Goosander, Wild walk and Hanson

 31 March 2 hrs total to Goosander Hideand round Wild Walk.  Loose planks on entrance to Ivy S Hide. Litter not too bad.

Then 3pm Hanson area from closed path screen 2 lapwings interacting on the ground, then intruder appeared on opposite bank and they flew up as did 2 others.  Intruder left peacefully when Harry intercepted him at Tern Hide car park.

Willow warbler seen and heard on way to Goosander Hide.

Nicky

 29/03/2025  9.00 - 13.00  Blashford North  Usual path and hide checks - bramble and trip hazards trimmed. 

2 Lapwings seen on bank to SW of Goosander Hide plus 5/6 seen in the scrape, 3 sitting. Approx. 20 Black tailed Godwits seen at northern tip of Spit Island. 2 Snipe reported on shore in front of Tern Hide.

Butterflies: Peacocks, Speckled Wood and Brimstone seen.

Reptiles: 1 1st/yr juvenile adder seen at western end of bank near the entrance to Goosander Hide. Another juvenile reported towards the eastern end - ?2nd/3rd yr juvenile.

26th March 2025. Tern Hide to Goosander via Hanson, then to Ivy South via Lime WalkFrom Tern then Woodland Hide

From Tern: a BN Grebe (see pic) fast reaching spring plumage and 2 Med Gulls overhead. Overhead at the east end of Hanson: at height, a soaring Goshawk (see pic) with 6 gulls. A pair of Goldeneye were seen from Goosander and a winnying Little Grebe was heard near the jetty on Ellingham. Everything tidy. No rubbish.

To Goosander Hide

 45 min Litter pick to Goosander Hide.  Lapwings flying around over Hanson area, harassing magpies.  Tower looks good. Litter found at layby and small amount in hide. 1 female goosander seen.

Nicky

 22/03/2025  9.00  - 13.00   Blashford North    Usual path & hide check. All seem OK. At last second rail visible from Goosander hide. Birds enjoying new bench as a perch!!!! 

Male adder seen at western end of mist net ride. 8 Lapwing and a pair of Oyster Catchers seen via screen in Hanson Plant. 

19th March 2025. A walk from Tern Hide to Goosander via Hanson, then northern circuit via Lapwing. Finished up at Ivy North

Two Med Gulls north over Tern Hide (None of the folks inside the hide heard them because they were talking too much!). On Hanson the new bench looked amazing! Well done. From Goosander: a pair of Goosanders and 3 Sand Martins. On the circuit there were 2 singing Chiffchaffs, a Treecreeper and several Peacocks and Brimstones. Nothing else to report. All tidy.

Hides and car parks

 17 March1.5 hrs in total litter picked car parks, woods and Ivy S, N and Tern Hides. 1  large wheel trim found near path east of Ellingham Pound.  Left inside compound gate.  

Nicky

 15/03/2025  9.00 - 13.00  Blashford North   Path and Hide check. Bramble runners/trip hazards removed where necessary. Bird carcass seen alongside western path to Lapwing hide. 20-30 metres north of cross path, towards the back of the western verge.

Majority of birds on the north and west of Ibsley Water, although a fair number were sheltering in the bay in front of Goosander. Amusing sight of a moorhen driving a large gull off the rail in front of the hide.

5 Lapwings seen on the scrape from the screen in the Hanson Plant.[not the camouflaged screen on top of the western bank]

 08/03/2025   9.00 - 13.00  Blashford North  Hides and paths checked. Rail halfway along fence from road to Goosander turning, in area with compromised posts, has come loose from it's fixings. Otherwise all seems OK. 

Brimstone seen flying to the south of the boardwalk. 3 Lapwing seen on the Hanson scrape from Goosander Hide, a 4th seen from the screen in the Hanson Plant. Another Lapwing seen, outside the electric fence, on the spit to the right of Tern Hide. 

No additional bird carcasses seen other than the two already reported.

4th March 2025. Tern Hide, Hanson, North circuit, Goosander then Ivy Nth

Pair of Oystercatchers, Snipe and BN Grebe at Tern Hide, then walked the Hanson footpath for a pre-survey familiarisation. Noted feeding Mistle Thrush. Nothing to report on Nth circuit but a pair of Goldeneye from Goosander Hide. Lots of Lesser Celandine and Daffs in flower.

 01/03/2025  9.00  -  13.00  Blashford North.  Paths and Hides checked. Some mud left by quad activity, otherwise not too bad. Some dead hedge replaced at an access point to reptile habitat, prepped on Tuesday.

Birds distributed widely on Ibsley, away from the hides. Water levels still high. Rail in front of Goosander resting on water surface!!

Body of a bird,?gull, on shore to left of Tern hide. ? cause of death. Catherine notified.