It's the first blog for 3 weeks - apologies for the delay but as you may imagine the recent storms have caused a few problems around the reserve and these have taken priority. We have had several wind blown trees around the reserve, with Loxtons perhaps the worst hit area.
We had this trail closed down for a few days as it was inaccessible. Staff and volunteers have been working really hard across the reserve to get things opened back up again and safe for visitors. The morning after Storm Eunice hit (Saturday 19th) saw one large tree and several smaller ones blocking the main path through the reserve so we had to clear this fast. Loxtons had too much damage so had to wait until the Wednesday and there was another large faller (more of a tangled mess really) which fell onto the Waltons trail, although didn't fully block access (we cleared this on Tuesday this week). Perhaps the saddest loss was the large multi-limbed willow in the wood on the way to the Avalon hide which has now almost completely gone over after gradually losing the odd limb in the last couple of years.
Away from public areas, the clean up has continued with banks blocked and some fences damaged, which will need to be repaired before the cattle return. There are plenty of very tired wardens across all the local reserves in the Avalon Marshes at the moment.
We could of had things a lot worse and the best news is that none of the hides or screens had any damage after 3 strong storms in quick succession.
On the plus side, the reserves wildlife has carried on regardless and during sunny spells there has been a noticeable increase in bird activity and bird song - I heard a chiffchaff singing yesterday and great tits and song thrushes are belting out their songs Thanks to John Crispin for his recent song thrush photos including the close up!
Perhaps the some of the most obvious "singers" are the booming bitterns. Early mornings are best but there are several singing throughout the day across the reserve. It is one of our annual booming bittern surveys next week- we usually do 2 visits - one in March and one in April. Volunteers and staff will be out before sunlight across the Avalon Marshes, to count the number of territories. I'm away next week but will bring you the results in my next blog in 2 weeks time.
There have also been a few sightings of birds in flight and pairs seen together on a couple of occasions. Last week John Crispin was hearing a boomer quite close to him in the area on the left of the main drain, as you walk towards the Avalon Hide after crossing the bridge from the main path. He then saw another bird fly into the reeds from a little further away. Croaking or guttural sounds were then heard - sounds he'd not heard before. The bird from the photographs below then emerged and the booming continued, so we are assuming the photographed bird is a female (it does lack the mauve colour of the breeding male around it's lores/gape). Thanks for this amazing info John!
and another one in flight - a bit of wing damage by the looks of things and a male (not the one heard booming)
Sandie Andrews had an encounter with a bittern recently - the shot shows just how easy it is to lose them once they land in the reeds - great camouflage. Thanks Sandie:
Great white egrets also seem to be getting more active and are showing their breeding plumage. Thanks to Sandie Andrews for her shots of a great white egret going for some prey (and missing) and to John Crispin for his great white egret shots. Look put for the bill colour change (yellow to black in breeding season). green lores and tibia tarsi (red colour in the legs) - all indicators of breeding readiness.
Other members of the heron family are busy too. Grey herons are nesting within the Waltons section within the reed beds (at least 4 nests here) and at a couple of other locations around the reserve.
Little egrets are seen occasionally, one in particular has been in the same spot several times this week - visible from one of the two mini viewing areas on the right as you walk down the main path towards the first viewing platform (VP1).
Cattle egrets are still being seen in the local area. I expect these numbers to reduce as we approach breeding season and await to see where those that remain decide to breed themselves. There was still one Glossy Ibis with them last week but it could well now have moved on but keep your eyes out for it just in case. Thanks to John Crispin for his cattle egret picture taken this week:
Other birds that will soon disappear are the teal and wigeon. My section for the WeBs count on Monday gave over 500 wigeon in the section visible from the old rail bridge on the main track and zero teal - they seem to like it more in Loxtons and some in Waltons. Plenty of other ducks including: mallard, gadwall, pochard, shoveler and tufted duck. Thanks to Sandie Andrews for her shoveler photos and Tufted duck pair picture:
Marsh harriers now seem to be a little more active too with a pair seen flying together yesterday from VP2 - the Avalon Hide area is often good for these and with breeding season approaching expect an increase in activity in this area.
The path to the hide was very flooded this week (wellies only) due to some issues with our electric pumps. Western Power came in and sorted the issue and the pumps have been busy bringing the levels back down (last I heard it was passable with a puddle on the path - perhaps some stout boots would still be in order for the next couple of days).
Thanks to Sandie Andrews for her Marsh Harrier photos taken last week - the first one where Sandie has spotted the marsh harrier - the second where it has spotted her!!
Busy birds means the signs of spring are starting, songs have increased, activity has changed, plumage is changing but I've also spotted a few ladybirds, a bumblebee and some wasps - perhaps emerging from hibernation as things warm up a bit. Unfortunately for me the wasp stung me. It must have been overwintering in the cab of my reed cutting machine.
Daffodils are emerging and the snowdrops by the car park boardwalk exit towards Shapwick Heath are out in good force. Other flowering plants will soon follow and early emerging insects with them.
A few winter waders still remain with a few lapwing and snipe visible from VP1 or cut islands over at Waltons. Whether any lapwing remain to breed remains to be seen. It's not unheard of at Ham Wall. Thanks to Sandie Andrews fore her lapwing shot also taken last week:
Cormorants are already undertaking nesting attempts, a group of at least 40 birds were assembled in one area this week - many sat on their makeshift twig nests (they survived the storms). Thanks to John Crispin for his shot of a cormorant in its full breeding plumage:
Out on the water there is plenty of activity. Fighting and noisy coot is a common sight, great crested grebes are paired off and going through their elaborate courtship displays, little grebes are calling noisily and black headed gulls are also adding some noise from time to time. Thanks to John Crispin who photographed this individual carrying off some roots which were floating on the water. This is a first winter bird - don't know what it wants with the stem...playing?:
Another action shot now - a firm favourite - the mute swan. Having a bit of a splash - thanks again to John:
Also this week - a male hen harrier which has been seen on several occasions on the north of the reserve but also on Monday and Tuesday this week behind Waltons (to the south), a sparrowhawk flew across Waltons on Tuesday, drumming great spotted woodpeckers heard this week, bullfinches seen in the car park hedges, a friendly great tit around Loxtons close to the main path and plenty of friendly robins who get very close, a few frogs spotted out and about, 4 roe deer seen yesterday at the north of the reserve, kingfisher seen and heard around Waltons, a possible sand martin sighting early this week, the Baikal teal was still at Greylake early this week (may well still be there) and a green woodpecker spotted around the car park several times over the past couple of weeks (I saw it this morning ). Thanks to Andrew Kirby for his shots taken a couple of weeks ago:
It's getting a bit long now so I'd better wrap it up but I will leave you with these images from Sandie Andrews of some scarlet elf caps. You'll often see these around the reserve on rotting wood. In European folklore it was said that wood elves drank morning dew from the cups. I'm sure there is all kinds of interesting folklore around many of the reserves plants and fungi. Thanks Sandie:
That's it for this week. Thanks for reading. I'm away next week so the blog should return in two weeks time. Happy hunting!