Ham Wall: Flocks of swifts, swallows and house martins over Waltons; also single hobby ( although someone reported 8 from VP2!) Several garden warblers along main track.
Back in Ham Wall on a cool Wednesday morning after 4 days outside of the county. Large flocks of Swallows with some House Martins hawking over the reeds and resting on them at times. Several Swifts higher up. One Hobby overhead, 5 Whimbrel circled round but then left while a Cuckoo was calling continuously. Snipe and Lapwings also seen.
Good numbers of House Martins, Swifts and some Swallow over Ham Wall early evening.
Best this am were 3 ad Little Gulls that appeared out of nowhere over Noah’s, hawked with a few BH Gulls for 10 mins then headed off east. Same as Friday? Who knows. Also 1 Hobby, 2 Cuckoos, and on Ham Wall, just the 3 Blackwit of note for me.
I did see a most beautiful female Garganey today at one site, really strongly marked so a very mature bird I imagine. I’ll hold off reporting any more Garganey for now however.
1030 today, 2 Cranes circled over Shapwick Heath for a while then drifted off towards Meare village. Two or 3 Hobbies and a Garden Warbler also, and an Egy Goose flew west.
Later on Ham Wall, 2 Greenshank and 3 Blackwit from VP1. A few Swifts over and a few Hobbies. Drake Garganey still from VP1 I’m told but not for me.
(Yesterday evening, 3 ad Little Gulls on Noah’s per Robert Kelsh)
...and on Thursday evening, 22nd, an odd selection on Shapwick - 1 Egy Goose, 1 Mink and a bat making very slow circuits a few inches above the water on Meare Heath scrape at 7pm. About the size of a Sand Martin and pale below, I’m told it could have been Daubenton’s.
The Pochard/Tufted hybrid was on Street Heath, Ham Wall this evening. Definitely not the hybrid seen on Cheddar Res recently…
I seem to see a big Peregrine every time I go on the Levels at the mo. This evening’s shot across the 2VP lagoon a couple of feet above the water and not one bird flushed. Guess it was gone before they’d even realised it was there.
Otherwise, most interesting were plenty of Shoveler, generally paired up, and masses of Sand Martins.
One Reed Warbler singing in Westhay Moor this morning near the Island Hide. Also Cetti’s, Willow Warbler, Blackcap and Chiff Chaff.
Have been out in Somerset a few days this week, what a county we have.
Catcott first thing today - 3 Spoonbill. At least two looked to be adult and one was markedly ‘less white’ than the other two. How many do we have at the mo…? Could be that 3 are commuting between Steart and Catcott from reports today. There were definitely 4 at Steart at one point today. Also a large Peregrine over Catcott.
Otherwise this week, small numbers of Willow Warblers at various sites on the Marshes, lots of Sand Martins, 3 Redpoll and a Goldeneye on Shapwick, ‘the’ drake Garganey on Meare Heath (I know there have been more), 2 Egy Geese at Westhay (and good views of a pike), a couple of Blackwit on Ham Wall and a few Snipe visible. All good stuff!
Had a look at both Shapwick and Ham Wall today. It was a fairly quick whip round, so wasn’t able to thoroughly check the impressive numbers of wildfowl on Noah’s etc, but a nice variety.
Shapwick: Single Whooper seen a couple of times in the NE corner of Noah’s (viewable from the track north of the lake), also a GWE and excellent views of a hunting Bittern there (the latter just by the entrance track). Full list: https://ebird.org/checklist/S77841281.
Ham Wall: 10 GWE on Walton’s, including red-ringed AAC, and a Water Pipit from VP1 (in the NE corner of the scrape). Full list: https://ebird.org/checklist/S77841732
I then popped in at Burtle on the way back, where as reported by others, there were at least 18 Cattle Egret feeding in the field at ST426424, along with the Ruddy Shelduck and 3 Egyptian Geese, with a GWE in the water-logged Maize field to the south, by the road. Full list: https://ebird.org/checklist/S77841833
A funny old day… Shapwick this am, the 2 Whoopers still, and still elusive, plus an Egyptian Goose on the tin hut. Most of the Wigeon have decamped from Meare Heath to Noah’s.
On the flooded fields at Westhay NNR, a Redshank, at least I think it was. Not the best view and it flew off into the sun. If it’s not a Redshank, it must be a L Legs. Have seen neither at Westhay ever. Also a Peregrine over and a Green Sand on the roadside excavated pit.
From the Westhay/Burtle road, 3 more Egy Geese and the Ruddy Shelduck (as noted already by Frankie). Plenty of egrets about but I only checked a few, 2 Cattles were east of Westhay at least.
Second hand reports: SEOwl on Tealham this pm, and on Ham Wall recently, Jack Snipe, Water Pipit, Egy Geese and Ruddy Shelduck.
December 1 list so far 51 bird species, mostly between the Meare Heath tower hide and VP2. Highlights.
Meare Heath: very high numbers of Wigeon and Shoveler, one Great Crested Grebe, 1 Shelduck flew in and stayed for 10 minutes before leaving. Male Marsh Harrier.
Car park areas. Goldcrest, Chiff Chaff.
VP1: 2 Great white Egrets. Teal, Snipe. female Marsh Harrier.
railway line: Redpoll, Song Thrush. Little Grebes, Tufted Duck.
VP2 Lapwings, Black Tailed Godwit.
Later, Sharpham lane. Cattle Egrets, Canada and Greylag Geese.
My Westhay garden: Great Spotted Woodpecker, Pied Wagtail and the usual species.
Fantastic morning to be out and about locally.
Today and also on Friday afternoon 40 plus Cattle egret in the fields along the Blakeway
Very good news Andy. That is a month later than in recent years but I will be there tomorrow to try to find them.
2 ad Whoopers on Noah’s this morning, good to see them back
I was away for much of the autumn but have been going down to the Levels on the last few weekends. The main feature has been building duck numbers inc the fantastic Wigeon flock on Meare Heath scrape. Today, half were on Noah’s however…
Otherwise, Stonechats are now scattered around in very small numbers and a Grey Wag put in an appearance on Ham Wall today. Last weekend, a probable Merlin dashed north over Ham Wall car park but I just didn’t see enough to clinch it; one Blackwit was on Ham Wall.
Tufted Duck and Pochard numbers are oddly low. I wonder where they all are. No Whoopers, Goosander or Egyptian Geese either.