It was great to get out and have a walk about part of the reserve this morning. The sun was out with just a hint of a cool breeze in the air reminding me that Autumn is here. I was undertaking a butterfly survey which took me around some of our woodland and the western part of the reedbeds. Not surprisingly my list wasn't extensive but there were plenty of speckled wood - must have seen 50 throughout my morning. Also recorded a few red admirals and green veined whites but that was it, although peacock and small tortoiseshell have also been recorded on the reserve this week. Thanks to Sandie Andrews who sent in her shots of green veined whites taken this week:
There was plenty of other insect life to entertain me on my route including a surprising number of hornets at regular intervals. Damselflies have all but gone now although I believe that a few blue tailed damselflies have been spotted. A few dragonfly species can still be seen including good numbers of migrant hawkers, common darter and ruddy darter with the latter often hanging on until as late as November until the frosts finally finish them off. Thanks to Mike Pearce for his photos of male migrant hawker and male common darter both taken this week:
Sandie Andrews also saw this Conocephalus fuscus - that's easy for you to say! Perhaps long winged conehead is less of a mouthful - a female we think but happy to be corrected on the ID. Thanks Sandie:
Also on my walk around today I heard a few jays squawking in the woodlands and saw one fly over the car park too along with a raven. I also surprised a roe deer (and he surprised me too) as I disturbed him from a quiet nap in the sun. John Crispin also saw this deer browsing vegetation along the footpath by the main drain this week and grabbed these lovely shots. Thanks John:
The first shot look's like it's laughing at me trying to pronounce the Latin name of the conehead in the previous picture.
I was also lucky enough to see and hear great spotted woodpecker - as was John Crispin this week who captured these shots at the Loxtons trail. Thanks again John!
Other birds are still giving out a bit of song - robins, not surprisingly but also goldfinches and birds such as chiffchaff and even willow warbler (although with a lot less gusto than in spring). Wrens can also be heard from time to time. Thanks to Sandie Andrews who captured this lovely shot of a wren this week:
As I say it was nice to be out and about as for much of the week I have been driving the Softrak machine - a tracked vehicle which cuts and collects reed as part of our reedbed management. I am currently working in front of the first viewing platform - hence it looks very dry out there on the islands as we have lowered water levels to undertake the work. I haven't had much birdlife for company - occasional visits from a buzzard, a flash of blue from a kingfisher and an irritated great white egret as I keep moving it away as I approach it with the machine. I am also seeing the odd reed warbler - confirmed by John Crispin as he has mentioned seeing both reed and sedge warbler this week - most likely birds passing through on their return migration.
He has managed a couple of shots too. Both look like young birds so perhaps young from this year making their first migration journey?
First the reed warbler and then sedge warbler - thanks John:
With my main focus, continuing with the reedbed work (We aim to cut all the islands in front of VP1 again this year and then raise water levels to create a great winter spectacle), the main focus for visitors is the areas in front of the Avalon Hide and the second viewing platform (VP2). This is where mud is showing after the log dry spell - we will aim to keep these areas at this level whilst we can to create these feeding areas and of course visitor interest.
A good variety of waders have been dropping in here over the last few weeks (the spotted crake seems to have moved on though). Groups of Lapwing are becoming more frequent (up to 40, although this will increase greatly as Autumn progresses), groups of black tailed godwits, green sandpipers (most common seen wader at the moment), wood sandpiper (2 seen), greenshank, ruff (4 seen), common sandpiper and snipe all recorded during the week. I've got several wader photos to share and would like to thank both Sandie Andrews and John Crispin for their contributions:
Wood sandpiper - it's been a bit distant
Greenshank
Black tailed godwit
Lapwing - possibly a young bird
Green sandpiper - John Crispin
Green sandpiper (look out for the white rump in flight) - Sandie Andrews
Green sandpiper and snipe - Sandie Andrews.
This area in front of VP2 and from the 2 willow blinds along the footpath that look into the western end of this area are providing some good viewing for visitors at the moment. Mike Pearce took the following 3 shots from the willow screens this week. First a young moorhen followed by a gaggle of greylags on the water and then a great white egret coming into land. Thanks Mike:
Such a majestic looking bird isn't it? There have been several spotted in front of VP2 this week. I myself had 5 and a little egret on Wednesday and whilst it doesn't get near the 15 from the Avalon Hide recently, John Crispin reported 8 to me, seen on Sunday. The Avalon Hide still has regular visits from great white egrets though. Thanks also to Sandie Andrews for her egret shot taken earlier this week:
In fact the most unusual sighting of the week came from the Avalon Hide. A visitor, Jeremy Wright, was surprised to see a gannet flying over. With it being his first visit to Ham Wall he had to ask if this was unusual - yes, it most definitely is Jeremy. He has provided his snapshot from last Saturday's (10th) visit. Thank you Jeremy, I hope you had an enjoyable day:
Bearded Tits have been seen and heard close to the Avalon Hide this week. September and October are good months to see them as they tend to gather in larger groups, which often fly up high together across reedbeds (called eruptions) before dispersing for the winter months. It's a good time to do a population count which will be happening across the Avalon Marshes over the next 2 or 3 weeks with help from volunteers. Thanks to Sandie Andrews who captured this shot this week:
Also this week: a few swallows being seen each day, marsh harriers seen daily including views of both youngsters and female but little or no signs of the males this week, a female redstart which was seen actually inside the Tor View Hide yesterday, 2 hobby seen on Sunday (one over Street Heath - next to Loxtons) and one over the car park, a possible black tern from VP1 on Sunday (they were seen at Shapwick Heath the previous week so a good chance this was genuine), an Osprey seen over Shapwick Heath on Sunday (Noah's Hide), a garganey seen from VP2 throughout the week, usual suspects in terms of autumn/winter duck: teal, wigeon, mallard gadwall and shoveler (waiting to find tufted duck and pochard), green woodpecker heard from VP2 last weekend, water rails seen from Tor View Hide and VP2 and groups of mute swans milling abut together along the main drain - thanks to Sandie Andrews for her great photo:
As I mentioned in last week's blog there are roadworks (resurfacing) planned along the Ashcott Road. As I suspected the plans changed somewhat meaning that the road stayed open all week but there are now plans to go ahead next week. The current plan is as follows. On 21st and 22nd September there will be no access to the reserve car park at all for vehicles. Unless you fancy a long walk from the Avalon Marshes Centre it may be best to give us a miss on those days. The toilets will remain open for anyone who does make it but the Information Point and Welcome Building will be closed. From the 23rd to 28th access will be from the Ashcott direction only. It will be resurfaced from Meare and therefore closed in that direction.
It is all out of our hands I'm afraid. Hopefully, things will not change any further but we will do our best to keep you updated on social media. You could always follow this link to see the latest:
https://www.travelsomerset.co.uk/roadworks/
I will leave it there for this week. I will do my best to get a blog done next week but my reed cutting machine and I will be off to Westhay Reserve on Thursday and Friday to undertake some work for the Somerset Wildlife Trust - it's good to do some partnership working. I will do it if the job goes well and I have enough time left over on Friday. Fingers crossed .
That's it for this week - thanks for reading and have an enjoyable weekend.