At greylake the reserve is open, but the footpaths that approach the hides are shut. Ham wall car park is charging again & sweets is open for drive through catering.

I have been keeping an eye on the Cattle Egrets. There were 17 on Sunday on Tealham from the road south of Heath House following some cattle. I have also seen them from the lane below Mudgley in recent days. All adults so far.

24+ cattle egret back at Tealham stalking frogs, plus a great white & 3 grey heron.

Pair mute swan with 9 cygnets & 3 pairs of greylag with 6, 6 & 2 goslings at meare heath. Water levels still high there, so pool is covered in gadwall & coot, with a few shoveler.

Thorney on the Parrett had fledgling grey wagtail with adult & GS woodpecker at nest hole.

A very pleasant start to June for me this morning in Ham Wall between 0700 and 09.00. 51 species recorded including Osprey, Barn Owl, Kingfisher, Blackwit and Redshank along with the usual residents.

Canada goslings, mallard ducklings & fledgling swallows on Aller Moor today, plus young pied wagtails & Mute cygnets at Westhay. 3 hobby & 1 lapwing at 30 acre, & Cuckoo still going for it on Tealham & Westhay, along with various warblers.

Barn owl, hobby, Cuckoo & male marsh harrier all flew past VP2 in a 5 minute “golden patch” yesterday evening. Also a juv GS woodpecker near there and water rail & tawny owl heard to the north. Still 7 slightly larger Mute cygnets & now 3 small mallard ducklings nearby. RSPB car park appeared to be open during daylight.

Provided you get there before the crowds - it is a bank holiday weekend…

Thanks all. Might get up early tomorrow and take a wander along the railway path.

The drove roads through Westhay are all public footpaths as well. Some people were in the island hide, although that probably isn’t a good idea from transmission basis.

RSPB reserves have gates on their car parks, other places mostly don’t.

As far as I am aware all Hides on the RSPB , Natural England and S.W.Trust. reserves are currently shut as are all access paths the only path currently open is the Permitted path through Ham Wall and Shapwick Heath (i.e. The old Railway path beside the South drain.

That includes Ham Wall, Shapwick Heath, Catcott and Westhay. Information is published on Twitter and available on the various organisations Face book and dedicated Websites.

Hides may not be open, but you can view at least some of site. Having said that, Catcott water levels (& vegetation) are still quite high, so may not see much. Greylake is presumably still shut.

Thanks for the information about Ham Wall and Shapwick. Do I take it, from other posts, that Westhay and Catcott are fully open?

Yesterday, 7 small Mute cygnets from VP2 & 9 well grown greylag goslings at Catcott. Bearded reedlings, reed warblers & Buntings also seen at VP2, along with 11 blackwits, although they were doing a good job of hiding most of the time. A considerate bittern did flyby in both directions to ensure we saw it & the hobbies were less obliging, with distant views of several. Cuckoo in evidence at most sites over last few days, but only showed themselves at Westhay (as was the closest Hobby)

Sweets had a sign up saying drive through, but presumably only open at weekend.

To clarify Dans comments, Ham Wall RSPB remains closed at present,  but the old railway line track is open through both Ham Wall and Shapwick reserves. Parking limited to the NE carpark at Ashcott Corner and no facilities open in the area.

yes, a friend and I visited Ham Wall and Shapwick yesterday.  The small car park at Ashcott is open and RSPB are opening the large car park soon.  A few good birds: spotted flycatcher; 1 hobby; 1 drake garganey; great crested grebe with 3 youngsters on its back; many many warblers of 8 varieties; breeding lapwing; + others.