Four Ringed Plovers and 3 Common Sandpipers today at Wimbleball Lake. Ringed Plovers are an irregular visitor here, not every year and often just a single record. However, 3 were also present in August & September 2018. Before that the previous highest counts were 4 on September 4th, 1996, and up to 7, September 1989. Also a Dipper seen on outfall by dam, possibly only my second ever record here despite monthly counts. Nothing of note at Clatworthy last Thursday, no waders.

Despite recent rain both reservoirs are still extremely low. Wimbleball is only at 39 per cent of its capacity, and Clatworthy 37 per cent. The Environment Agency has declared Somerset to be under prolonged dry weather status, the first official stage of a drought.

Numbers of waders are increasing here in West Somerset as autumn is fast approaching.
24 August, Dunster Beach. c190 Ringed Plovers, c20 Sanderling & 1 Dunlin, 15 Curlew. The Ringed Plovers were in 3 distinct groups of 110, 50 and 30 birds. This is the highest count here since August 2012 when an exceptional count of 317 was made.
25 August Porlock Marsh 9 Ringed Plovers, 7 Dunlin.
Both sites have experienced substantial declines in wader passage. In the case of Dunster there has been an increased amount of disturbance with people and dogs. Following the breach in 1996 Porlock Marsh was less attractive to passage waders e.g. no longer holding any fresh water.
28 Aug Clatworthy Rservoir 1 Curlew, 1 Greenshank, 1 Common Sandpiper. The Curlew record is exceptional. I have never seen one at an inland reservoir before.
29 Aug Wimbleball Lake 1 Greenshank, 1 Green Sandpiper, 2 Common Sandpipers.
Although not comparable with the likes of Durleigh or Cheddar for waders, nevertheless I have seen birds such as Pectoral Sandpiper, Ruff & Wood Sandpiper at Wimbleball over the years.