Trip reports
MINIBUS TRIP TO SOMERSET LEVELS WEDNESDAY MAY 9TH 2007
Wednesday, 9 May 2007
There was plenty of birdsong, but the depressed conditions didn't encourage display, which meant patience was required to try and see individual species. Unsurprisingly the walk along the old railway line on Shapwick Heath to the 2 hides and back took all morning, and still did not show any of the many Cettis, Blackcap, Garden and Reed Warblers. However, our chief raptor spotter, John McCarthy saw the first of plenty of low flying Hobbies, and also found a Marsh Harrier carrying food. A Willow Warbler, a Chiffchaff and several Common Whitethroats eventually showed very well, and a distant Sedge Warbler was scoped. The partly drained pool west of the car park on the right of the track held several Lapwings and 4 Whimbrel, the latter subsequently departed calling their 7 whistle. Short periods at the hides enabled us to watch up to 6 Hobbies hunting, never more than a few metres above the vegetation, in front of the Meare Heath Hide, and distant Tufted Duck were added from the Noah's Flood Hide.
After lunch we travelled onwards to Catcott, where a Skylark celebrated the temporary drier period and Lapwings were displaying. Several Redshank were around and 4 Dunlin, unseen initially, flew off from in front of the hide. A Snipe was seen briefly by 2 members. Returning to have a walk around Ham Wall, the conditions were poorer with showers scudding through. Nevertheless, a Garden Warbler was in song a short distance into the Reserve, and seen reasonably well by all. The "square" trail was pretty quiet, but towards the end of our walk, I spotted a pair of Shoveler at the end of a shallow pool. Scope views were had, and Barbara then found a pair of Garganey behind the Shoveler and some Mallard!
We finished with great views of a pair of Bullfinch gathering dandelion seeds on the track near the Reserve entrance. (Brian, who stayed with the bus, had added Spotted Flycatcher in our absence.)
Great Crested Grebe (pairs at both Ham Wall and Noah's Flood), Cormorant (nesting at Noah's Flood), Little Egret (common), Grey Heron (less common), Mute Swan, Greylag Goose (small numbers), Canada Goose (small numbers), Wigeon (1 drake), Mallard, Gadwall (common, more so than Mallard), Shoveler (pair), Garganey (pair), Pochard (1 drake), Tufted Duck (pairs at Ham Wall, and Noah's flood), Marsh Harrier, Buzzard, Hobby, Pheasant, Coot, Moorhen, Lapwing, Dunlin, Whimbrel,
Redshank, Snipe, Black headed Gull (2 first summers at Noah's), Herring Gull (1 overflight), GBB Gull (2 overflying), LBB Gull (several passing birds), Wood Pigeon, Cuckoo ( calling, and several flight views), Swift (common), Swallow (only 2 seen), Kingfisher ( 1 good flight view), GS Woodpecker (heard only), Skylark, Pied Wagtail (breeding near the bridge at Ashcott Corner), Wren, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Cettis Warbler (heard only), Sedge Warbler (only 1), Reed Warbler (scores heard), Garden Warbler, Blackcap (many in song, but only 1 seen), Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long Tailed Tit, Starling (only in Meare), Magpie, Jackdaw, Crow, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Bullfinch, Reed Bunting. (60 species)
Report by Steve Oakes