Well, it's been many weeks since I wrote a blog (August in fact). We have been extremely busy on the reserve and also short staffed since Michael left the team. It has meant that reserve staff have been helping out to cover weekends at the car park and we also had the Canoe Trail events over 3 weekends in September which we also covered. Working weekends has meant taking days off in the week meaning we are also getting behind with the reserve work - you may have noticed the slow progress on the reed cutting in front of the first viewing platform (VP1). Thankfully this has now been completed as of last week and water levels are being raised.
I also took the reed cutting machine (The Softrak) over to Westhay for a couple of days to help out the Somerset Wildlife Trust on their site. Great to do some partnership working. Progress was great until I had a machinery breakdown, which delayed the machines return, further hampered by a long delay in delivery of oil we needed. I also has some time off sick, so it's been a bit stop, start with the reed cutting.
Things are definitely looking up though as we have new staff members who have started recently covering Michaels role and we welcome Joe Hrastelj (Silent H and silent j so I'm told) who has joined the reserve team on an 18 month contract and will really boost our capacity to get things done.
All 4 members of the reserve team were out this morning to fill the pipes on the new artificial sand martin bank the at you may have noticed from the first viewing platform (VP1). We get plenty passing through in the spring so we are very optimistic of success.
It's a series of chambers with pipes which we have filled with sand for them to excavate come spring.
A view from the back with the chamber and pipe leading out to the front.
Packing the pipes with sand.
A view from the front - nearly complete
We also replaced some of the the perching rails whilst we were there on our floating platform.
If you have visited Ham Wall in recent weeks it has certainly felt quiet at times in terms of birdlife. The warm Autumn weather perhaps delaying the movement in of our usual wintering birds although it's now turning much colder so perhaps it's about to change. Fieldfare and redwings have been quite frequently and several wigeon and teal are making themselves at home on the reserve. On some of the really cold and windy days we have had in the last week or two plenty of wildfowl have been huddled together in places like the Waltons section.
These wigeon were photographed on the reserve recently by John Crispin - thanks John:
Bringing up the water levels in front of VP1 has attracted plenty of Lapwing and, the much harder to see snipe, until they get disturbed.
Great white egrets are frequent visitors to this area along with grey heron, little egret and cormorant. Hopefully the perches will be well used and perhaps this kingfisher will return, which was perched on one of the broken rails a few weeks ago - thanks again to John Crispin for his photo:
This area is just one of many where habitat management work has been going on. The floating reed cutters (Truxors) have had 3 weeks work out on the reserve - you won't fail to notice the very clear area in Loxtons (next to Waltons). Very little of this area has been managed in the past with some of it over 20 years old - so it desperately needed cutting to keep the reedbeds in good condition. We had to use the truxors because we couldn't pump the water out due to pollution caused by the starlings roosting in here for so long each season.
It means we will get some respite from this for this season and hopefully a couple more so that we can undertake works in this area as well as getting water quality back on track before the starlings choose to return to this area.
They haven't moved far - VP1 still the place to go at the moment with views of the roost (approx 200,000 birds) out to the north between VP1 and the Avalon Hide. Check with staff at the car park in case the location changes. Cutting Loxtons has certainly opened things up. Water pipits (several) have been seen using the area along with pied wagtails and the odd grey wagtail.
The Truxors have also cut and cleared some channels and areas in front of viewing structures (hides/screens/benches etc) to help provide better views and a varied wildlife spectacle as well as giving us a more varied age structure to the reed beds.
Elsewhere on the reserve we've had a few otter sightings recently - from the old rail bridge, Waltons and the Avalon Hide. I had on myself late last week - the briefest of sightings of it running across the path in front of me - brief but fantastic. John Crispin sent me this photo some time ago when I thought I would have time for a blog (but then didn't). Thanks John - great shot:
Marsh harriers have been seen daily on the reserve - it's a slow day when you don't see one. VP1 or VP2 good spots to wait often you'll see 2 together. Thanks again to John Crispin for his shot:
A walk down the main track can bring some interesting rewards - many birds now joining up in flocks such as tits and finches - it's always worth scanning these flocks as they can often be mixed. Look out for chiffchaff or goldcrests hidden amongst them. Also check goldcrests closely to see if they are indeed a firecrest (the eye stripe the best thing to look for). Siberian chiffchaffs often get reported too at Ham Wall some look out for this too.
Redpoll and siskin also reported this week along the main path - often seen feeding in the alder trees. I haven't got access to our back catalogue of photos today but these were on my desktop so you may have seen them before - sweet little birds though:
Recent reports also of raven, weasel and stoat along the main path, red admiral in flight during sunny spells (sheltered parts of the rail path facing south with ivy present as a late nectar source a likely spot), cattle egrets over the car park in small groups but larger numbers in local area with cattle in fields (up to 160 seen), Ring necked duck pair recently in Waltons but now just the male this week as far as I know and stonechats perching up opposite VP1 :
Sorry if this blog seems a little rushed (it was), finding time lately to do it has been impossible. This is just a flavour of what's to come. With things settling down and our extra staff members I'm far more likely to get time to get the regular Friday blogs back on track.
Thanks to all who have been asking for and missing our regular updates - hope to get back on track with this from now on.
Thanks for reading and have a great weekend!