Levels-birder

February 28th 2009

The last day of the month and having seen Kay off on a long coach journey to visit her mother in Nottingham, I spent the afternoon at Greylake RSPB Reserve. The shallow flooding in front of the hide meant lots of birds and among the usual winter ducks where: 20+ Little Egrets, 30+ Black-tailed Godwits, 3 Curlews, 2 Ruff (others saw 3 more) 50+ Dunlin, 100+ Common Snipe, 1,000+ Lapwing and about 1,500 Golden Plover, the later giving superb massed aerial views as they wheeled and twisted together in the afternoon sunshine when disturbed by one of the pair of adult Peregrines that were present. Other birds of prey were a female or immature Merlin that dashed low across the reserve scattering the snipe; a female Sparrowhawk, a Kestrel, and at least 5 Common Buzzards; plus a pair of Ravens at their distant nest-site. Two of the buzzards were smart-looking pale-phase birds and I took this distant photo of one, and also this photo (below) of two of the many snipe – huddled down, flat on the ground, relying on their natural camouflage for concealment.

 

 

 

February 25th 2009

A posting on the Somerset Ornithological Society’s website messageboard had me searching Tadham and Tealham Moors for a reported fly over Common Crane. No luck, but I did see a nice female or juvenile Merlin which was some compensation. The only other birds of any note was a party of 5 grazing Greylag Geese and a small flock of 12 Golden Plover (photos) together with 4 Dunlin.

 

 

 

 

February 22nd 2009

Whilst away this weekend, visiting relatives and attending our niece’s engagement party, I took the opportunity to visit an old birding haunt of mine: Stockers Lake at Rickmansworth in Hertfordshire. It was here that I saw my first ever Red-crested Pochard, in January 1970, and today was no different. A walk around the lake turned up a smart drake and also two Smew (a drake and a redhead), plus a female Ruddy Duck, 12 Goldeneye, 8 Goosander and a fly over Ring-necked Parakeet, while the large Grey Heronry was still very much in evidence – full of early nesting birds.

Good ‘scope views of all the duck, but a just bit too distant for proper photos as can seen from these record-shots of the drake Red-crested Pochard and the drake Smew.

 

 

February 17th 2009

A week since my last diary entry: during this time I was at Shapwick Heath NNR and Ham Wall RSPB Reserve on the morning of the 13th, when two fully-grown young Otters, a Great White Egret, a Bittern and 2 adult female Marsh Harriers were the highlights along with a flock of 25 Siskins and a pair of handsome Bullfinches. In the afternoon at Huntspill Seawall there were 6 Water Pipits, 2 Spotted Redshanks, lots of Knot and other commoner waders, and a post-loafing female or juvenile Merlin. The afternoon of the 15th found Kay and me at Butleigh Wooton where I finally saw a Red-legged Partridge (my first of the year), plus a Green Woodpecker and 7 Stock Doves; and later, our drive across Kennard Moor was only partially successful in that we again saw the two Great Bustards (distant ‘scope views) but I couldn’t find one of the usual Little Owls that Kay wanted to see. Little Egrets were very much in evidence, and we came across small feeding groups of 3 to 5 (photo) at four locations. Over the last 15 years these have now become a more common sight on my local Somerset Levels than the ubiquitous Grey Heron.

Yesterday’s high water, found me at Hinkley Point and Stolford on the north Somerset coast. I had several target birds in mind and for once wasn’t disappointed. The iron cross-beams of the nuclear power station’s water intake held 10 roosting Purple Sandpipers, while four female Greater Scaup and a female Common Scoter were on the sea.

 

 

 

 

Turnstones were much in evidence, and I saw about 45, together with several Grey Plover (photo) and a small flock of 13 Brent Geese, 9 pale-bellied and 4 dark-bellied (photos of some) that flew in as the receding tide uncovered their favoured feeding area.

 

 

 

 

Today, my hard work, repairing a garden gate that wet-rot had attacked, had its reward when a Red Kite flew low over our house, raucously heckled by 4 Herring Gulls.

 

February 10th 2009

Two days ago, with my back muscles seemingly on-the-mend, I walked from Ashcott Corner to Noah’s Lake Hide at Shapwick Heath NNR, carrying my fairly heavy camera rucksack. Not that I hardly needed it! A very brief glimpse of an Otter, and a single drake Goldeneye was the best among the usual water birds. This Grey Heron flew in and landed reasonable close on the far side of the South Drain, maybe, because of the recent freeze-up, it needed to fish where there was running water?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The only small birds of any note was a small mixed flock of finches, some 20 Siskins and 8 Lesser Redpolls, feeding high-up in some tall alders – much too high for any photos. Later, at nearby Ham Wall, an adult female Marsh Harrier quartering low over the reedbed was a good sighting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This afternoon I walked along London Drove at Westhay Moor NNR to Ten-acre Lake, where I saw my first flock of Goosander for the year, 5 very smart looking drakes and 11 redheads (females or juveniles). Together with the Smew, this sawbill is one of my favourite diving ducks. Positioning myself on a small fold-up stool, under a camouflage net against a tree at the waters edge, I waited patiently for almost two hours before this single redhead female came just close enough to photograph.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On my return walk along London Drove I came upon a Tree Creeper, feeding fairly low down on a small tree and giving me an unexpected opportunity to grab this photo before it flew off!

 

 

 

I also came upon this clump of exquisite little snowdrops (below), so fragile looking but really so sturdy. They must have been pushing upwards through the snow cover that was lying here as recently as four days ago.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

February 3rd 2009

 

Not that I take too many scenic shots, but today’s snow was rarer on the Somerset Levels than most of the birds! Only the third time that I can remember any significant snow during 17 years of residency. I just had to struggle out, bad back or no, and take these photos at Ham Wall RSPB Reserve.

 

 

 

 

The Great White Egret seemed to be absent this morning, although I did see a juvenile Marsh Harrier, and again, hunting over Meare Heath. I eventually made it to Noah’s Lake where an Otter showed very briefly, and this adult Cormorant was the only bird to come anywhere within camera range.