It's been another great week on the reserve and it was also nice to meet some visitors who mentioned this blog specifically to me and how much they enjoy reading it. Great to know people are finding it useful.
There are lots of really active birds around the reserve, although that should come as no surprise at this time of year. The great white egrets are still going strong and appear all over the reserve, although a short stop in the car park can bring lovely sightings of them flying overhead. Staff and volunteers are monitoring several areas at the moment to establish how many nests and youngsters we have across the Avalon Marshes. Some of this year's youngsters were ringed a couple of weekends ago, which should give us valuable information in the future.
While on the subject of ringed egrets - one ringed 2 years ago (23/5/16) on Ham Wall -a male marked AAC- has been seen paired up and making a definite nesting attempt. Be interesting to see if it breeds successfully at just 2 years old. Thanks to John Crispin for this very recent photo of the bird he sent in.
Another ringed bird turned up this week. One of 2 sandwich terns which were seen from the 1st platform (VP1) and on the rafts at Waltons on Monday evening and then again on the reserve on Tuesday morning. There's a photo on Twitter. The bird has a yellow ring marked UBT - it was ringed as a chick on Inner Farne, Northumberland in June 2015.
We've also had common tern over a couple of times this week, including from the Tor View Hide on Thursday where Graham Wagner was on hand to capture this shot - thanks Graham:
The Tor View Hide has thrown up a few interesting sightings this week. Some visitors mentioned to me that they had been watching a wood mouse moving her youngsters from by the hide. She must have felt they weren't safe enough where they were. Luckily enough Graham Wagner was there again and sent me in this really gorgeous picture of her carrying one of the young. Thanks again to Graham.
The great sightings didn't stop there - Water rails were also being seen with 2 youngsters. Thanks to Graham Wagner once again for sending in his shot. Sounds like quite a flurry of excitement:
Also from the Tor View Hide this week: Great Crested Grebe seen feeding a youngster most days, a Jay seen on Thursday, Grey Herons as they drop in to feed youngsters in the reedbeds (you'll hear a lot of noise from the young when they land) and even bearded tits have been spotted on a couple of occasions.
One really noticeable bird you'll hear will be the cuckoo. Several birds have been seen and heard around Waltons this week with 4 seen on Tuesday flying in twos. John Crispin has got some more shots of cuckoo this week too. Thanks for sending them in John:
They have also been heard calling from the car park and around Loxtons. Some calling consistently for some time. Of course they are looking out for reed warbler nests at the correct stage so they can lay eggs of their own. This reed warbler was busy feeding it's youngsters this week (or perhaps a rather plump young cuckoo). Thanks to John Crispin for sending in his shot:
A good beak full of insects there. You'll probably have noticed the vast numbers of flying insects around Ham Wall. A great food source for many birds - good numbers of swift around the reserve (thanks to Graham Wagner for his photo below) and even house martins seen from the Avalon Hide too.
Dragonflies hunt other flying insects of course and there are certainly plenty of those about. If you take a stroll around Waltons in particular you'll see thousands of the 4 spotted chasers - they lift off in clouds when you walk by.
You'll also have a good chance of seeing hairy dragonfly and also broad bodied chaser and scarce chaser. These look similar so I thought I'd look in our photo archives for a couple of comparison shots. Both photos are from John Crispin:
Broad bodied chaser - male
Scarce chaser - male
The most obvious differences from the photos are the amount of black on the tail and the larger dark patches on the wings but also note the yellow patches down the sides of the broad bodied chaser.
Also look out for damselflies: azure, blue tailed, red eyed, large red, variable and banded demoiselle all spotted this week.
With all these dragonflies around I'm always surprised that the hobby numbers drop off so dramatically after they pass through. There are daily sightings though and as many as 6 reported on Monday. Sightings from Tor View Hide, VP1, Loxtons and the Avalon Hide this week as well as the car park. Thanks to John Crispin for sending in these great shots last week - which I promptly forgot to use in the blog. Here they are for this week instead:
Another beak full of food here with this busy chaffinch photographed by John Crispin this week:
The Avalon Hide has been getting some rave reviews this week too. Some visitors overjoyed to see 4 bitterns flying together on both Wednesday and Thursday this week and often reporting at least 3 Marsh Harriers too.
It looks as though once again they are nesting in close proximity so expect some conflict here as they look to protect their young from predation. Some conflict was witnessed on Wednesday and this may well continue until youngsters are at a stage where they are big enough to protect themselves or be mobile enough to hide out.
Photos of both male and female taken by John Crispin this week (these actually taken from VP1). Thanks John:
Also from the Avalon Hide this week: Great crested grebes sat on a nest, Green Sandpiper, Black Tailed Godwits (varying numbers seen around the reserve this week with a peak of 43 seen on Monday), Lapwing, Great White Egret, Red Kite (3 seen over the reserve on Monday) and in the woods nearby great spotted woodpeckers with young (very noisy - sometimes seen on the path) and some tawny owl youngsters keeping well hidden though.
Also this week - as many as 12 buzzards seen on Monday, reed warbler & sedge warbler heard around car park pools, song thrush heard at the car park and at the old rail bridge along with a pair of bullfinch. Look out also in this area for Kingfisher. They were entering the wood on the left as in previous years most likely nesting in an upturned tree within the root plate. Jays were also seen in this area a couple of times this week. Several kingfisher sightings within Waltons with as many as 4 birds counted on Wednesday. Also on Wednesday 2 teal recorded, whilst on Monday raven, bearded tit, red kite, cuckoo & garden warbler all seen from the second platform. Other warblers are also plentiful: chiffchaff, blackcap, willow warbler, whitethroat and cettis warbler all to add to the list. Others species of note include: roe deer seen in woods in front of VP1, sparrowhawk seen on Tuesday, Whimbrel from VP1 on Monday - particularly late in the day (may have roosted here overnight), calling reed buntings and long tailed tits feeding young in a nest just visible on the right as you walk up towards the Tor View Hide.
Think I'll leave it there for this week but just thought I'd mention an upcoming event. There are still a few places left on our annual yoga event. The details are below should you wish to take part. Imagine doing your yoga within a peaceful nature reserve with swaying reeds, booming bitterns and sweet bird song:
Evening Yoga at Ham Wall
Sunday 17 June
7 pm-8.30 pm
Nature is great for our well-being. Why not combine it with a spiritual Yoga session at our amazing Ham Wall nature reserve as we approach the Summer Solstice.
Booking essential
RSPB members £8 / Non RSPB members £10
All booking is online through Eventbrite:
https://rspbyogaathamwall.eventbrite.co.uk
(Please note: booking charges apply)
Have a great weekend everybody. Thanks for reading!