Blashford Lakes & Mark Ash Wood.

Saturday 15th November 2025

One of many Great Crested Grebes on Blashford Lakes today. This individual came close to the Hide on Ivy Lake.

The day started off very foggy here in Southsea, but as I made my way up the A3 to pick Geoff and Andy up, it was slowly clearing to leave behind a rather bright morning, though it did cloud over from midday onwards. Temperatures were around 14 degrees centigrade for most of the day and felt pleasant with little need for a wooly hat or gloves (except for in the Tern Hide at Blashford where the little wind that blew into the Hide was freezing!)

This November Moth agg. was the only Moth present at Cowplain Marsh this morning.

Geoff had his Moth Box on overnight, but got very little return from it, except for just the one moth, a November Moth agg. (could be one of three species that closely resemble one another and the only way to really tell them apart is by dissection). At least it was a ‘year-tick’.

Another view of the November Moth agg. My first of the year

Our day was going to be spent mostly at Blashford Lakes, for Andy who was still stuck on 199 species in Hampshire for this year, was hoping for the White-tailed Eagle to return. We then read, via the Hants Rarities Whatsapp that one birder believed he might have heard a pair of Two-barred Crossbills in Mark Ash Wood and so we finished the day off there in search of the birds. 

Cowplain Marsh, Andy’s Garden:

Though the Moth Box was disappointing, while enjoying a cup of coffee, a Redwing flew over and a few minutes later, a flock of around 20 birds also flew over all heading northbound. A Grey Wagtail was heard flying over but we never clapped eyes on the bird. Geoff told me that he saw the Firecrest again yesterday in the front hedgerow. Though grey and dull overhead, a Robin was in full song high up in one of the trees and a few Blue Tits were taking a liking to the many Bird Feeders Andy has in his garden (which reminds me to get my bird feeder up!).

Blashford Lakes, nr Fordingbridge:

I counted up to 7 Great White Egrets and 6 Little Egrets at the back of Ibsley Water, though more were around.

Arriving in the Tern Hide Car Park around 9.30am, we entered an already packed Hide (when I mean packed, all the windows that you could open had someone looking out of them!), but I managed to grab a seat by some chap and got stuck straight away checking the birdlife around Ibsley Water.

Above, the female Goosander near the Hide and below, a Green Sandpiper was a nice surprise too.

Above, Cormorants drying off in the sunshine and below, a Grey Heron having a scratch.

The chap next to me kindly pointed out a female Goosander preening on a nearby island and eventually flew off to join another two more female birds further north on the water. A Green Sandpiper was along the water's edge to the right of the Hide, though most of the action was at the northern end of Ibsley Water. There was plenty of wildfowl around though most of it, as mentioned, was at the far end where we had the likes of Pochard, Tufted Duck, Mallard, Gadwall, Wigeon and good numbers of Canada Geese that had dropped in plus much smaller numbers of Egyptian Geese around the perimeter. 

The Great White Egrets showed well at the back of Ibsley Water.

Geoff counted over 140+ Cormorants on Ibsley Water with many sitting on the islands drying their wings. The number of Lesser Black-backed Gulls were increasing as the morning wore on and by the time we left, at least 50 birds were resting on the water with many preening almost immediately. Smaller numbers of Herring and Black-headed Gulls were also present, but nothing more interesting of note was among them.

Above and below, the Lapwing were in good numbers here on Ibsley Water.

Above and below, this Cormorant showed well fishing in front of the Tern Hide.

Apart from the Green Sandpiper, the only other waders present were Lapwing with at least 100+ present on the islands, though Geoff saw a couple of smaller waders at the far end of the Lake of which were most likely to be Dunlin, though they did not linger. A few Meadow Pipits were searching for food near the Hide on the raised bank to the right of the Hide, but no Water Pipits were present unfortunately.

Above, a pair of Wigeon swam past in front of the Hide and below, a Great Crested Grebe with a female Wigeon also in front of the Hide.

On arrival within the Hide, I could see a good number of Heron species at the northern end of Ibsley Water where I counted at least 7 Great White Egrets, 6 Little Egrets and at least 8 Grey Herons dotted around the perimeter. Geoff, however, said that he counted at least 11 Great White Egrets when he watched them all put their heads up! I'm not sure how I missed that? We spent a good 90 minutes in the Hide, enjoying a couple of cups of hot coffee from my flask (it was bloody cold with that wind blowing into the Hide), but there was no sign of the White-tailed Eagle for us, of which, it had returned in front of the Hide later in the afternoon! Bum!

Above, a pair of Little Grebes in front of the Ivy South Hide and below, Mallard also in front of the Hide.

Above, a Cormorant flying over Ivy Lake with Mallard, Tufted Duck and a Moorhen in attendance. Below, three Tufties on the same lake.

From the Car Park, we decided to walk to the Ivy South Hide and on doing so, we took a short stop overlooking the Woodland Hide bird feeders. The feeders now held food for the birds and had been up now for the past few weeks after it was deemed safe for the birds to feed there now after the Bird Flu outbreak here. A Great Tit with an abnormally sized upper mandible had no trouble picking off sunflower seeds from one of the feeders (see photos) and both Robin and Blue Tits came down to feed also.

Above and below, the Great Tit with the deformed bill in front of the Woodland Hide.

Above, a male Chaffinch near the Hide and below, this female Blackbird was sporting a large cyst on its breast.

It was good to see the bird feeders up now that the area has been given the 'all clear' from Bird Flu. This Blue Tit was pleased.

On the way to the Ivy South Hide, a Siskin flew over and along the footpath, we found a clump of Clouded Funnel Toadstools growing by the path. I spent a good chunk of my day also searching the ground for Toadstools and using my Google App to help ID the many species present today. Whether accurate or not, if you are reading this and my ID needs correcting, please email me.

Above, Clouded Funnel Toadstools by the main footpath and below, a pair of Mallards sailed close to the Ivy South Hide.

Above, a Great Crested Grebe swam close to the Hide and a pair of Egyptian Geese were out on Ivy Lake.

Above, a Little Egret was perched up with the Cormorants and below, up to 6 Little Grebes swam together here.

Ivy South Hide was packed with ‘toggers’ again, most likely hoping the Kingfisher might sit on one of the sticks poking out of the water. It never landed while we were there, but it did pass by the Hide a couple of times during our hour stay where we had lunch. A good sized flock of 6 Little Grebes were gathered together to the left of the Hide, while the Ivy Lake held the likes of Mallard, Tufted Duck, Wigeon, a few Gadwall, a couple of Little Egrets and several Cormorants, A large flock of Grey Lag Geese flew over the Lake and several Great Crested Grebes swam on the water with one individual coming very close to the Hide. The sound of clicking cameras was nearly deafening!

Above, a Nuthatch was seen in the woodland on our way back to the Car Park. Below, one of several Long-tailed Tits within the Willows.

Above, the guys found this Red Admiral butterfly on the footpath.

After we had our lunch, we walked along the perimeter footpath where we had a mixed flock of Blue, Great and Long-tailed Tits; Nuthatch, Chiffchaff (we heard two Chiffs earlier in the day, with one actually singing!) and a few Goldcrests all making their way along the waters edge within the Willows. As we made our way back to the Car Park by the Tern Hide, I was lucky enough to see the only raptor of the day, a Common Buzzard, that flew over quickly and lost sight over the treetops.

Mark Ash Wood, Bolderwood, New Forest:

The guys walking through Mark Ash Wood.

Our last stop was to be Mark Ash Wood. We got the info from the Hampshire Rare Birds Whatsapp that a probable pair of Two-barred Crossbills were seen in a Larch Tree and identified by their calls. It was a ‘no-brainer’ to make our way there to see a species I have only ever seen once. ‘Long story short’, we could not find the birds, but I did get to see my first ‘Hampshire’ Bramblings for the year at this site. We saw at least four birds within the area flying over our heads calling and also at least 50+ Chaffinches flew over too. Both Nuthatch and Treecreeper were seen well along with a couple of Redpoll and a Marsh Tit. With no wind whatsoever, it was so still within the woodland that one could hear any birds calling. Just perfection.

Glistening Inkcaps and Turkeytail fungi. Below, a Stinkhorn toadstool was attracting insects within Mark Ash Wood.

Above, Hairy Curtain Crust and below, Turkeytail fungi.

Above, Common Rustgill and below, Primrose Brittlegill toadstools.

Above, Birch Milk Cap and below, Charcoal Burner toadstools.

As mentioned earlier, I couldn't help noticing the large variety of fungi present which included the likes of Primrose Brittlegill, Charcoal Burner, Glistening Inkcaps, Birch Milk Cap, Common Rustgill, Hairy Curtain Crust (seriously!) and Turkeytail.