Trip reports

Chew Valley Lake, Somerset by Minibus - Sunday 6th September

Sunday, 6 September 2009

In the late afternoon, on Herriots Bridge at Chew Valley Lake, the sun came out to compete with the wind and, despite the chill, several members bought ice creams from the van. There was an end of the day feel as the group sorted through the ducks and gulls in hope of a late surprise, or watched a distant knot feeding (an unusual sighting for Chew).

"Glossy Ibis Flying!" got pulses racing, re- focussed attention and turned heads. A few of the group caught a glimpse of the bird as it passed low over the water and dived out of sight behind the waving reed bed. A few tense minutes and then a call from the end of the bridge brought people running. In bright sunlight, with a water rail feeding at its feet, the elegant and exotic visitor wandered in and out of the edge of the reeds, dipping and probing in the shallow water. And then it was gone. This was only the second record of Glossy Ibis at Chew Valley Lake, the first being only two years ago.


It was a special end to a splendid day which had started with a visit to Villice Bay, after obtaining our permits (the site is owned by Bristol Water). Just getting to the hide took a while as the approach, bordered by tall hedgerows groaning under a mass of berries and sloes, was alive with warblers. An almost constant stream of birds flitted from one side to the other, giving plenty of brief and tantalising views of blackcaps, chiffchaffs, and whitethroats. A possible redstart was seen by a very few people. Easier to see were the blackbirds and a song thrush, with a buzzard spiralling above.

At the lake itself the star bird was a wood sandpiper at first dozing but later wandering, with a pair of green sandpipers and several common sandpipers for comparison. A handsome and stately black tailed godwit strolled amongst the gadwalls and shovellers, and there were superb views of hobbies seemingly intent on attacking the hide before wheeling away. One, carrying a bird, had a juvenile following in pursuit giving out sharp shrieks as it called for attention. This was a wonderful sight. A cormorant hunted something in the shallows just in front of the hide, curious behaviour, with its back visible as a hump just above the water, looking at first like an otter.

A stop at Herons Green Bank added ruddy duck (making a total of at least 4 for the trip!) and pochard before lunch at Stratford Bay which yielded little new except for the explosive chatter of a Cettis warbler, heard but not seen.

On the scrapes in front of the Bernard King hide two ringed plovers and an adult and juvenile little ringed plover were joined by a solitary dunlin to form a fine little group of waders. A yellow legged gull stood in amongst the lesser black back gulls, oblivious to all the effort being spent on pointing him out to everyone. Black backed and herring gulls tore huge chunks off a rotting, beached pike and a heron struggled to swallow a massive fish. Two young boys who came to the hide showed an encouraging interest and knowledge and were delighted to see the birds in the 'scopes. It seems birds can still stir youthful enthusiasm despite the alternate pleasures available in our electronic world. On the way back from the hide a group of four pintail, tails spiking the air as they dabbled, were seen from the small wooden bridge.

Add, amongst others, a raven, a bullfinch, teal, a flotilla of a hundred or more great crested grebe, dozens of little grebe, long tailed tits and then that ibis, and the group of twenty members left Chew Valley Lake with memories of a great early autumn treat.

Reported by MIKE CROW and JOHN PITMAN

BIRD LIST
Robin, Dunnock, Great Tit, Buzzard, Cormorant, House martin, Whitethroat, Blackcap, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Chiffchaff, Bullfinch. Redstart, Canada Goose, Wood, Green and Common Sandpiper, Common Gull, Shelduck, Ruddy Duck, Rook, Carrion Crow, Sand Martin, Kingfisher, Pied Wagtail, Hobby, Coot, Moorhen, Mallard, Gadwall, Teal, Tufted Duck, Shoveller, Great Crested Grebe, Little Grebe, Heron, Egret, Mute Swan, Raven, Lesser Black-backed, Greater Black-backed, Herring, Black Headed and Yellowlegged Gulls, Lapwing, Swallow, Little Ringed and Ringed Plover, Dunlin, Knot, Widgeon, Pochard, Pintail, Teal, Pigeon, Magpie, Blue and Long-tailed Tit, Chaffinch, Bullfinch, Water Rail, Glossy Ibis, Cettis Warbler (heard). Wren and Great Spotted Woodpecker were also heard but not seen.