Avalon Marshes migrants
After spending a few days at Noah’s the lesser scaup returned to sharpham, has anyone seen it more recently?
The male garganey was also photographed at ham wall again yesterday
2 glossy ibis reported today at Ham Wall on the cut islands on the west side of Waltons
2 glossy ibis reported yesterday flying over ham wall, so they are still about (in fact last 3 days, either side as well)
Just down the road, the drake Green-winged Teal was showing at Greylake again this afternoon. Still sporting those unmoulted flank feathers but the white flank stripe is now nice and bright. Should be able to tweet a photo later…
The 15th December penduline photo is definitely not the female currently at Bridgwater - but may still be one of the Steart birds (found 2 weeks later). Photographer hasn’t responded to my question on FB
He also found a female lesser scaup at sharpham fields
A pristine drake Garganey seems to have been found on 2VP lagoon on 13th, still there today and showing very well.
An adult Kittiwake briefly over Ham Wall for Sean D today, and a Water Pipit from 1VP for most visitors who looked!
2 penduline tits reported at steart today - the FB photo may well have been there too, as was at the same time as all the SE owl pics were being posted (some of which also said they were on the levels) & the only other pics posted by the same photographer (who lives in Bridgwater) are the shorties at Steart a week later!
A drake Green-winged Teal was not far out from the Greylake hides first thing this morning. Spent quite a while asleep but also swam round a bit over an hour.
Definitely a different bird to the Catcott hybrid, having a distinct but quite narrow vertical white flank bar, no scapular white bar, very subdued pale stripes on the head and a row of unmoulted feathers along the upper edge of the flank. Not sure if it is a first winter but suspect it is. Seems it wasn’t seen after I left but there are a lot of teal there right now. Jozef M took a photo which I’ll tweet in a minute - unfortunately only with it asleep.
Andy - did you see the Facebook post?
I did, Mike - on ‘the Levels’ with a photo
Andy - did you see the Facebook post?
The P Tit record was odd in several ways - would be great to hear more if anyone knows anything.
Otherwise, some old news:
26th - 2 Cranes at Greylake, and Firecrests near Decoy hide (plus a Blackcap) and the main Catcott car park
25th - the Pochard/Tufted hybrid and 60 Blackwit on Ham Wall
11th - 1 or 2 Sibe Chaffs with several Common Chiffchaffs near 2VP
I’ve heard that SEOs have been seen at Tealham and Greylake recently.
& yesterday a photo of a penduline tit, also in Somerset nature photography group, suggesting it was taken recently on the levels (Owls are steart)
Various FB photos of 3 SE owls on the levels last couple of days, but they don’t say where