Firstly, apologies for the missing blog last week. I just ran out of time on Friday I'm afraid. It's a busy time of year as we struggle to finish all the reedbed and scrub work before the end of the month. Some areas are already out of bounds as birds such as grey heron are already setting up nests. We just have a couple of jobs left to do and then we have a little bit of down time before breeding season ramps up and the weather warms, before grasses etc start shooting away and we're busy maintaining paths and viewpoints etc.
We've also cleared out and done a temporary fix on one of the barn owl boxes visible from the Avalon Hide as well as erecting another which will replace the one on the pole eventually. We will also attempt, early next week to clear a final bit of scrub in front of the box in the wood behind the hide - it's very wet though, so we'll be using some floating blocks to access - wish us luck.
Other boxes have also been replaced but these stock doves didn't get the memo - they have often nested in barn owl boxes in the past - thanks to John Crispin for his shot:
Some of the stars this week has been the unexpected arrival of 2 penduline tits. First reported last weekend, they have been seen daily but be warned, it's not easy. A scope is recommended. Head to the 2 willow blinds just past the turning to the Avalon Hide and look across the water to the reed mace (bull rushes). They are at least 150m away. A yellow browed warbler was also spotted here around the same time but I'm not sure how many other sightings there have been of that.
Thanks to Andrew Kirby who has managed this very distant and heavily cropped photo of the penduline tits this week. It at least gives you an idea of what to look for (but also how difficult it might be):
Of course the other stars, and slightly easier to see (most of the time) are the glossy ibis. They are present at the first viewing platform (VP1) on most mornings and often into the afternoon. Occasionally they have flown over towards the Avalon Hide and dropped in to the left of the wind pump.
Thanks to John Crispin for his shots of an ibis coming into land and shots of the pair alerted whilst feeding and for Andrew Kirby's shot of what looks to be a headless glossy ibis:
This time a bird with an actual missing body part. A long tailed tit or should I say no tailed tit. This little chap has been seen by a few visitors but appears to be feeding well and coping with it's plight. Thanks to both John Crispin and Andrew Kirby who have sent in their shots:
Lots of birds are looking like they may be pairing up. There has certainly been an increase in bird song this last couple of weeks - particularly when the sun is shining. Song Thrush, great tit, robin, blue tit and reed bunting have all been singing well.
Bitterns of course are booming and getting stronger al the time. You can hear booming during the day now although around dawn would be the peak time. There have been a few sightings recently with flights seen around Waltons and over at the Avalon Hide where there was also a bird stood out in the open last week along with 4 other sightings from one visitor. Thanks to Alastair Swinnerton who sent me in his photograph:
As previously mentioned the grey herons are already looking at nesting with about 5 nests in Waltons so far as well as nests at at least 2 other locations on the reserve - these can be seen from the Waltons screens or the Tor View Hide.
Great white egrets are also thinking about nesting and can be seen on a daily basis at Ham Wall - often along the main drain, the Avalon Hide or at VP1. This individual was photographed by John Crispin getting a bit agitated with another great white egret last week. Thank John:
Thanks also to Alastair Swinnerton who sent me this photo last week of a bird opposite the new kids screen at Waltons:
Other birds thinking about nesting are the marsh harriers. A lot of activity from these birds over the last couple of weeks including some aerial displays and interactions, including from VP2 on Monday. 6 were spotted together last week at one point and a visitor saw 3 together this morning. These birds were photographed by Alastair Swinnerton on the previous Monday from the Avalon Hide. Thanks Alastair:
These 2 were photographed by John Crispin mating last week (the third time at least). I will be getting censored if I'm not careful - that's the third blog running we've had photographs of birds "being romantic".
Thanks also to Andrew Kirby who sent me these lovely shots also taken last week:
Wildfowl number are still pretty good but are reducing slowly. There's a good selection to find across the reserve including: mallard, gadwall, wigeon, teal, tufted duck, pochard, shoveler and the odd pintail (12 flew over the VP1 area on Saturday and a pair were present on Sunday. No further reports of the garganey from VP2 as far as I'm aware - that doesn't mean it's not there necessarily. Thanks to John Crispin for his fine selection of ducks taken this week:
Shoveler male and female
Gadwall male (showing full wing colour)
Wigeon landing
Pochard female
Tufted duck male
Also look out for Egyptian geese. 4 were recorded together on Monday this week flying over the VP1 area but they have also been seen out beyond Waltons to the south at Sharpham - thanks again to John Crispin for his photo. This is also the location of the lesser scaup (still being seen this week) and a goldeneye. The American Wigeon has also been spotted over on Shapwick Heath this week.
If you are heading down to look for penduline tits check out the cut bays, before you get to the turn for the Avalon Hide, in front of the benches. There have been several reports of water rail from here in the past couple of weeks. I saw a very obliging one myself last Monday (14th) - it was joined briefly by a second one at one point. Thanks to Alastair Swinnerton who looks to have spotted exactly the same bird that day and sent me a photo:
The same day a green woodpecker was flying around in front of the Avalon Hide, with a great spotted woodpecker calling in the wood behind. 6 cattle egret were also spotted in the field next to the car park - always worth checking this out while you're there just in case.
Over in Waltons the islands still play host to a number of duck species, noisy coots, little grebe and great crested grebe who have again been seen in their courtship displays and weed dancing. Snipe are also still using the cut islands in front of the Tor View Hide and the last of the Waltons screens (also visible from the main track). You sometimes have to look quite closely as they blend in well to their surroundings. A jack snipe has also been mentioned on a couple of occasions by visitors so look even closer. On Monday 14th Alastair Swinnerton reported seeing 2 snipe fencing with their bills - not sure what this behaviour denotes - test of which one is the alpha or some kind of courtship? If you know , let me know - don't think I've ever seen this behaviour. Thanks to Alastair for his shot of the action and also to John Crispin for his snipe shots taken this week:
Also this week: small groups of lapwing being spotted about the reserve, chiffchaff still occasionally feeding down on the ground - frosty mornings are best but there are surprisingly high numbers of them, firecrest spotted by both boardwalk bridges leading out of the car park recently (try these or the tree line in between them (another was also spotted by the old rail bridge), ravens often seen and heard in flight over the reserve, a red kite spotted in front of the Avalon Hide on Monday this week, 6 black tailed godwits spotted in flight over Waltons on Tuesday, 2 buzzards circling high and calling this morning from VP2 and this cettis warbler photographed by Andrew Kirby at the Tor View Hide this week (it's coming up to the best time to see them as they beginning to perch up more calling on trees by the reedbeds before they get into leaf). Thanks Andrew:
That's it for this week. Thanks for reading - hope you enjoyed it. Have a lovely weekend!!