Blashford Lakes Nature Reserve

Created from flooded gravel pits, Blashford Lakes is a 150-acre nature reserve managed by the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust in partnership with Bournemouth Water and Wessex Water. It forms part of the River Avon System Nature Conservation Review site, the Avon Valley Ramsar site, the River Avon Special Area of Conservation, and the Avon Valley Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).

Located on the edge of the New Forest, the reserve also includes areas of woodland and grassland, attracting a diverse variety of wildlife throughout the year.

In spring, listen and look out for woodland birds such as willow warblers, garden warblers, blackcaps, siskins, nuthatches, great spotted woodpeckers, and marsh tits. In the scrubland, you might spot Cetti’s warblers and whitethroats. Summer is an excellent time to see kingfishers and grey wagtails along the water’s edge, while sand martins, swallows, and swifts can be observed catching insects in mid-air. Other notable species include bitterns, egrets, and water rails, along with a large colony of breeding common terns.

Birds of prey, including peregrine falcons, red kites, and hobbies, are frequently seen soaring above the reserve. In autumn, migrating ospreys occasionally pass through, while waders such as green sandpipers, black-tailed godwits, lapwings, oystercatchers, and little ringed plovers make a stop on their journey. The reserve is also a fantastic place to witness spectacular starling murmurations at dusk.

Blashford Lakes is an important wintering site for thousands of waterfowl arriving from Scandinavia, including gadwalls, goldeneyes, goosanders, tufted ducks, pochards, shovelers, wigeons, shelducks, barnacle geese, and Bewick’s swans. Other winter visitors include redwings, fieldfares, bramblings, and long-tailed tits.

The reserve has six bird hides, open daily from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm, and four viewing screens, allowing visitors to observe wildlife up close without causing disturbance. There are also 8km of marked gravel trails, including the ‘Wild Walk’ trail, with wildlife sculptures along the way. The paths are wheelchair-friendly, the hides have ramped access, and there are plenty of benches along the trails.

The Education Centre is fully equipped with a spacious classroom and accessible toilets, and two mobility scooters are available for hire. The main car park is located on the north side of Ellingham Drove, with additional roadside parking available in the surrounding area.

Please note, no dogs, except assistance dogs, are allowed on the reserve.