Blashford Part I - Waterfowl

My first visit to Blashford Lakes, a fairly large Wetlands Wildlife Reserve just across the Dorset border into Hampshire, was at its inception a good few years ago now. It still holds an attraction for me but, like most other places of the ilk, the hides and footpaths have become Debating Chambers rather than a place of peace and tranquillity. Traditionally, women have borne the brunt of being chatterers but their jabbering pale compared to that of predominantly male gossipers relating tales of where they saw their first Water Rail or "there were more Brambling here when I came here last time"! Woe betide he or she that politely issues a "I have come here to sit quietly in the hopes that the Birds may approach a little closer", for surely you will be branded anti-social as was found, to my chagrin, on the day! The morning wasn't ALL 'down', not by any means, but it can be reported that on personal experience there have never been fewer Birds here on any Winter's Day. 

GREYLAG GEESE
flying in

and slowly

getting closer.

BLACK-NECKED GREBE

CANADA GOOSE

GREAT CRESTED GREBE

POCHARD

LITTLE GREBE

EGYPTIAN GOOSE

Only a single pair of

GOOSANDER

a pair of
GOLDENEYE
female foreground.

MUTE SWAN
Part II to follow.

Entry	Pageviews
Russia	728 they're back!
United Kingdom	443
United States	370
Germany	92
China	20
Estonia	15
Canada	14
France	14
Spain	11
New Zealand	5

Sunshine of Your Love - Cream

Sunshine of Your Love (original) 

Never having been one for bright, sparkling sunny days, there is always an exception to every rule - it doesn't half bring out the colours of the Birds, especially the Ducks. Not always transmitted onto stills and video all we can do is our best! Yesterday was certainly one of them.

 The Rosy Glow of Dawn
and we are still catching the occasional Moth

DECEMBER MOTH

RUSTY-DOT PEARL
and something of a 'rareity' here a tiny

GLASS SNAIL 
clinging to the funnel.

Most of us have never seen
MEAN LOW WATER SPRING TIDE
at
PARLEY POND

and looks like the Contractors were taking advantage and starting
DREDGING OPERATIONS

in an effort to eradicate the Pond Weed mostly

PARROT FEATHER

Another big lump of Plant in association with the
Solar Panels

and a 'high flying'

CORMORANT
captured at the same time.

By no means a regular visitor here at the
Irrigation Pond

 a considered 'good find was this female

 SHOVELER

While at the Gravel Pit a bit more action with a

 MALLARD in company with a pair of WIGEON

and a 

 LITTLE GREBE

 Looks like "the man who fell to earth"

 as we seem to have caught up with the 'high flying'

CORMORANT

on the banks of the Moors River.
Also there was this

GREY HERON

until the silence was shattered by the

'thumping' rotors of this

CHINOOK HELICOPTER

 Back at the Irrigation Pond a

 MAGPIE

 had turned up as had a couple of

BLACK-HEADED GULLs

At the very last knockings we found one of the local

COMMON BUZZARD

at one of their favourites perches.

As we set course back to base these 3 young

ROE DEER

preceded us along the bridleway and reducing us to

videoing through the windscreen.

Busy Eh?
Sunshine of Your Love (alternate take) 

Royal Albert Hall 2005
Another healthy return on the Stat Counter yesterday

with Russia, one minute 'out of view' and the next

'in your face with a healthy 636 and Pole Position!

Entry	Pageviews
Russia	636    They're back with a vengeance!
United Kingdom	452
United States	414
Germany	89
China	22
Estonia	16
Canada	15
France	15
Spain	11
New Zealand	5

Six Months in a Leaky Boat - Stlit Enz

While our headline bears little relationship to the day that follows,

except to say we were in a boat, it is doubtful that anyone will disagree that 

SPLIT ENZ

where the finest Rock Band ever to come out of New Zealand! 

So for accompaniment, the 'LIVE' stage version LINK. 

All in the space of the last couple of days metaphorically speaking and via the ongoing memoir we arrived in Kaikoura (2008) on the South Island of New Zealand and in a roundabout way heard from our friend Mark Forster the man who strongly recommended a visit there. Searching out Captain Gary Melville was not a problem, being something of a local celebrity, who quickly got me booked on the Pelagic Bird Trip the following day. Having just 'glued' these images to the 'word document' it seemed a shame simply to commit them to the 'gash bucket' before sharing them with you - ENJOY!

Even before leaving harbour we recorded 2 Species of Gull
which were quickly added to the now 'swelling'
GULLS of the WORLD LIST

BLACK-BILLED GULL

WHITE-FRONTED TERN

RED-BILLED GULL

even though at the time some authorities were still considering
this no more than a sub-species of Silver Gull. Whatever, it was
in the bank!

 

WANDERING ALBATROSS
The very familiar, due to our recent return from Antarctica,

CAPE (Pintado or Painted) PETREL
and none the less welcome. 

 SALVIN'S (Shy) ALBATROSS

 WESTLAND PETREL

 WHITE-CAPPED ALBATROSS

NORTHERN GIANT PETREL

Along with Royal and Black-browed, c5 Albatross species in a day

was almost considered acceptable!

Do not miss this if you happen to be down that way, and just to make up

the hat-trick of coincidences New Zealand also appeared on yesterday's

Statistics Counter.

 This is what Split Enz looked like when we saw them in

Plymouth, Devon in the mid-70's.

Entry	Pageviews
United Kingdom	399    and at long last GB 'back where it belongs'!
United States	390
Russia	278
Germany	69
China	19
Canada	15
Estonia	13
France	9
Spain	8
New Zealand	5  bet Mike Monroe's 'relies' are among these?