Some excellent Moths and a trip to Blashford Lakes.

Saturday 3^rd October 2026.

I was waiting for the news if the Semi-palmated Sandpiper was present this morning on Pennington Marshes and by the time we had finished with the Moth Box at Cowplain Marsh and there was no sign of the bird, I made a change of plan and headed off to Blashford Lakes instead. There was always a chance it might reappear later in the day and we would be literally halfway there to the Reserve. Sadly, as it turned out, there was no further sign of the wader.

Though it was going to be a cloudy day, it still remained quite bright and relatively mild too and judging by all the visible migration going on over Cowplain Marsh (Andy Fisher’s garden), it was going to be a good day for birds and as it turned out, we saw quite a variety too and even finished the day off at Blackgutter Bottom on the way back to check for raptors.

Geoff’s Moth Box, Cowplain Marsh:

I did not put my Moth Box on back in Southsea overnight due to the fact I was catching a lot of the same moths and so gave it a miss. However, Geoff’s Moth Box came up trumps with up to FOUR ‘year-ticks’ with Barred Sallow, Brindled Green, Red-lined Quaker and the micro moth, Thicket Knot-horn (Acrobasis suavella) all added to my year list.

A late Rosy Tabby (Endotricha flammealis) was present on the conservatory roof, which was unexpected and close by the same moth, a Turnip Moth sat. Two Blair’s Mocha were recorded and up to 3 Lunar Underwings were found on the egg trays. Sadly, very little in the Box itself with just one Square-spot Rustic present.

 

MACRO MOTHS	MICRO MOTHS
Barred Sallow * x1	Common Plume x1
Brindled Green * x1	Light Brown Apple Moth x1
Red-lined Quaker * x1	Thicket Knot-horn x1
Blair’s Mocha x2	Rosy Tabby x1
Lunar Underwing x3
Turnip Moth x1
Square-spot Rustic x1
L-album Wainscot x2

 

While checking the Moth Box, three Spider species were nearby that included a large Giant House Spider perched on the garden gate; a Garden Spider in its web near the back door and a False Black Widow sat in its web in the kitchen! I think Andy promptly removed that Spider!

While noting down the Moths, there was a lot of bird activity going on within and over Cowplain Marsh. Andy, who is now recording all the wildlife, including the birds, has a good array of birdfeeders up and this in turn is attracting at least two Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Nuthatches, at least a dozen Goldfinch and the usual Blue and Great Tits. Even House Sparrows (getting so much harder to see these days) were coming into the feeders.

While we chatted over a coffee before setting off to Blashford, at least two Chiffchaffs were around the garden (I wished I brought my camera from the car! Fume!) and showed above our heads very well indeed. Other birds noted included flyovers of Skylark, Jackdaw, Song Thrush, Dunnock and large flocks of Herring Gulls in their familiar V shape flying north out into the countryside.

 

Blashford Lakes, nr Fordingbridge:

Ibsley Water:

Literally seconds before we arrived at the Tern Hide Car Park, I noticed a bird sat in the road and so slowed down and stopped to pick the bird up. It was a female/juvenile type Blackbird and I can only assume it had flown into a car and stunned itself. It didn’t let me pick it up and so I helped it on its way to hop into the nearby grassy verge. Job done, bird saved.

Instead of going into the Tern Hide and seeing it was such a nice day, we decided to view the area from the Viewing Platform at the back of the Car Park and from here, we had four species of Heron on show. Right at the back of Ibsley Water, there were up to 5 Great White Egrets on show, four Little Egrets and at least 4+ Grey Herons. Unexpectedly, a Cattle Egret flew high over our heads heading southbound! The reason for all these Heron species gathering up became apparent when I noticed through the scope the many Cormorants swimming in the shallow water close to the Herons. Andy and I saw this a few years ago where the Cormorants were herding up the fish to the shoreline and the Heron species were picking off the fish that swam close to the shoreline. Andy had counted at least 60+ more Cormorants flying onto Ibsley Water to also join in the fishing expedition!

The only waders seen were a flock of around 60+ Lapwing resting on the islands and a Common Sandpiper flying low over the water at the back of Ibsley Water. A second bird was seen later in the afternoon when we returned to the Tern Hide. Wildfowl mostly consisted of Tufted Duck and Coot, but there was a sprinkling of Teal, Mallard and Shoveler. A large skein of Egyptian Geese was on the east bank with a few Canada Geese among them. A good gathering of Herring Gulls also held both Great Black-backed and Black-headed Gulls; but I could not find anything rarer among the 150+ Gulls present.

Passerines seen from the Viewing Platform included a Reed Bunting, a few Swallows flying high south overhead, a few Chiffchaff and at least 30+ Long-tailed Tits making their way through the Willow Trees by the Car Park.

 

Ivy South Hide:

After an hour or so, we decided to walk from the Car Park to the Information Centre where Andy purchased a few Bird books for his collection at home. Siskins, Treecreeper and Nuthatch were calling from the woods from the Car Park here and Geoff and I could also hear some Wood Crickets calling deep within vegetation near the Car Park! These are such a difficult insect to see as they like to remain hidden amongst the vegetation and thankfully, both Geoff and I have acute hearing. Long may it last! The chap selling the Books told us that up to 6 Beavers are now on the Reserve! He even told us on where to look for the Dams they had built, and it didn’t take long to view them for ourselves.

Following the Boardwalk past the Ivy South Hide, we carried on till we saw the stream adjacent to the Water Skiing Lakes. At least two small Dams had been built by the Beavers, which were my first ever sighting of this spectacle. Beavers are virtually nocturnal, so we didn’t expect to see the animals, but it was always good to see something like this on the Reserve.

From Ivy South Hide, which was full of birders present, we had good views of at least two Kingfishers, though they remained mostly distant in the Willows to the left of the Hide. Occasionally, they would dart across the water in front of us, but too quick for a decent photo. There was a small flock of Gadwall swimming near where the Kingfishers were and at least three Great Crested Grebes present including a juvenile stripey headed bird.

In front of the Hide, both Migrant Hawker and Common Darter dragonflies were hunting in front of the Reedmace and within the water itself, you could see a school of Roach swimming just below the surface.

Ibsley Water:

Walking back to the Tern Hide, Andy had picked his books up and so we made our way the Tern Hide where I could have my lunch. Almost immediately, all the Lapwing and some other birds took flight due to a raptor. It was a juvenile Peregrine that circled the lake several times before landing on one of the islands. A pair of Starlings landed in front of the Hide and as I was watching them, something was coming straight for the birds at speed. It was the Peregrine and as the raptor was about to grab one of the Starlings, the smaller birds took flight just in time and managed their escape. The disappointed young Peregrine then flew off over the main road and headed off west.

As mentioned earlier, two Common Sandpipers were seen flying low over the water and disappeared towards the Goosander Hide area and out of view. I briefly saw a female Sparrowhawk at the back of Ibsley Water fly low over the water and disappeared into the nearby trees, which rounded off our trip here to Blashford Lakes.

Blackgutter Bottom, New Forest:

Geoff overlooking Blackgutter Bottom.

It was a bit of a long shot, but I fancied trying our luck at Blackgutter Bottom for possible Merlin or even a Harrier and so spent a good hour with my scope to hand, waiting patiently for anything of note to pass through. Almost immediately on our arrival, I saw a Common Snipe flying up the valley from the small stream below as it headed off northbound.

Apart from the din of passing traffic in the distance and the occasional burst of Robin song, it was so very quiet here. Sightings here were far and few between but what we did see was a few Meadow Pipits going over, a flock of 12 Linnet, a distant male Stonechat on the heather and a male Kestrel that was flushed by a Horse Rider rounding up the local Ponies. Still, not a bad days birding here in the New Forest area and good weather too helped make it a pleasant day.

MORE PHOTOS TO FOLLOW