Yesterday, Sunday, pm. Looking for ducks…

A juv Hobby showed well on Shapwick and was a surprise. Remained resolutely falco subbuteo no matter how hard I looked at it.
Male and female Stonechat by 1VP on Ham Wall.
Still a few hirundines moving through.

Otherwise, Wigeon and Teal numbers building on both sides but not high as yet. 2VP still looking very promising despite there being water everywhere (the Glastonbury Rd was slightly flooded already).

Black winged stilt and 2 ruff this am along with 7+ Green sand at the eastern end. Spoonbills cleared out overnight, but Dave Dawe found an ad + 1w Sandwich tern which hung around VP2 for about 40 mins.

2VP scrape currently looking just about perfect. 2 Ruff this pm, 7 Green Sand, c20 Snipe on show, and Teal & Lapwing numbers building nicely.  A Grey Wag from Avalon Hide was unusual (found by Dean).  They’re still digging down at the Sharpham end.

Also, 2 big white things with spoony beaks and something with long pink legs…!  Only saw one Water Rail this evening…

A weird warm wind from the south, September sunshine, all excellent stuff.

Translation: 2 Spoonbills and a Black-winged Stilt.

Juv Ruff and Black tailed godwit present at the east end of HW this morning, whilst residents included a family party of 15-20 Bearded tit, and some showy Water rail.

2VP pool and fringes on Ham Wall again looking fab. Best I could do though were 1CSand, 5 GSand, and a few each of Snipe and Lapwing. Teal numbers still low. No Blackwit, Wood Sand or Garganey.

(A really lovely evening in fact: also a couple of Water Rails, Bittern, Beardies, 2 perched up Sparrowhawks, Kingfisher, 2 Egret sps, and Marsh Hs)

2 Garganey and Wood sand still present yesterday afternoon.

6 wigeon on Meare Heath today, only 3 Lapwing at Ham Wall VP2, although Wood & Green Sand were apparently reported there again on 27th.

Osprey and around 17 Black Tern on Noah’s this evening
3 Wigeon Meare Heath
1 Garganey 2VP plus a few each of Green Sand, Snipe and Water Rail. No Blackwit or Lapwing - or Spotted Crake, Dan!

An Osprey was present in the usual spot in Noah’s Lake, Shapwick Heath this morning.  Must be a Bank Holiday shortly! Also a single Swift overhead.

Almost the first bird that I saw in my Westhay garden this morning was a very smart Lesser Whitethroat, presumably on migration.  I have not seen them there this summer although they do breed locally.

19-Aug-2019
The 2 juv Wood Sandpipers (hoorah!) still present this morning on Ham Wall from VP2 between 10:15 and 10:45 when all the Lapwings on the exposed peat-spit flushed in panic and flew off high to the east, the 2 Wood Sands going with them. None of the flock had returned by 11:30 when I left there. No sign of the Garganey, but 2 small waders, that flushed with the others and flew off high to the west, may have been Dunlin.

First Wigeon (female) of the autumn on Meare heath pool this morning. Also very good numbers of the three Hirundine species and Common Swifts over Noah’s Lake.

Both Juv. Wood sand still present from VP 2 this am, with 5+ Green sand and the long staying moulting drake Garganey also around. Water levels are looking decent (unlike many sites in the county at present) and wouldn’t be surprised if either Pec sand or Spotted crake are found in the next 4-6 weeks.

Two Common Terns were on Noahs Lake this morning in some very murky weather. They hunted for a while before landing on tree stumps in front of the hide. If the usual Osprey is still around it should arrive over the next week.

My Green Sands yesterday were right by a viewing screen, which was unusual. One flushed immediately, the other after a couple of minutes.  Are the Wood Sands just going missing in amongst all the veg…?  Good effort to keep looking, Jeff.

Ps. Good views of 2 Water Rail in the week on 2VP.