopefully a sign that there might be some more butterflies.

I made my way back to the ditch, the last specialty to be found here about this time of year is the Marsh Fritillary and the ditch is the usual place.  I retraced my steps in the hope of disturbing one, but only came across Brimstone and this Dingy Skipper.

A little further along I came across yet another Green Hairstreak.

Another close up, this time showing the black and white antennae and legs.

And when the sun went behind the clouds the green seemed to take on a different hue.

I decided to walk back to the car for lunch.  I thought this Hare was going to run straight at me, but it stopped in the tyre tracks before turning away and running off.

After lunch I made my way back to the ditch, via a good spot for Small Blue, but I couldn't find any.  I did though disturb a Silver Y moth.  This is a migrant moth that must have arrived with the recent south easterly winds.

Butterflies were still in short supply and there wasn't any sign of the Marsh Fritillaries, maybe it was too early.  I walked the length of the ditch once again without any luck, so decided to head across the main grassland to the path that leads to the car park.

This Red Kite was flying around the area, there had been several in the area, attracted by the cut fields.

As I got close to the car, this male Orange Tip settled on a flower for once to make a nice ned to what was a mixed visit.

So no Turtle Dove, no Marsh Fritillaries, very few butterflies, but some beautiful Burnt Tip Orchids and signs of other orchids beginning to appear.