Somerset Birding Forum

Whinchats

2026-08-31T20:10:24+00:00

5 Whinchats at Heal around midday today.

Ham Wall meeting

2026-08-30T19:10:58+00:00

A date for your diary: we have a meeting at RSPB Ham Wall on Saturday 19th September, full details on our Events page. Hopefully the recent good selection of waders and other birds will continue. A visit today produced brief views of the purple heron which has been at Avalon hide for 2-3 weeks, several sightings of osprey, the almost resident group of glossy ibis, several ruff and black-tailed godwit.

Ham Wall 27/08/26

2026-08-27T17:27:56+00:00

4 Curlew Sandpipers, 6 Ruff, 6 Green Sandpipers and 2 Glossy Ibis all from the Avalon hide and Osprey over the Tor hide.
Plus 2 Clouded Yellow made a excellent afternoon visit at Ham Wall

Ham Wall Field Meeting Saturday September 19th at 10.00

2026-08-26T10:16:26+00:00

A Field meeting has been arranged to Ham ~Wall RSPB on Saturday 19th September at 10am , Full details are on the events page. New members and new birders particularly welcome Leader Mat Ridley.

Avalon hide RSPB Hamwall

2026-08-22T19:15:23+00:00

An interesting afternoon at the Avalon hide today. Very low water level which has attracted a few waders and Egrets.
Spotted Redshank- 2
Ruff -2
Green Sandpiper- 2
Lapwing- 25
Black-tailed Godwit - 2
Cattle Egret- 1
Little Egret - 7
Great White Egret- 3
Glossy Ibis- 2
Water Rail- 1
With a passing Osprey at 15.10, it came in from the southwest flew over the lagoon, then flew back the way it came (more or less).

Shapwick Heath. Friday morning 11.00-11.45

2026-08-21T18:17:56+00:00

One Black Tern and 2 Green Sandpiper on Noahs lake. One Osprey fishing over Meare Heath. Caught one small fish.

Wimbleball Lake

2026-08-21T17:47:40+00:00

one Greenshank and two Common Sandpipers on the low water level of the Hurscombe finger of the lake , close to Bessom Bridge this afternoon.

Durleigh Reservoir-wader passage

2026-08-18T17:10:25+00:00

Low water level resulting in good wader passage over last week .As well as Common Sandpiper , up to 13 Green Sandpipers , 4 Greenshank , 2 Black-tailed Godwits, 2 Snipe and a Ruff . Also today 6 Cattle Egrets including a black billed juvenile .

Wryneck on Mendip

2026-08-18T10:27:03+00:00

A Wryneck on the bank and elusive in Willows on the southern bank of the near-empty Waldegrave Pool at Priddy Mineries this morning, 18/8/26

Brent Knoll

2026-08-16T15:35:18+00:00

For the first time in some while I decided the conditions were such that I could risk venturing to the top of Brent Knoll without suffering heat exhaustion.
Some autumn migration in evidence in the form of three Wheatears on the top, a smattering of smart, freshly moulted, and very green looking Willow Warblers in the scrub surrounding the summit plus a single Spotted Flycatcher. Other usual Suspects Green Woodpecker, Kestrel and Ravens in evidence – (a Raven has taken to perching on the top of the Spire of East Brent Church and croaking most mornings).
The predominant Butterfly species were Small Heath which is good news because I believe they are becoming quite scarce – I saw them in every field from the bottom to the top probably 30 or 40 individuals, in second place were Common Blues followed by Clouded Yellows, allowing for double counting at least 8, mostly on the upper slopes. On the downside I didn’t see any Wall Browns, there is a colony on the rim in the area of the Monuments, I would expect to see a few in mid August.