Trip reports
Visit to Somerset Levels - April 2008
Sunday, 27 April 2008
On what was forecasted to be a very wet day thirteen members met under warm blue skies at ashcott car park. From the car park we had good views of whitethroats as walked up the path plenty of male and female Blackcaps were showing well, reed and willow warblers were plentiful cettis were calling from everywhere . AS we neared the first tank a cuckoo was calling from the tree line alongside the first tank ,after a couple of minutes we found it on top of a tree we had good views us through telescopes. After a few minutes the cuckoo flew to the trees at the back of the first tank showed quite well before disappearing . On the second tank which seems to be kept pumped out so keeping lots of mud there was a number of waders, Black-Tailed Godwits in near full summer plumage, a Ruff also nearing summer plumage, also Redshank and Little-Ringed-Plover ,Dunlin Above us three Swifts gliding through the air the first of the year for most of the group. The first of many Hobbies for the day were also seen. At the bridge we turned right and headed for Mere Heath Hide, as the path bends to the left we heard Blackcap and Garden Warbler singing ,Don told us the difference between songs also some of us were lucky enough to see the Garden Warbler .The woods to Mere hide held various Tits and we had good views of Treecreeper as well. Mere Heath Hide didn't show much more than a Pochard so we made our way back over the bridge and down the path to Noah's hide, the only problem with this hide is it's small size it doesn't seem to matter when you go there it always seems full. Some members were lucky enough to fit in whilst most of us stayed outside. From the hide plenty of Hobbies were seen also numerous species of gulls a Common Tern as well, some members had good views of a pair of Grey-lag Geese with young. Still warm and sunny we then made our way back towards the cars for lunch .After lunch and with the sky clouding over very grey we went across the road to Hamwall/Walton Heath reserves . We could hear a very loud chorus of frogs but not a Bittern booming which they have from Hamwall recently. At the RSPB viewpoint a number of members left to go back to the cars we carried on for a bit before crossing a bridge and walking down the inside path we had good views of a deer in the reeds on the way back we also had a number of Butterflies during the day .Considering the weather forecast we had a very good sunny day with approx 52 species