Levels-birder

July 22nd 2009

Two days ago a very brief look-in at Meare Heath pools, part of Shapwick Heath NNR, allowed me good distant views of the great White Egret, that has been present here recently, feeding alongside a Little Egret which allowed a good size comparison. My photo was taken during its long stay here last year, surely the same bird? Today I went to Stock Hill looking for some recently reported Crossbills, and after almost an hours’ walkabout was lucky in seeing eight birds, two singles, including a perched red male (library photo), and also a fly-over party of six.

 

 

 

 

July 16th 2009

 

This afternoon, trying to dodge the rain-showers, I paid a brief visit to Shapwick Heath. En-route to Noah’s Lake hide I passed a flock of 52 Black-tailed Godwits on Meare Heath pool, then settled down in the hide out of the rain. From here, I spent an hour continually watching two Otters, presumably last year’s full-grown cubs, fishing and playing together as they moved slowly across the lake. My photo of one of them is a just a bit distant. I also saw two Hobbies and spent some time watching several Reed Warblers (photos) busily catching recently emerged damselflies from near the water's surface.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

July 15th 2009

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the corner of the road where I live in the rural township of Street, is a small plot of sloping, open plan, un-disturbed (apart from mowing) grass that has taken on the look of a very small patch of downland with the appearance of this Pyramidal Orchid. There were two plants, but one was broken off. I wonder how they got here; the nearest ones I know of are about two miles away on Collard Hill grassland reserve.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

July 8th 2009

 

Today was my first full day’s birding since my wife came out of hospital, and with a friend I went out of Somerset to neighbouring Dorset’s Wareham Forest. Our main objective was to try and see Honey Buzzard, but in this we were unsuccessful. However, on an area of open heath, we did have great views of a pair of Dartford Warblers alongside one the public tracks, and I took this photo of the male. Just after this, another good bird was a Woodlark that flew up from alongside the track and perched in a nearby tree, but just a little to distant for any decent photos. Other interesting birds seen were 2 Spotted Flycatchers, and 2 Hobbies – hawking dragonflies, of which I managed to photograph this male Keeled Skimmer, so typical of the Dorset heaths.

 

 

 

During my few recent short evening-walks on my local patch, the only birds to have come anywhere within camera range were this Robin, Wren and juvenile Willow Warbler, the latter two flicking around in the same small patch of cover.