Well, there's a lot to catch up on after 2 weeks without a blog. Easter weekend saw several glossy ibis turn up on the reserve with up to 7 being spotted together. 2 weeks on and they are still around the area - spending a lot of time from the first viewing platform (VP1). We are all waiting excitedly to see if any breeding takes place within the Avalon Marshes.
VP1 certainly seems the place to be at the moment. Good numbers of waders have popped in and out over the last couple of weeks including: Black tailed godwits (up to 65 recorded), a few dunlin, 6 common redshank (you can hear them calling), a couple of greenshank, several snipe, displaying lapwing, some ruff - including a couple of males who appear to be getting some summer colours and a spotted redshank (which was seen again this morning). Yesterday and today several groups of whimbrels have been seen too with one group of 47 recorded yesterday.
Here's a selection of photos of some of the above - I will annotate the pictures as I go. Thanks to John Crispin for this great selection:
Redshank and black tailed godwits
Redshank
Greenshank with shoveler
Spotted redshank
Spotted redshank with black tailed godwits
It's also been a good place to se garganey with up to 5 males spotted flying on one occasion. They have also been spotted from the Tor View Hide and a couple of other places around the reserve so it could be a bumper year for them. Thanks to both John Crispin and Graham Wagner for sending in their shots:
The area has also been a good place to see great white egret with 3 seen together along with a little egret earlier in the week. Some more of the Avalon Marshes youngsters have been ringed this week with more to come next week. One of our previously ringed youngsters (red ring AAU) has returned to Ham Wall after being recorded at several locations around the country - no place like home?
It certainly looks to be another good year for them, with a very good number of nests being recorded, including a group of 17 at one location in the Avalon Marshes. Thanks to Graham Wagner for his *** of a great white egret making a splash at the Avalon Hide last week:
Another heron species doing well is the bittern - a bird perhaps we are best known for (apart from wintering starlings). 22 booming males recorded on Ham Wall this year is just incredible - easily our best year ever. We are now beginning to monitor behaviour to discover how many nests we have this season.
I saw 3 or 4 flights in various places this morning so it seems they are getting more active. Some visitors also reported seeing 2 in a chase this morning from VP1 which lasted some giving great views. John Crispin took these shots of something similar last week to give you a real impression of what to look out for. Thanks John:
Thanks also to visitor Tony Rowe who sent in his bittern shots after his recent visit to Ham Wall. Looks like he had a great experience:
Continuing on the heron family theme we of course see grey herons quite frequently on the reserve. They are nesting in the reedbeds in a couple of places on the reserve, with perhaps Waltons being the most obvious. If you are hearing a lot of noise coming from with the reeds it could well be them - trying to out compete all the reed warblers recently in!
Thanks to Tony Rowe for his grey heron shot taken last week:
That's not all our herons though: cattle egret are still being seen in the area. Visitors are often reporting having seen groups in fields of cattle on their way to the reserve, so once you get within a few miles of us keep your eyes open.
A purple heron has been seen again this week. Once on Ham Wall and again over on Shapwick Heath. Not sure it has a favourite place or is indeed still in the area but good to be aware that there has been one around.
Finally on these I saw a crane flying over the reserve this morning, made all the easier by it "bugling" in flight. 6 were reported flying over earlier this week and there was a report last week too, so look up too, they often fly quite high on sunnier days.
No little bitterns reported yet but please be aware we will not be giving away any specific locations if they are seen or heard. If you are lucky enough to see one please report it to staff member of volunteer with the location. Thank you
You may have noticed that the reed beds are becoming more alive with noise. The constant chattering of reed warblers is hard to miss along with the very similar sounding sedge warbler. Sedge warblers tend to be mire varied in their song (much more erratic). If you struggle with these head to the Avalon Hide. As you exit the wood and are on the last stretch to the hide listen out on each side. Near the hide on the left has been a very obliging sedge warbler (he has a prominent eye stripe) whilst just before it on the right has been a reed warbler - this may help you nail the difference.
A little further on to the right of the hide a male reed bunting was singing his heart out this morning too.
In the woodland near the hide a garden warbler and blackcaps are both singing (perhaps harder to tell apart that the other two warblers just mentioned - easy on sight though. A willow warbler was seen carrying nesting material yesterday right by the path on a couple of occasions and chiffchaffs are in good voice as are cettis warblers in the reed beds. Thanks to John Crispin for his willow warbler shot:
In the same woodland on Monday I heard a tawny owl calling, a great spotted woodpecker drumming away on trees and a couple of very noisy jays who were then joined by two more flying in. Thanks again to John Crispin for his shot of a jay taken last week on the reserve:
As I left the wood to return to the main path I had a real treat too. A very brief sighting of an otter in the water on the left as you have left the wood. It dived a couple of times before I lost sight of it - always nice to see. A visitor also reported on on Tuesday morning from VP1.
In the same stretch of water is a great crested grebes nest on the far side, with further nests in front of the Avalon Hide, VP1 and within Waltons. There may well be territories close together given these two males which were seen fighting and captured by Andrew Kirby from the Tor View Hide this week. Thanks Andrew:
Along with the increase in bird activity and bird song, you could well see and explosion in insect life. In some areas in particular large numbers of damselflies have emerged, with large numbers of variables in particular but also a few azure, common blue and large red. In terms of dragonflies hairy dragonflies are on the wing and I saw my first 4 spotted chaser this morning. In a few weeks time there could be thousands in some places with the Waltons Trail a favourite haunt.
Thanks to Giles Morris who has sent me a selection of Damselfly shots taken this week:
Variable male
Variable female
Common blue
Large red male
Large red female
Butterflies seem to be out if good numbers too with several species being seen including: holly blue, brimstone, green veined white, comma, small tortoiseshell, speckled wood and peacock.
Thanks again to Giles Morris for his shot of a green veined white butterfly:
Plenty of other non-avian news with the sightings of roe deer in small groups at the north of the reserve, otter sightings already mentioned, grass snakes have been seen at a few locations, including swimming within Waltons, the Iberian water frogs are being their usual noisy selves and stoat was seen along the main path.
The dawn chorus is great at Ham Wall but even during the day you will hear plenty of bird song. The car park can be a good place to start where mistle thrush has been heard this week along with bullfinch, song thrush and all the "usual suspects". Along the main path we have still had reports of redpoll and siskin along with treecreeper, goldcrest and the increasing numbers of warblers including a garden warbler just past VP1. From VP1 you may be able to see whitethroat perching up and displaying - they come back to the same spot each year.
Thanks to John Crispin for his song thrush shots and that of a whitethroat all taken this week:
If birds of prey is your thing keep an eye open for red kites - we have had quite a few sightings over the last couple of weeks. An osprey was seen on Wednesday evening (along with red kites) and a barn owl was seen from VP1 on Monday evening. The tawny owl on our nest cam box in the car park Welcome Building has had two eggs which we believe must have hatched by now. She certainly seems to be sitting differently.
Hobbies are starting to arrive - more expected to coincide with increasing dragonfly numbers over the next couple of weeks, whilst a peregrine was seen from VP1 on Wednesday. A kestrel was seen from the Avalon Hide on Monday and a sparrowhawk flew past VP1 on Wednesday. Buzzards are seen daily along with marsh harriers who are quite active in front of the Avalon Hide and distantly from VP1 with a well marked male seen regularly. Thanks again to Tony Rowe for his marsh harrier shot taken last week:
Also seen this week: 4 Egyptian geese from VP1 and 9 greylag geese from VP2, 5 shelduck flying past VP1 on Sunday (24th), kingfishers seen from the Avalon Hide and at Waltons, 4 pintails (1 male and 3 female) seen frequently from VP1, the first swift of the year over Loxtons, small groups of martins and swallows arriving and this little grebe captured in flight by Graham Wagner from the Avalon Hide. Thanks Graham:
Finally - a bird not seen or our site but a great one to have in the Avalon Marshes nonetheless. This hoopoe visited Catcott Lows this week (managed by the Somerset Wildlife Trust). Thanks to Graham Wagner for sending in his photos. Thought it would be nice to share with you:
Think I'd better leave it there for now - it's getting rather long, but what a couple of weeks its been. Here's to many more exciting times.
Thanks for reading - have a great bank holiday weekend!