Wednesday 29th May 2024, 14.20 to 16.20. North side circuit and Tern hide/car park

Goosander hide: pairs of Terns seem to be happy enough on both rafts, in company with BH Gulls. In the reedbed a Water Rail, Reed Warblers, Sedge Warbler, Cetti's Warbler and Reed Bunting were heard, but no sign of Little Grebes on the Ibsley silt pond, which is now 75% covered in floating vegetation. Tern Hide area: nothing to report other than a White-tail Eagle vectoring SSW then WSW at medium height harried by a Herring Gull.

Thursday 30th May - 2pm to 3.45pm: Lapwing, Goosander, Tern

Did a litter pick and cut overhangs from the Centre to Lapwing, Goosander and then on to Tern. Concentrated on anything I thought could get into a child's face as there had clearly been some work done on clearing the sides of paths. Lapwing and Tern hides were fine but Goosander had a fair bit of rubbish in it. There was an interesting battle of wills between the lapwings and crows to the side of Tern and several terns were very unsettled near Tern hide - plenty of screeching and diving going on. Not sure why as, apart from some swallows and sand martins there was nothing near them. Maybe they were sympathising with the plight of the lapwings. Reserve was very quiet today - especially as it's half-term but the weather didn't help by being so mixed.

Tuesday 28th May 1015 - 1145

Walked to Tern and Goosander hides - the rain last night has weighed down quite a few branches and other plants which will need cutting back along the paths. Sand martins put on a great display at Goosander with a few swifts and swallows for good measure. Went along the Rockford path but given the miserable weather wasn't surprised to see even a single visitor. Again, there will need to be a bit of cutting back in places which I will try to do on Thursday. 

Ellingham Lake

 Today 27th May 11am 1 hr around Ellingham Lake. No litter, cut back nettles and brambles. Waterski boat went straight into 2 little grebes but they flew off at the last nanosecond!  Also removed litter at Tern car park.

Nicky

 25/05/2024 9.00 - 13.00  Blashford North.   Hides all OK. Verges need trimming now ++, including path from Tern Hide. Sightings - Roe buck on western shore, sand martins very active feeding young. Pair of Lapwing seen on scrape from Hanson screen. At the Centre beautiful Cinnabar Moth seen behind the bug hotel. Robin seen entering the bug hotel!!

23 May 2024 Spinnaker south bank and Ellingham Lake circuit. 08.45 to 10.30

A pair of Tufted Duck and a female Oystercatcher present on Spinnaker small island. No sign of Oystercatcher hatchlings, with 'mum' wandering around aimlessly. No sign of mate except that another OC flew in calling from the north as I was leaving the site. Nothing to report from Ellingham Lake. Plenty of teneral damselflies around but I fancy not as many as last year. No sign/sound of Little Grebes. I have attached a couple of shots of the willow hut.

16th May afternoon

Followed up last week's "discovery" of a door frame being built close to where we have planted saplings. Took some photographs and shared with Jack. Cut overhangs en route. Some new greylag goslings on Rockford lake. Spinnaker itself was very quiet with a few mallards and Canada geese being the only birds on the water. Said hello to a couple of anglers - one friendlier than the other. Maybe its's me!

 18/05/24  9.00 - 13.00 Blashford North   Usual bramble and nettle trimming as necessary. More enhanced nettle trimming will be required in the next couple of weeks. Worst spots are Western path to Lapwing from the divide to the cross path, and the northern end of the Eastern Path before the turn up to Lapwing. Interesting sightings -  an adult Lapwing vigorously driving off jackdaws from its 4 well grown young on the Scrape. Several Egyptian Geese squabbling on Spit Island. A group of 8 Great Crested Grebes out in front of Tern Hide. White van [camping conversion] below the viewing platform in the main car park with an active barbecue on the ground . Advised to remove asap and reported to Pete.

16th May, Snails Lane boundary fence 15.30hrs

The location of the trespass yesterday was 'because.awoke.dumplings'.

15th May, Spinnaker Lake east and south. 14.08 to 15.40

Traversed from Ivy Lane gate to Fishing Club gate. Timber clearance needed from path at several points (see pics). Walked the Snails Lane boundary and observed active trespass through fence noted around 'deployed.duet.surfer' on Snails Lane. I didn't approach the 'offender' who was carrying a rigid plastic container. Otherwise all as per John's stint on the 9th.

 11/05/24  9.00 - 12.45. Blashford North. Trimmed bramble and some nettles where necessary. No other obvious problems. Some interesting sightings. Several carp spawning in front of Lapwing Hide and one in front of Tern Hide. Lapwing and 2/3 well grown young seen in the Scrape from Goosander Hide. 4 Black Tern seen flying over Ibsley from Tern Hide.

9th of May - Spinnaker follow up

Took secateurs for a walk to the left side of Spinnaker. Cut overhangs on public path up to the locked gate and checked out the fenced-off area with the saplings. Pleased to report that the fence was up and, apart from a solo rabbit, nothing seemed to have got into the plot. However, passed on to Pete and Jack a concern that a neighbour appears to be erecting a door frame right onto the fence. Hopefully I have got this wrong. Followed the path along the fence beside the "donkey field" (as I call it) towards the edge of the lake where it's covered in green stuff. Cut back a fair few overhangs and other scratchy "sticky-out" bits - not so much that access is too easy so there is still an element of dissuasion for those who shouldn't really be there! Lots of Canada goslings on the lake and the donkey field. Mute swan cygnets on Rockford lake. Greylags and goslings nowhere in sight this week.

Circuit of Ellingham Lake/Pound and north side of reserve 08/05/2024, 10.15 to 12.32

Ellingham generally okay. Willow dome looks good. I suspect Little Grebe nesting in the whizzing.crafted.boat (not kidding!) area of the south eastern shore. Not visible because of brambles but lots of loud 'whinnying' in that immediate area. Also heard L Grebe calls in the extreme NW of the lake. The North side was generally okay. Noted a nice range of singing warblers – Reed, Sedge, Garden, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Willow and Cetti's. Also Reed Bunting, and heard Little Grebe whinnying on the lake north of the Lapwing Hide circuit (I don't know its name!).

 04/05/24  9.00 - 13.00 Blashford North  Usual activity of trimming bramble where necessary and checking paths and hides. Still 2 puddles on path to Goosander that are not draining very well, otherwise all seemed OK. Ibsley very quiet - relatively few birds on the lake. Several Lapwings flying over Spit Island and at least 2 on the scrape. Pair of Gadwall roosting on tree trunks to the left of Goosander hide. Crossing back to the south side via the footpath from Tern Hide, broken windscreen glass on the ground by the kissing gate in the layby. 

01/05/2024 Ivy Lake east path and Spinnaker Lake (partial) 13.50 to 15.30

Fence posts down southwards from turned.novelist.minimums on the Ivy east path. Mostly caused by the weight of bramble overgrowth and some fallen timber. This was my first visit to Spinnaker and I was unable to find a path which would take me around the southern and eastern shores. The north and west sides are covered by the Spinnaker private yards but I was told to report my presence in future. I assume the public footpaths are the maintenance respossibility of the NFDC. Can someone advise me on the south and east shoreline access please?