Levels-birder

September 28th 2009

Two days ago, on my way home from the Huntspill Sluice, I stopped off at Meare Heath shallow pool where a Glossy Ibis had been seen, but no sign of it. This morning, after being alerted by a phone call, I had better luck and saw it on my arrival. It was feeding along the distant reed-edge, a bit distant for my camera, and I only managed this record shot. Also present on the pool were the 2 Pectoral Sandpipers, 2 Ruff, the Great White Egret, and an adult Cattle Egret that flew in while I was there. A juvenile Marsh Harrier quartered the main reed-bed, and nearby 3 Hobbies were hawking insects above the trees – not a bad morning, eh!!

 

 

 

September 26th 2009

Another try to find a Curlew Sandpiper, this time at the high-water wader roost at the mouth of the Huntspill Sluice, was again unlucky, but I did see a flock of 230 Knot, 2 Black-tailed Godwits and 5 Spotted Redshanks among the many Redshanks. A female or juvenile Merlin flew past, and a Peregrine was perched on a post on the opposite bank of the Parret Estuary.

Recently, Kay and I stopped off for a coffee break at Greylake RSPB Reserve, where a number of Swallows were gathering, and I took these photos of an adult (top) and a juvenile perched on a wooden fence rail; that was until this Sparrowhawk flew overhead and made them scatter.

 

 

 

 

 

September 23rd 2009

This morning, with a birding friend, I went to look at the high-tide wader roost on the Brue Estuary, hoping to find a Curlew Sandpiper. In this I was unlucky, but did see upward of 600 Redshanks and 180 Turnstones, plus singles of Ruff, Dunlin and Common Sandpiper, and a very bulky Knot with a deep-based, long, slightly de-curved bill, that made me ponder its identity for a while. Afterwards we went to Brean Down where we were lucky to see the recent Wryneck, but what a skulker!

On my way home, I called into Shapwick Heath NNR to check the shallow pool on Meare Heath, where a possible Pectoral Sandpiper had been reported yesterday. My good luck remained, and I saw not one but two birds and managed these distant record shots. The Great White Egret was present, and allowed good comparison alongside this Little Egret – little and large if ever there was one!

 

 

 

 

The bill has now lost its black tip - compare with August photo.

 

September 20th 2009

This afternoon, Kay came with me and we had much closer views of the juvenile Red-backed Shrike on King’s Sedge Moor. I even managed these couple of better photos, even though it was highlighted against a bright blue sky when perched on the top of a tall hawthorn bush. Afterwards, we went to Greylake RSPB, but no sign of the recent Spotted Crake, just a few glimpses of an adult Water Rail.

 

 

 

 

September 19th 2009

I certainly had a feeling of déjà vu when at my computer this afternoon and getting a phone-call telling me of a Red-backed Shrike on nearby King’s Sedge Moor. Last September, in similar circumstances, I learnt of just such-a-bird on Mark Moor – an amazing coincidence! Anyway, I was soon out-of-the-door and 20 minutes later was watching this juvenile shrike as it fed along a long hedgerow, never really coming close enough while I was there for anything other than these record-shots.

 

 

 

The previous day, Kay and I went for a drive to the Huntspill Seawall, where I was lucky to catch-up with Avocet for the year, finding a feeding flock of 9 out on the tidal mud-flats.We also saw 2 Bar-tailed Godwits and my first Merlin of the autumn.

 

September 15th 2009

On Saturday (12th) I co-led a birding walk around Shapwick Heath NNR, where we saw a selection of waders on Meare Heath shallow pool. Most unusual, inland, was a flock of about 80 Knot, and there were 2 Ruff, 2 Little Stints and a Spotted Redshank, these all being put-up for a while by a marauding juvenile Peregrine. Afterwards, I took some of the group to Greylake RSPB Reserve where we were soon watching the resident Spotted Crake, a good bird to finish with!

Yesterday afternoon found me along the Huntspill Seawall looking, without much luck, for shorebirds. However, I did come across this very confiding Dunlin and saw at least 6 Northern Wheatears (photo).

 

 

 

This afternoon, a quick visit to Shapwick Heath NNR saw much the same waders as previously, except that the Knot had gone and the recent Great White Egret had returned – a distant photo on a dismal, grey-day. While on Noah’s Lake, 2 juvenile Common Terns were the only birds of any note.

 

 

September 9th 2009

A coastal visit over high-water to Wall Common, part of Bridgwater Bay NNR, didn’t turn up my hoped for Curlew Sandpiper, but among the commoner shorebirds I did see a flock of 40+ Knot and a juvenile Little Ringed Plover. As usual, at this time of year, a few (4 or 5) migrant Northern Wheatears were present (photos) and also a juvenile Yellow Wagtail. Later, at Durleigh Reservoir, a Greenshank and Common Sandpiper were feeding on the wide muddy-shoreline, and there was a pair of Swallows feeding a brood of two well-grown young in a nest under the eaves of the reception building (photos).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

September 7th 2009

 

The Spotted Crake at Greylake RSPB is, for me, such a charismatic bird that I just had to go back for a third time. This morning I was up early (well early for me!) and by 08:30 I was at the small pool where it is being seen. During the next three hours I had many views of bits of it as, from a partially hidden position, I tried to get closer, more detailed photos; eventually ended up with these three.

 

 

 

 

On my way home, my wife phoned to tell me of a Woodchat Shrike on the Mendip Hills in the north of Somerset. I quickly grabbed a sandwich and a cuppa that she had waiting for me, and was then collected and driven by a birding friend to Westbury-Sub-Mendip, where we were soon enjoying reasonable ‘scope views (no photos) of this juvenile shrike. Whilst here, we heard of a Glossy Ibis at nearby Chew Valley Lake, and to round of a great day we were very soon watching it, although it was just a little distant for my camera lens as these photos show.

 

 

 

September 3rd 2009

An afternoon visit to my local patch – Shapwick Heath NNR – saw a few good birds. On Meare Heath drained pool there was a large flock of 105 Black-tailed Godwits, 30+ Common Snipe, 2 Ruff, 4 Ringed Plover, a juvenile Little Ringed Plover, a Dunlin, and an obliging adult Water Rail – feeding along the reedbed margin. At Noah’s Lake, the recent Osprey was perched on a dead tree, while 2 Black Terns and an Arctic Tern (all juveniles) were hawking over the water and occasionally perching on small emergent snags. My through-the-‘scope type photos show (1) the juvenile Little Ringed and Ringed Plovers together for comparison, and (2) the juvenile Little Ringed Plover on its own.