Today, my daughter, my friend and I visited Ham Wall hoping to see the awesome Starling Roost....and we were not disappointed! A heavy shower passed and the low clouds made way for sunshine which in turn led to a reasonable sunset. As we walked along the path from the car park towards the viewing platform, my daughter (aged 9) spotted a Marsh Harrier above the reed beds to our right. What a sight!!!! For all 3 of us it was our first ever sighting of this bird - we were so excited!!! Cameras in hand, we all snapped away as the Harrier 'quartered' up and down the reeds searching for his dinner! Then it plummeted into the reeds where it stayed for a couple of minutes before it rose up and flew away into the distance! WOW!!! Although we had made our journey to see the starlings, this topped it for us and we all had big grins on our faces as we awaited the arrival of the starlings! We all came away with a sense of awe and amazement, and feel we are well and truly 'hooked' by this natural spectacle. (our 4th visit in 8 days) I'll put up some photos...I now have a case of 'lens envy'....a mega zoom would be a beneficial luxury!
Well done and Ham Wall is just one of the great reserves in that area,if you have the time have a look at Greylake and Catcott lows.There is even a chance of seeing the Cranes if you look on their website and look at the map of sightings,they are in one area nearly all the time.
Glad you all had a great time - it is quite a sight. The Marsh Harriers have been showing extremely well over the last few weeks at Ham Wall. They have bred for the last 3 years over at Shapwick Heath, but we are all hoping for a first at Ham Wall this year - fingers crossed. Thanks for posting your comments - it great to hear people are enjoying the Starling Spectacle and the reserve. Keep coming back!
Hoping for a return visit SOON!!! There's always something amazing to see!