Ham Wall 2VP lagoon this evening, 1 Spotted Redshank, 2 Blackwit, 2 Green Sand, a few Snipe.

The Glossy Ibis was already perched up on Noah’s on a tree stump when I arrived at 5.30pm.  Lots of Cattle Egrets.

Recent odds and ends:

Today, the Garganey still on Noah’s, NW corner near the canal, same bird and place as 8th.
One on Ham Wall 2vp lagoon on 10th with a Blackwit.
Today on Ham Wall 2vp lagoon, 3 Green Sand and 4 Blackwit.
1 Ruff on Catcott today, and decent roadside Cattle Egret flocks by the Burtle/Westhay Rd and Shapwick Moor.

For others:
Osprey, Ham Wall 3rd.
YB Warbler, Ham Wall 5th.
The Wood Sand on HW2vp lagoon stuck it out until 6th.
Spotred, HW2vp on 7th.
Garganey, Avalon Hide 9th.
Osprey, Yarley 10th.
A G Ibis roosting on Noah’s yesterday with lots of C Egrets.

Ham Wall 2vp lagoon this evening in the rain and with water levels rising disappointingly: 2 Wood Sand still, 2 Blackwit, 1 Ruff, 1 Green Sand, 1 Garganey

2 Black Terns over Noah’s Lake this afternoon, often seen fairly close to Noah’s hide. Good numbers of hirundines over the lake, a couple of close fly pasts from a Hobby as well.

Ham Wall 08.30-10.30. 4 Ruff, 2 Green Sandpiper, 1 Wood Sandpiper, 1 Willow Warbler including brief song, Goldcrest, Coal Tit and a brief view of the Spotted Crake.

60 cattle egrets yesterday evening at Catcott Lows, plus GWE, heron, Canada goose etc and poss. Water Rail.

A late Swift seen this morning over Meare village. Still plenty of Swallows and House Martins around the area.

Spotted Crake, Wood Sandpiper, 2 Green Sands and a Snipe on the same area of mud this morning.

23-Aug-2022
Good, if distant, prolonged ‘scope views of the juvenile Spotted Crake at Ham Wall late morning. Looking out to the distant reed-fringed muddy edge from behind the canal-side bench seat just 30m east of the path to the Avalon Hide.
A short video on YouTube at https://youtu.be/MOnjCcQ8lPE
Also 2 juv/fem Garganey feeding in the same area.

Spotted Crake showed well between 17.00 and 17.30 yesterday (22nd). Once it re-emerged from an unexpected direction, making me wonder if there were two birds.
8 Hobbies at Ham Wall.

Great detective work, Mike. I’m thinking there’s just one bird but it is surprising how the face can look so dark in some shots. Also, when I watched it, the white on the belly was obvious and almost a rectangular block. In some shots, that almost disappears, which seems remarkable.

Nick’s pic from this morning, showing how appearance can change (you need to be a member of this group to view, but worth it as lots of great photographers. My photos are also linked on there): https://m.facebook.com/groups/1024089867700271/permalink/5120541611388389/
He has also posted it on Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/NicholasGalley/status/1561371045763973120

Ham Wall 08.30-11.0 today Sept 21. Spotted Crake and a darker bird identified as a juvenile Water Rail? from the first viewpoint past the Avalon Hide turn. Andrew Kirby has a good photo and video of the Crake. On a small island just west of VP2 and visible from the lower path: Wood Sand, Green Sand, Snipe, many Great and Little Egrets and Black hdd Gulls. 2 Hobbies over and for good measure my first Clouded Yellow of the year along the path near VP2. Not a bad morning.

Matt’s muddy beaked bird with more obvious pale lores from this morning (a couple of my pics, when head was at a similar angle give a similar but less obvious impression):
https://mobile.twitter.com/WanderingBirder/status/1561241574272557056

Also from yesterday: https://mobile.twitter.com/jkyles32/status/1561292115635830784

My photos seem to show a bright beak, but quite light lores (it’s a public group):
https://www.facebook.com/groups/305832500995370/permalink/478424890402796

EDIT - Lee’s taken at a similar time: https://mobile.twitter.com/BlaenavonNature/status/1561095923190550528