Trip reports

Cheddar Reservoir - Wednesday 12 November 2008

Wednesday, 19 November 2008

Wildfowl numbers were surprisingly low but a good search with telescopes soon revealed some interesting species. There were tufted duck, mallard, pochard and mute swan and best birds were a pair of goldeneye. Great crested grebes were also numerous as were cormorants on almost every buoy and many gulls including black-headed, lesser black-back and common.
Other birds noted were stonechat, magpie, green woodpecker, jackdaw, pied wagtail, chaffinch, jay, redwing, rook, heron, meadow pipit, buzzard and kestrel.
Some harrying crows drew everyone's attention to a large bird of prey which, on closer inspection, revealed the bright chestnut colouring on the shoulders that identified it as a Harris's hawk, a native of Central and South America, very popular with falconers.
Some of the party headed for Ashcott and walked up to Noah's Lake where the reports of a marsh harrier were confirmed when it was spotted working along the tree line.
Other birds noted here included little egret, gadwall, shoveler, teal, wigeon, greylag and Canada geese, little grebe, Cetti's warbler, kingfisher, water rail, fieldfare and three redpolls.
Also the first of the winter roost of starlings were seen arriving in black clouds from almost
every direction.