Bird spotting challenge celebrates popular nature reserve
Wednesday 15th March 2017
Teams from local organisations have done battle bird spotting at our Blashford Lakes nature reserve.
We manage the flagship nature reserve with the help of the two land-owning partners, Bournemouth Water and Wessex Water, and additional support of New Forest District Council.
To celebrate the nature reserve’s benefits to wildlife and the local community, and help build understanding about day-to-day conservation work on the reserve, we held a ‘Bird Race’ challenge. Teams from each of the organisations competing against the clock to spot as many bird species as possible, with the support of Wildlife Trust staff and volunteers.
In total 68 different bird species were seen on the reserve over the course of three hours, including: the elusive Cetti’s warbler; Britain’s smallest bird, the firecrest; and the exotic looking Egyptian goose. A tie between the winning teams from New Forest District Council and Bournemouth Water was decided by the toss of coin, which saw the team from the local authority win.
Jim Day, Education Officer at Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust said: “Blashford Lakes nature reserve, and all that it offers wildlife and local people, is only made possible by the ongoing support of our partners. This exciting day out was a small thank you to the organisations that have helped make Blashford Lakes the incredible place it is over the last twenty years.”
Tagged with: Birds, Habitats, Hampshire, Nature Reserves