30-April-2025
7 Whimbrel on the grassy bank of the river mouth at Huntspill Sluice over hide tide this morning & 4 Turnstones on the seawall. Also 2 singing (1 seen) Lesser Whitethroats at the northern end of the scrubby copse that runs north from the sluice.

You wait ages for a new patch bird and two come along in two days! After yesterday’s Osprey a drizzly morning today produced a singing Grasshopper Warbler in the scrubby area north of Huntspill Sluice…

Still 4 Whimbrel on Friday but 31 today - Easter Sunday - with one BP Bar-tailed Godwit a lowish high tide. Also singing whitethroat, sedge and reed warblers and best of all an OSPREY - my first ever at this site - flying north and low over the sluice at just after noon!

4 Whimbrel present this morning but nothing else new.

Red kite came over from steart at high tide, marsh harrier circled over river. 30ish avocet, 1 curlew this side, only c.20 Dunlin & 3+ grey plover on other. Didn’t count redshank, but about 40 oystercatcher and 1 raven also seen

4 Goosander: 3 males and a redhead east of the sluice. 3 little egret, buzzard, kestrel, 6 meadow pipits, 3 stonechats nearer to the A38 car park this morning

Merlin still there but no Richard’s or Skylark seen (for 2 visiting birders too).Plenty of waders along the channel, but no SEOs either (just before sunset - almost tripped over a Bank Vole though, so there is lunch!)

Just as well you mentioned the Merlin, as I would probably have disturbed it off a fence post ths afternoon if I hadn’t been checking. Unfortunately that meant there was almost no chance of finding the Richard’s (although I did up the score to one Skylark) - it’s almost as if it knows there’s something there worth having… Also 3 Little & 6 Cattle Egrets in fields

Pipit was reported on Birdguides again this morning though

Can add a Marsh Harrier and a female Merlin to yesterday’s sightings. The Merlin flew over the marsh from the north before perching on a white post.
Also heard a Water Pipit on the far north end of the marsh but again no sign of the Richard’s Pipit yesterday afternoon!

Missed out on Pipit again (just 1 Meadow), but a Cetti’s Warbler calling, male Stonechat & single female Goosanders either side of Sloway Bridge were some compensation, plus plenty of Fieldfares with the Starlings (& even more of both those on Moors between here & Tealham, plus the odd Redwing)

N.B. Richard’s was reported on Birdguides just before we got there, but not by anyone we talked to on site.

Richard’s Pipit still present on grassy area north of sluice, around 11.15am today (Sunday 12th Nov). Incredibly flighty, so only managed flight views, but uttered its very distinctive call several times! Thanks to Brian Hill for telling me it was still present - hopefully it might stay for the winter… My 149th species for the Huntspill/Parrett/Brue patch (plus five others in Apex Park only!)

Late posting from yesterday morning (Sat 4th Nov) - three spoonbills asleep on Steart Point, also first Brent Goode I’ve seen there since 2020 and my second ever lesser redpoll calling overhead… plus loads of dunlin, redshank, golden plover and avocets…

After last week’s Richard’s Pipit, I didn’t even find a Skylark this afternoon (although there were a few Meadows & 2 flocks of Canadas) Of more interest were at least 100 Pied Wagtails over Sloway Bridge heading west to roost just after 4.30pm, 20+ landed on the parapet / wires.

a very high tide today and plenty to see despite the gloom between 09,00 and 11,00.
Main interest was the strong movement of Swallows that is also evident back here in Westhay village. House Martins and a Sand Martin also seen. A single Wheatear seen at Huntspill and another back here near Honeygar Farm.

Others seen at Huntspill
Grey Wagtail
Pied Wagtail
Avocet
Oystercatcher
Curlew
Redshank
Ringed Plover
Grey Plover
Canada Goose (at least 100)
Shelduck
Sparrowhawk
Skylark
Meadow Pipit
Grey Heron (at least 5)
Little Egret.
Great Black Backs
Teal
Mallard

Not much to report from 9.30-11.00 this morning. 3 Wheatear on the saltings with increasing numbers of Meadow Pipit. A Common Sandpiper was close to the sluice along with many Redshanks. The waders cleared off when a Sparrowhawk appeared. A flock of around 30 Wigeon landed on the river.  A very distant flock of Avocets were on the Steart side.