Ham Wall today (mostly at VP1):
2 adult and 2 juvenile glossy ibis—British breading success?
1 Little Ringed Plover
4 Whimbrel all morning and a passing flock of c. 22.
2 Hobby
Pair of Lesser Redpolls (male bright red breading plumage)
Also, swifts, sand martins, blackcaps, willow warblers, chiffchaff, cuckoo (h), reed warbler, bittern (h), b-t godwit, redshank, ruff

Shapwick - 15 Hobby over Noah’s Lake

2 drake Garganey and a Sedge Warbler were at Catcott this morning and at HW 1VP this afternoon, the Spotted Redshank, Ruff and Blackwit flock still, plus 3 drake and 1 duck Garganey, and a smashing male Redpoll close by

A single drake Garganey was at Greylake again this evening - but BGs says ‘at least 8 Garganey’ yesterday!

Nice at 1VP this evening.
60 or 70 Blackwits, 3 or 4 Redshank, a Spotred still and a Ruff.  A few Snipe and Lapwing.
A dull Glossy Ibis with quite a dark bill arrived around 7, the elusive ‘third ibis’ perhaps - no sign of the other 2.
Plenty of Sand Martins.
The Garganey pair still plus the extra drake - and a Pintail pair.

The male Hen Harrier came in around 8 for Matt D after I’d left.

27-Mar-2023
A short walk at Ham Wall RSPB this morning, from the car park to VP1, gave us 4 Blackcaps, 1 Chiffchaff and 1 Willow Warbler - another was reported near the Avalon Hide.

A drake Garganey again at Greylake today plus a Redshank, and in fields west of Westhay NNR, around 70 Cattle Egrets

21-Mar-2023. Catcott Lows: 10:30 to 12:15
2 Marsh Harriers, together, stirring up the ducks; 2 Grt W Egrets, 2 Little Egrets, No sign of any waders other than Lapwings. Told that a Garganey had been seen earlier and also the 2 Grt White-fronted Geese. Just before we left an adult Whooper Swan showed distantly feeding among the tall sedges down the centre of the reserve.

To add to Julian’s Spotted Redshank, a Common Redshank and a Ruff were also at Catcott late morning.  I hear a male Hen Harrier was also seen today.

The smart Pochard/Tufted hybrid was at the Sharpham end of HW, and the Lesser Scaup was still on Long Drove.

Others had Willow Warblers and Cranes at/over Shapwick.

Ring necked Duck on the far side of the lake at the Decoy Hide, Shapwick. Spent most of its time asleep, which didn’t help ID.

Pair of garganey at VP1 Ham Wall.

Spotted Redshank at Catcott Lows, and 50+ sand martins.

Lots of chiffchaff everywhere.

A distant pair of Garganey, a Blackwit and a female Hen Harrier (thanks, Gary T) at Catcott today - later, a Spotred for Gary too.  Just to the north, the 2 Whitefronts were with Canadas by the canal and 2 Peregrines were near Burtle.

The drake Ring-necked Duck still from Decoy hide and still elusive.

For others, the Lesser Scaup still on Long Drove and 2 Med Gulls on Noah’s.

Ringtail, 40 to 50 Golden Plover passing through, Lapwings, Pintails, GWE and Little Egrets, plus numerous ducks at Catcott Lows this morning. A Water Rail in the ditch behind the hide.
After lunch, at Noah’s Hide, Shapwick Heath, Bitterns booming and a very large number of Sand Martins.

The 2 Ibis still at HW 1vp first thing today.  I’ve heard they’ve also been seen on Noah’s and over the Avalon Marshes Visitor Centre.  An Oystercatcher on Noah’s for Sean D early morning and then one/it flew over Long Drove a bit later.  No sign of the Lesser Scaup there for me.

A Garganey at Greylake - and as per my usual first bird of the spring, it was a sleeping drake.  Also Curlew and Blackwit.  Duck numbers way down but still quite a few Wigeon.

A Sibe Chiffchaff at Decoy (not calling) but no Ring-necked Duck for me - it was seen late morning, however.

The 2 Whitefronts still at Catcott, from the hide this time, plus a few Sand Martins.

40+ Cattle Egret east of Westhay NNR.

A couple of Barn Owls early morning today, one on Queen’s Sedge Moor and one near Cold Harbour Bridge

Nice morning when my fingers weren’t numb…

5 wader sps at Greylake, lots of Lapwing and Snipe and one each of Dunlin, Blackwit and (calling) Curlew. Also 2 busy Peregrine. Numbers seem to be dropping but there were still plenty of duck.

The 2 imm Russian Whitefronts were in fields SE of the southern car park at Catcott and showing very well. Nearly got flushed by a rampant dog but it decided to have a go at some swans instead.

The extremely smart drake Ring-necked Duck was on Decoy.

Gary T saw a female Hen Harrier on Tealham. And a Garganey still plus a few Sand Martin for Sean D on Noah’s…

There was a pair of Stonechats on Tealham on Thursday 2nd. I also counted 10 Goosander on London Drove this morning, the most I have seen there all winter.