A report on the meeting:

Seven of us met in the reserve car park at 10am and headed for the Avalon hide, where low water levels had exposed more mud than in recent years, attracting a good range of waders over the last month or so. Indeed news reached us that a pectoral sandpiper had been seen there earlier that morning. Our first stop was inevitably Viewpoint 1, where reeds had recently been cut and shallow water and islands for loafing had attracted gadwall, mallard, teal and a single shoveler. Waders were represented by a few lapwing. We encountered a mix flock of long-tailed, blue and great tits, but a perceived general scarcity of some small passerines at the moment was commented upon. A stonechat in a reedbed was a relatively unusual record for Ham Wall. Raptors were well represented with an osprey being chased by a kestrel, plus hobby, buzzard and marsh harrier. The Avalon hide produced snipe, green sandpiper and glossy ibis, the latter a regular feature at the moment. Did we see the pec sand? Sadly no. It was still there a week later, giving good views at times or, alternatively, taking itself off into the dense mat of vegetation that is beginning to cover some of the mud. In all, 43 species were seen or heard.

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.