11-11-2016 A brief visit to a misty Noah’s Lake this morning,at the approach to the track three G-w-Egrets seen one Buzzard perched in a tree near the iron bridge ,from the hide several Bittern sightings, probable the same bird moving around ,one G-w-Egret ,two L Egrets one Kingfisher, a rather
quiet morning.
One photo of a Bittern landing at the top of the reeds.
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Some highlights from today:
1 Whooper Swan from Decoy hide
1 Brambling about 50m back down the track from Decoy hide
1 Pintail on Noah’s Lake
2 Bittern
1 Kingfisher
1 Great White Egret
Lots of Marsh Harrier activity including one over Noah’s hunting a coot.
Lots of Goldcrest about too.

and again this morning at around 10.30 in the tall trees between the railway line and the South drain 50 yards west of Ashcott Corner.

Yellow-browed Warbler present this morning about 100 yards west of Ashcott Corner.

A still and quiet morning surrounded Meare heath at Shapwick following first light with just the intermittent burst of a flock of Lapwing breaking the calm. Highlight of the morning however soon followed as a dog Otter appeared from the back of the scrape, crawling low along the reed edge before swimming across the pool.

Wader action was bismal so i moved on to Noahs lake where i was treated to the second installemt of wildlife activity as two Bitterns hunted from the reeds edge, a mere 10 metres in front of the hide. Later a skirmish broke out with one taking a swift retreate flying off in a large arc around the lake. Heron activity continued with a Little Egret and Grey Heron feeding among the same pool within eyes reach of the hide, whilst a Great White Egret flew far in the distance. A Kingfisher added a flash of bright neon blue to the morning autumnal dim as it darted back and forth initially announcing it’s presence through its high pitched monosyllabic call before coming to settle on a favoured feeding perch.

All the usual characters including Marsh harrier, Beardies etc were present, whilst duck numbers look to be slowly rising with a few Redwing and Fieldfare over the reeds and a couple of Chiffchaffs around the carpark
All in all a great start to a Sunday.