A bit of a surprise when Ian suggested meeting at Blashford Lakes, but to be honest it was pretty much quiet everywhere else. So I met him just outside the car park a few minutes before opening. It was a sunny morning and there had been some mist around as I drove through the New Forest. It wasn't as warm as previous days, but it definitely wasn't November weather.
We walked down to the Ivy Lake South hide, the morning sunshine was producing a lovely reflection of autumn colour in the Silt Pond.
At the back of the pond a drake Mallard was partially hidden in the leaves, but showing off the lovely bottle green head feathers and again a very nice reflection.
It was very quiet on the lake. A few Wigeon about, but in no serious numbers. A Kingfisher flew past and there were several Great Crested Grebes. Surprisingly the most numerous duck was the Tufted Duck.
Walking back from the hide we found some fungi on a dead branch. This is the candlesnuff fungus, also known as the 'Stag's
Horn', has an erect, simple or forked fruiting body with a downy stalk. It
grows in groups on dead and rotting wood, and can be found on stumps and
branches of all sorts of trees.
The fruiting body of the candlesnuff fungus is simple, erect
and stick-like. It is black and hairy at the base of the stem and powdery white
at the tip. The stem can become flattened and branched in a fork like an
antler, hence the other name of 'Stag's Horn'.
We stopped at the Woodland Hide, but didn't go in. Looking around the feeders there were no birds on the feeders at all. However just outside there were two Nuthatch using the feeder by the path and one posed in a typical Nuthatch position.
Just a slight subtle difference in position.
Heading towards the hides on the other side there were more fungi by the path. This the Wrinkled Club. This small club fungus is often solitary or in scattered
groups among the moss beside woodland footpaths. The club is flattened in cross
section and has very few irregularly-shaped branches. The branch tips are blunt
rather than having pointed tips as other white clubs do.
This was an interesting fungus found on a dead Elm trunk. This is the Boot Lace fungus, or more commonly known as Honey Fungus. It is a dangerous parasitic species of trees and plants (of
which there is no cure). The exchange of nutrients between the fungus and tree
is an extremely bias one, in favour of the fungus as it takes more from the
tree than it gives back, causing white rot and eventually killing off the host
tree.
Just like something out the ‘The Last of Us’, this fungus
spreads to infect new trees by means of black cords called rhizomorphs, made up
of parallel hyphae (the branching filamentous structure of a fungus). They
resemble long black boot-laces (hence the use of the common name), creeping
long distances to reach neighbouring trees. Rhizomorphs can be seen on roots or
in the soil, but older boot-laces are often noticed under the bark of infected
trees
A beautiful Silver Birch in the autumn sunshine, the golden leaves highlighted against the blue sky.
These we think are Honey Fungus.
The autumn scene alongside the Dockens river.
We walked around to the Lapwing Hide. As we approached it was clear there had been some ringing going on and we were given the opportunity to see both Goldcrest and Firecrest in the hand. This shows very well the difference between these commonly mistaken species.
From the hide there was a good number of Pochard along with Wigeon, Gadwall and Teal.
A White-tailed Eagle had been reported but we couldn't seen it, but there were signs that it may be around with gulls going up and the Great Egrets flying around, this one passed in front of the hide.
We left the Lapwing Hide and walked around to the Goosander Hide. Settling in, Ian was scanning and announced he thought there was an eagle on the far side of the lake. A closer look revealed it to be so.
This was an adult eagle, apparently G818 one of the first females released on the Isle of Wight. It was nice to see the difference between this and the Fishlake eagle, the pale head and lovely white tail. What doesn't show in the photo but could be seen at high zoom was the size of the feet. I have only seen them perched, standing on the ground the talons looked so big.
Behind the eagle a redhead Goosander swam past. I wondered at the time it seemed risky.
The eagle took to the air and started to hunt the Goosander.
Here you can see the Goosander as the eagle makes an approach.
The Goosander taking evasive action by diving.
It would circle around, gain a little height and then twist and dive bomb.
Whether the attack was serious remains to be seen but it gave up after a few attempts, everytime the Goosander diving frantically. It flew across the water to another island where again it landed and stood looking around.
A size comparison with a brave Lapwing.
It eventually took off and flew away towards the south. It was flapping for quite some time, but soon found a thermal and soared upward showing off the broad wing span that gives them the name "Flying Barn Door". At one point it was mobbed by what looked like a Raven, the size difference remarkable. As it gained height we eventually lost it in the clouds.
Back to the lake a Great Egret was in the bay. Later we counted eleven birds around the Lake, the highest I have ever seen here.
We walked back to the cars and had some lunch, then set off to walk around the reserve to the south once more. There was more fungi, this a Trooping Funnel.
With its exceptionally long stipe this woodland fungus is a
very stately mushroom indeed, and it is often seen in large numbers, either in
arcs or even complete fairy rings, sometimes many metres in diameter. The
Trooping Funnel is one of the few large mushrooms that can survive mild frosts,
and so specimens are sometimes seen standing right through to late December.
Another was a bracket fungus on a dead bird trunk. This is the Blushing Bracket, a type of Polypore, named for the res secretion on the bracket.
Some more lovely autumnal scenes.
We stopped to watch a flock of tits and in amongst them was a Chiffchaff.
The Long-tailed Tits were very busy in the trees, hanging from the branches as they foraged for small insects.
We went back to the Ivy Lake South and a Kingfisher was trying its best to hide amongst the branches and leaves.
Different light this afternoon, but still the drak water to highlight the Tufted Duck.
With little else we walked back to the cars. My initial thoughts on coming here were not positive, I admit it. But it was a very enjoyable day and it seems we may have broken the curse of the White-tailed Eagle!
