13th June - Blashford Lakes and Harbridge, Hampshire

Its June, overcast, so no butterflies, what do you do?  Well I decided to try my hand at photographing Sand Martin at Blashford Lakes.  They have a prepared Sand Martin wall outside the Goosander Hide, and this has attracted quite a few Sand Martin.  Before walking around to the hide I checked the Tern hide where it was very quiet with the majority of birds being Egyptian Geese.

As I approached the Goosander hide a Song Thrush was singing in a tall Silver BIrch.

An early nester at the start of the year,its mate is probably sitting on their third brood.

Another songster was a Willow Warbler, it had a distinctive song, the typical Willow Warbler flutey song, but ending with the call of a Chiffchaff.  Ian and I had heard and seen this bird earlier in the spring.  Today though I couldn't see it only hear it.

Settling down into the hide the Sand Martin were flocking around the artificial Sand Martin wall.  Photographing hirundines is never easy as they twist and turn in the air and you have to just try and follow them.  These were the first shots taken close to the water.

 

There were some huge monsters in the water below the hide.  These are Common Carp and were probably about 40 pounds each, maybe more.  At this time of year they start to spawn.

Another distraction was this gathering of male Azure Damselflies.  Some have settled on a stone that looks a bit like an aircraft carrier in the water.

But back to the Sand Martin, they would flock around the colony and every so often they would fly into the wholes.

THe agility of these little birds in the air is amazing.

They would sit at the front of the holes.

Coming out of the hole and dropping down towards the water.

Three male Tufted Duck passed the hide chasing a female.

And some interesting views of the carp.  Here showing the broad pectoral fins.

As always, wherever a large gathering of small birds appears you can guarantee there will be predators.  The calls from the Sand Martins changed and they flocked closer as this female Sparrowhawk appeared.

The hawk wasn't successful and sat on the top of the concrete nest wall before flying off back across the hide and away into the woods.

It was quiet for awhile but it wasn't long before the Sand Martins returned to their business.

Just as I was about to leave the Black Swan that has been here for several weeks appeared in the middle of Ibsley Water.

As I walked back I could hear the Willow Warbler once more and this time I was able to find it in a Willow tree would you believe.

I turned off towards Harbridge on the way home and pulled over to watch the water meadows.  I used to come here in the winter many years ago for the Bewick's Swan, but never at this time of year.  A male Cuckoo sat on the overhead wires and a Buzzard flew over.  A little later on there was a female Marsh Harrier, and a Sparrowhawk that looked like it had caught a Sand Martin.

But the bird I was hoping for was the Hobby.  I managed to see two, but they were very high and distant and catching insects.  I waited to see if they would come lower but it didn't happen.

A typical June day birding, but some interesting sightings.