Catcott Lows

 
Alan Ashman
 
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Alan Ashman
Total Posts:  387
Joined  01-12-2015
 
 
 
02 November 2018 17:04
 

Just a dozen or so Cattle egret on the lows this afternoon, a small number of Wigeon (c. 10) and the same number of Teal plus a cuople of Shoveller and Mallard also present, the water level is now lapping the banks of the pool with several splash areas beginning to show in the wider view. Oh! and the Pepperoni Man has disappeared!
GOOD NEWS the road from Westhay to Burtle and Shapwick is now open!

 
Richard Pratt
 
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Richard Pratt
Total Posts:  50
Joined  10-12-2015
 
 
 
24 October 2018 20:14
 
Alison Everett - 24 October 2018 05:32 PM

This afternoon one male Hen Harrier flew through reserve and was lost from view over the trees on the north side. Also upwards of 90 Cattle Egret, several small flocks joined others during the afternoon. 86 Lapwing, 1 Kestrel , 1 Marsh Harrier, 1 Kestrel and 1 Great White Egret.

And a ringtall flew through earlier around 1145.

 
Alison Everett
 
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Alison Everett
Total Posts:  222
Joined  01-12-2015
 
 
 
24 October 2018 17:32
 

This afternoon one male Hen Harrier flew through reserve and was lost from view over the trees on the north side. Also upwards of 90 Cattle Egret, several small flocks joined others during the afternoon. 86 Lapwing, 1 Kestrel , 1 Marsh Harrier, 1 Kestrel and 1 Great White Egret.

 
Alan Ashman
 
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Alan Ashman
Total Posts:  387
Joined  01-12-2015
 
 
 
23 October 2018 16:13
 

There were 60 plus Cattle Egrets on the Lows this morning,since the cattle are fenced into the S.E. quarter of the Reserve the are a long way from the car park hide! They eventually moved en bloc off the reserve to the North towards Tealham just 4 returning after 15 mins. I also picked up an SD card in the hide, ( Ron W. its yours! I will hold on to it until our paths cross) ! I’ve just had a txt from Andrew K. who has counted the Cattle Egrets on a photo he took here this morning just before I arrived,  96 in total airborne together!!

 
Robin Morrison
 
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Robin Morrison
Total Posts:  202
Joined  30-11-2015
 
 
 
21 October 2018 20:09
 

I counted at least 50 Cattle Egrets this afternoon, but given that they were all over the place with others arriving I estimate that number was more like 70

Marsh Harrier flew up the main drain and put up all the Egrets.  All Egrets then settled at the far end :-(

No sign of the Kingfishers.

 
Jeff Hazell (Levels-birder)
 
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Jeff Hazell (Levels-birder)
Total Posts:  597
Joined  01-12-2015
 
 
 
05 October 2018 19:33
 

5-Oct-2018
At least 24 Cattle Egrets with cattle and around the car-park scrape this morning, a single Snipe and a Kestrel was about the only other birds of note.

 
John Chauvet
 
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John Chauvet
Total Posts:  8
Joined  31-12-2017
 
 
 
02 October 2018 17:16
 

I arrived a little later and the standoff became a full on beak joust and attempted drowning!

 
Jeff Hazell (Levels-birder)
 
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Jeff Hazell (Levels-birder)
Total Posts:  597
Joined  01-12-2015
 
 
 
01 October 2018 14:11
 

1-Oct-2018
12 Cattle Egrets this morning, also 2 GW Egrets, a Wheatear and 2 male Kingfishers - the latter in what looked like a territorial stand-off as they faced each other, perched a foot apart, with neck stretching and head bowing motions that went on for at least 15 mins - still at it when I left.

 
Alan Ashman
 
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Alan Ashman
Total Posts:  387
Joined  01-12-2015
 
 
 
17 September 2018 19:30
 

At least six Whinchats passing through today, a couple actually landing on the scrape islands as did a dozen Meadow Pipits who I assume are heading in the opposite direction. This increases my unwritten list of birds on the ‘Scrape’ as did a juvenile Hobby who came in and had a drink from the bank here on Thursday last. Hundreds of Swallows and some House Martins heading south today!

 
Jeff Hazell (Levels-birder)
 
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Jeff Hazell (Levels-birder)
Total Posts:  597
Joined  01-12-2015
 
 
 
05 September 2018 17:38
 

05-Sep-2018 at 14:30 hrs.
45 Cattle Egrets in two flocks: 32 loafing on the hide scrape, plus a further 13 that flew up and landed back among the distant cattle. Also a single Little Egret looking strangely out-of-place among them.

 
Jeff Hazell (Levels-birder)
 
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Jeff Hazell (Levels-birder)
Total Posts:  597
Joined  01-12-2015
 
 
 
03 September 2018 19:31
 

03-Sep-2018
Went back to Catcott Lows this afternoon to try for some video footage - not very successful as birds mostly at far back of reserve, but eventually together with Gary Thoburn and Dean Reeves we managed a conservative in flight count of at least 40 Cattle Egrets (30+6+4), wonderful to see!!

 
Jeff Hazell (Levels-birder)
 
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Jeff Hazell (Levels-birder)
Total Posts:  597
Joined  01-12-2015
 
 
 
02 September 2018 14:15
 

02-Sep-2018
Having seen 15 Cattle Egrets, including 3 juvs, at Catcott Lows on the 29-Aug; this morning 18 flew in at 11:50 soon to be followed by another 2 making 20 in all. As we watched, one then flew to the scrape from the distant main rhyne with a large prey item dangling from its bill. This eventually turned out to be a water vole which, after dunking in the shallows several times, it eventually managed to swallow whole - photos later on my Twitter feed @levelsbirder

Also, a Grt White Egret, single Hobby and Marsh Harrier, 2 Wheatears, and what was possibly a Green Sandpiper (white rump) distantly in flight.

Added these 3 photos, click on the links.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DmGfq-JWsAAUcTG.jpg
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DmGfuzFXsAEBeq2.jpg
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DmGf8rrXgAExO1E.jpg

 
Carl Bovis
 
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Carl Bovis
Total Posts:  56
Joined  05-12-2015
 
 
 
01 September 2018 20:43
 

4 Cattle Egrets, 1 Great White Egret, 1 Yellow Wagtail, 1 kestrel, 2 Marsh Harriers and lots of Lapwing in front of the hide this afternoon between 15.30 and 1700hrs.

Footage of the Cattle Egrets hunting bugs in the grass here;
https://youtu.be/bxFEoujlVPw

 
Alan Ashman
 
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Alan Ashman
Total Posts:  387
Joined  01-12-2015
 
 
 
24 August 2018 17:38
 

My first real wader on the bank of the new’scrape’ this afternoon. A Green Sandpiper! it only stayed for a few minutes, disturbed by the Mute Swan family present with 5 Cygnets it felt outnumbered and headed off north. 10 Cattle Egrets (including one youngster still with a black bill) were on the reserve occasionally flying off to the Cattle on the north border of the reserve then returning. A flock of some 20+ Lapwing dropped in half way back and then out of sight.

 
Geoff Trenner
 
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Geoff Trenner
Total Posts:  95
Joined  29-10-2016
 
 
 
16 August 2018 17:11
 

Brief visit this afternoon saw one each of Little Egret and GW Egret seemingly finding plenty of food on the margins of the new scrape. About 35 Canada Geese on spoil heaps. Small unidentified wader landed close to pump house and disappeared!!