Lots of activity on the reserve this week - busy with wildlife but also with habitat management activities. If you have visited you may have noticed a couple of strange looking machines working away in the reedbeds and open areas. Apologies, that much of this activity has been in public areas and in front of the platforms and hides. They help us with our vital management work to keep the site in tip top condition for wildlife but also they are helping to create interesting and open areas for feeding birds. It gives visitors more to look at and brings a wider range of wildlife closer to the viewing areas and hopefully inspires people to support us or just share their experience with others.
The machines are called Truxors and are handy for clearing channels or really wet areas where our usual reed cutting machine (the Softrak) can't get to. This machine has also been out and about this week and has been clearing an area of thick reedbed as part of our cutting regime to create a nice age structure of reedbed throughout the site, which increases diversity.
If you look within Waltons, Loxtons, from both platforms and in front of the Avalon Hide you can see what they've been up to.
The 1st platform (VP1) has been a good spot again this week. The, now more elusive, glossy ibis has been spotted in front of both platforms on a couple of occasions this week. It's been hanging around with the cattle egrets in the local area during the day and been trying to make friends with other heron types too by the looks of things! Thanks to John Crispin for the selection of photos:
glossy ibis & cattle egrets
glossy ibis & little egret
glossy ibis & grey heron
glossy ibis in flight
cattle egrets feeding
As well as being seen in flight over the reserve on some mornings a cattle egret was also spotted in front of VP1 on Tuesday morning. Little and great white egrets have also been spotted here quite frequently this week (once the Truxors had moved on).
A good selection of ducks throughout the week too including mallard, gadwall, tufted duck, wigeon, teal and shoveler as well as a pintail which was spotted in flight over the main track on Thursday. Little grebe, bittern, marsh harrier and bearded tits all seen from this viewpoint to during the week.
In terms of waders there's been good numbers but just a few species. Lapwing seen daily with at least 150 recorded on one occasion, snipe recorded daily with at least 10 at this location and around 20 black tailed godwits photographed by John Crispin on Sunday but other smaller groups seen throughout the week. Thanks for the pictures John.
black tailed godwits feeding
black tailed godwits with a great white egret on sentry
Of course, any visit starts in the car park. Some interesting stuff been spotted there too this week. On Monday 3 whooper swans were seen in flight - most likely the same 3 spotted over at Noah's lake on Shapwick Heath this week. A Siberian chiffchaff was also recorded in the car park on Sunday and another over near Waltons during the week. The one most people are trying to spot has been the firecrest. The boardwalk area leading to the reserve from the car park hosted 2 early in the week but check the tree and hedge lines all around the car park - they've been seen here recently too as well as along the main track to the reserve. There are goldcrests around too so familiarise yourself with the differences. The most obvious being the white around the eye and black eye stripe. John Crispin has photographed both this week and sent them in - hope this helps. Thanks once again to John.
Goldcrest
Firecrest
Others on the car park list this week include: treecreeper - most likely close to the boardwalk to the reserve from the car park, 3 great spotted woodpeckers on Thursday, buzzards, coal tits, song thrush and a sparrowhawk on Tuesday as well as the usual suspects such as blackbirds, robins and various tits and finches throughout the week.
Onto the main track and there's plenty more you can add to your list. Bullfinch are seen on occasions whilst gangs of long tailed tits are regulars. Redpoll & siskin are seen in varying numbers - usually towards Loxtons where the larger alders grow. As many as 3 jays have also been seen whist chiffchaffs are seen frequently - one by the 2nd platform (VP2) on Sunday. Perhaps the best main track sighting this week was that of an otter with a youngster under the old rail bridge just a short walk down from the car park (on Tuesday).
Lots of other interest at VP2 this week - bearded tits seen and heard a couple of times, glossy ibis at least twice, 2 raven flying over on Tuesday and Thursday, a really good long bittern flight on Tuesday, groups of greylag geese still roosting here - around 50 of them, up to 3 marsh harriers, 25 snipe and 100,000 Starlings make this a good place to go.
This has been the place to go for the main starling roost but there have been smaller roosts in Loxtons and Waltons this week and another possible small roost over on Shapwick Heath. We recommend being on site by at least 3.30 to catch the show - varying light levels can mean they come in at slightly different times each day but if you're early enough you'll always have a good chance.
Birds of prey often hang around for an easy meal - sparrowhawks a prime example (there's been one hanging around on the north of the reserve during the week) but you may also see peregrine. One visitor reported seeing a barn owl near Waltons on the way back to the car park too on Monday.
There not the only things to have a munch on starlings. A carrion crow was spotted feasting on one this morning in trees close to VP2.
A great white egret was sat on the footpath opposite VP2 as well but was chased across the area by a grey heron which had been spooked from the side. Shame nobody but Ali the warden was there to see it at such close quarters.
In front of the Avalon Hide is looking really good thanks to the Truxors work. When they stopped for lunch today a bittern settled in one of the cut areas to the delight of some photographers. They will be finished in here today so why not go and take a look. On the way look out for water pipits in the newly flooded areas and listen out for bearded tits as you leave the wood and head to the hide - they were both there at around lunchtime today.
Also this week: 8 roe deer seen together in fields just to the north of the reserve, kestrel seen again close to the Avalon Hide, meadow pipits seen from the Avalon Hide, male stonechat seen from VP2, water rail spotted again from the Tor View Hide (still pretty vocal on the reserve, as are cettis warblers, kingfisher seen from VP1, with Waltons and Loxtons this week and the rats which keep making TV appearances on the live camera feeder in the welcome building at the car park. Thanks to Abbie Thorne for the picture.
Just to let you know with the Christmas period coming up there will be some closures and adjusted hours in the welcome building, which are listed below:
That's it for this week. Wrap up warm if you're coming to visit. As you can see - there's lots to look out for. Have a great weekend.