After failing to find the Little Ringed Plover yesterday at Hook, I was chasing them again. There were three reported at Blashford yesterday, surely these, or at least one would still be around, so I was off to Blashford Lakes.
The weather had changed, gone were the blue skies and morning sunshine, it was overcast but with a watery sun trying hard to break through the cloud. I made my way to the car park outside the tern hide.
Settling in I woke up the only other birder in the hide by dropping the window down. Looking across to the island and the rough ground where normally the Little Ringed Plover get, there was nothing. However out in front of me was a Great Crested Grebe close in, but with a different view.
Probably as a result of the warm weather yesterday, the surface of the calm water in front of the hide was covered in insects and the duck were coming close to scoop them up. Here a Gadwall.
But rather nice was a drake Pintail that for once came close, the lure of the insects too much to miss.
It was a great opportunity to get some close shots of this stunning duck. Very soon they will be leaving us, so its a chance to enjoy while they are still around.
The Tern Hide at Blashford has windows that open, but also shaded glass in places. I had a look around the shore and found a Snipe very close, fortunately I was able to open one of the windows to be able to photograph it without it being aware I was doing so.
As it moved it was bobbing, something more associated with the Jack Snipe, but the Common Snipe do so also.
A Tufted Duck was up to something, but it wasn't clear what.
But then it became clear as another bill appeared, that of a female.
She was completely submerged. Once the act was complete both birds splashed around with wing flaps and dives.
At this time of year the Great Crested Grebes look superb. The breeding plumage involves a lovely ruff of feathers around the head and the crests on top of the head. Unfortunately this was one of the reasons they were hunted and also one of the reasons the RSPB was formed to protect them.
This one had just finished preening
The wind ruffling the head feathers.
A shake of the head.
The grebe was close to the hide and was picking the insects off the surface of the water too.
I wasn't sure what was happening here. It had caught a fish, but it seems like it came with some garnish, the grebe managed to remove the weed and swallow the fish.
This was an approach to another grebe, but nothing came of it, the other not seeming to be interested so eventually they both went their own way.
I decided to go for a walk around to the Lapwing hide. There seemed to be Chiffchaffs everywhere and they were all singing. This Great Spotted Woodpecker was calling from the tree top.
It then flew across the path in front of me and into a tree covered in lichen.
The Black-necked Grebes were visible from the Lapwing hide, but they were distant. This was a big shame as one of the two present was showing what looked like summer plumage.
The two of them together, the right sided one showing a little more of the grey winter plumage.
The Goldeneye were displaying to the females, throwing their heads back and pointing skywards. There was a count reported of twenty five with at least ten males.
An adult Lesser Black-backed Gull flew to one of the posts in front of the hide.
It was approaching lunch time and I decided to walk back to the Tern hide and have lunch there before moving on. On the way I managed to catch this Chiffchaff in amongst the branches.
Nothing appeared to have changed and the Snipe was occupying the photographers in the hide. When they left, I noticed the Great Crested Grebes facing each other once again and this time they started to display.
The grebe on the right appeared to be more into the display, shaking the head and opening the beak, I think this was the male.
Twisting the head and reaching behind towards the back, showing off the beautiful feathers.
Here yo can see the two different efforts, the right hand grebe putting its heart and soul into the display, the other just seems to be watching.
Then th eright hand grebe dived and I assumed to get weed. It surfaced with weed and swam low on the water with its wings fluffed up towards the other grebe who was still just watching.
In the ceremony both grebes come together with weed and as the left hand grebe didn't bother to get any the other grebe just dropped the weed. They came together with some more head shaking, but both appeared to be going through the motions.
And sure enough the left hand grebe, probably the female had enough and swam away.
The male kept trying his moves but to no luck.
It turned to me and this looked like it was thinking, well what went wrong there.
They did come together again and swam off alongside each other, so maybe not a complete failure, she just has to be in the mood.
I had made my mind up to go to Fishlake Meadows and set off after finishing my lunch. Pulling up in the car park more Chiffchaff were singing. I walked to the viewing points along the road and there was very little to be seen. I came back to the canal and walked the path. The sun was coming out and it was warming up.
There were more Chiffchaff singing and they seemed to be everywhere, probably a mixture of wintering birds and migrants.
Cetti's Warblers were also singing but not as dominant as the Chiffchaffs. They will become a lot more vocal over the next few weeks. I did manage to see this one as it moved through the branches.
A Nuthatch was calling constantly from the trees alongside the canal and showed very well.
I walked along the centre path but not all the way to the screens, once again there were Chiffchaff and Cetti's Warbler singing and a Buzzard and Red Kite flew over, but there wasn't anything much else.
Walking back along the canal path I heard the Bittern booming from the reed bed, it would be really nice to see it though.
Another day, another trip without any migrants, but I have to keep telling myself it is still the middle of March.
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