As of Thurs. evening 5th. The ‘Scrape’ is being refilled, in the annual attempt to drown out the emerging unwanted vegetation and to slow down the growing area of reeds which unchecked will eventually cover the entire scrape area!
The intention( ref. Nat Eng.) is to pump down again around mid August for Autumn Wader passage.
Friday mid day there were around 50 Black Wits and 2 Green S’Pipers together with 70+ Lapwing. A single Hobby also did a lap of honour!

5-July-2018
Return visit this evening 19:15 to 20:30 - much of the same except the L.R Plover was showing and the Green Sandpipers had increased to 8, but no sign of this morning’s Knot.

5-July-2018
Meare Heath 10:15 to mid-day: Green Sand 5, Blk-t-Godwit 68 (incl colour-ringed bird: Red over Yel over Blue left leg; Grn over Yel over Blue right leg), Knot 1, Garganey 1 F, GWE 4, Bittern 1, Marsh Harrier 2. No sign of the earlier Wood Sandpiper.

One Wood Sandpiper was a new arrival on the scrape this morning around 08.45. The LRP was there before I arrived apparently. At least 7 Great White Egrets there at one point.

A female Garganey on the scrape today with 6 green Sands,  the LRP was still prersent with nigh on 100 Lapwing. a flock of Blk. Tld. G’Wits dropped in early p.m. at least 50 many of which were in striking summer plumage.Also on the scrape my first view this year of a newly fledged Great White Egret chick . Hopefully the first of many!

One Juv. Little Ringed Plover, Seven green S’Pipers, one Common Redshank,  around 30 Blk Tld. G’Wits and 50 Lapwing present around 1030 this morning. Quite a collection of moulting Duck including a few Teal.

Not much change on the scrape apart from a steady build up of Lapwings. One Redshank and 3 Green Sands plus some Blackwits. The only surprise record was 2 Curlew flying and calling at Noah’s Lake this morning around 10.15. First ones I had seen anywhere in June and not the most likely place to see them.

Two Common Redshanks with 4 Green Sands at lunchtime today, around 25 Blk Wits and 30 Lapwing made up the waders A single Hobby over early p.m.

1st Common Sand today plus 5 Green Sands around 20 Black Wits. Plus an adult Water Rail with one youngster. A Red Kite over 1300 ish

55 Black.  Wits. with the 4 Green sands there when I left aroun 1500hrs.

There were 4 Green Sandpipers on the scrape this morning. 3 juvenile Lapwing still on the island and getting close to fledging I would think. They do look very vulnerable to predators there. There were also 5 juvenile Grey Herons associating together on the scrape which presumably are from several nests.

Early or late? We normally get some Green Sandpipers in the area in the winter months followed by a passage in April and May but this didn’t seem to happen this year. Looking at my records, I did see one on Meare Heath on June 22 last year and in early June at Slimbridge in 2016 but no June records in the previous 4 years.

18 June, 20.00: Green Sandpiper (1), 30 BT Godwits, few lapwing, tufted duck, greylag around and 2 GWE; mostly mallard and gadwall otherwise, except one female sparrow hawk. Are Green Sandpiper usually this early here?

Interesting that the Green Sands were there today. I saw 2 of them land in Ham Wall yesterday north of the bridge across to the Avalon Hide-my first sighting of the year! Autumn migration is under way!

2 Green S’pipers on the scrape today with 20+ Black Tailed G’Wits. 2 half grown lapwing Chicks were on the island but don’t look capable of flight so I suspect they walked on from the West side where the water is very shallow!