Yet again there's a awful lot to report from the reserve this week - it's often hard to know where to start so I'll just go on a kind of imaginary walking tour of the reserve and take you through what's been seen.
Guess it makes sense then to start in the car park. Obviously lots of common species can be seen here including very friendly robins, blue tit, great tit, goldfinch, blackbird, wren and dunnock but also look out for pied wagtails darting around on the car park surface and bullfinches within the surrounding hedgerows - seen this morning too.
Keep your eyes and ears open for Ravens - seen flying over on a few occasions this week including today, jays in the taller trees - 2 flew out from here yesterday and fieldfare & redwing of which the latter was seen flying over on Sunday.
As you leave the car park and take to the main track you've got an increased chance of seeing bullfinches (see photos). Quite a few sightings this week all the way down but particularly from the 1st platform (VP1) to beyond the 2nd platform (VP2). Gangs of long tailed tits flit along the tree lines with constant contact calls. Look out for mixed flocks of birds they can often contain surprises - perhaps a chiffchaff or a goldcrest - both of which have been seen along the main track this week. Check all the goldcrests though - a firecrest instead perhaps (look for the obvious eye stripe). Also seen along the main track this week: redpoll, siskin, song thrush, treecreeper and look (and listen) out for great spotted woodpeckers - a few heard drumming away this week.
Your imaginary walk has now brought you to VP1. Definitely worth stopping here. Take a good scan around to see a great selection of wildfowl: mallard, gadwall, teal, wigeon, tufted duck, shoveler, pochard and even pintail have been recorded here during the last week.
It's a bit of a favourite haunt for great white egrets too - they can be seen here most days. Little Egrets are often seen here too - good when they are close together to see that size difference. Good numbers of lapwing are often present and on a couple of occasions 20+ black tailed godwits.
Little grebes are being spotted and most definitely heard across the reserve - with constant whinnying calls, whilst a great crested grebe pair have been spotted displaying and weed dancing this week.
Look out too for the glossy ibis. It's still been seen with cattle egrets in the local area and they are still roosting on the reserve each night . The ibis has been seen on the reserve a few times this week however including both platforms and the Avalon Hide. Here's John Crispin's photo of the glossy ibis dropping in front of VP1 yesterday. Thanks John:
Across in Waltons check out the island that the 3rd screen looks at (on the right as you walk into Waltons). 12 snipe were recorded here on Wednesday and 17 on Sunday but other records from other days too - a possible sighting of jack snipe as well. This screen is also a good place to sit and wait for kingfisher. They often perch on the right hand side across the water in the reeds and 2 were seen in a chase by John Crispin last weekend. Daily sightings at Waltons though.
The ferruginous duck was spotted with the Waltons section on Monday but I've had no further reports - but of course this doesn't mean it's not about. The ring necked duck has also been spotted again this week - from the Tor View Hide on Sunday but was spotted over at the Avalon Hide yesterday.
Also from the Tor View Hide this week: water rail, bittern, marsh harrier, peregrine, little grebe, great crested grebes, reed buntings, cettis warbler and kingfisher. Lookout also for signs of grey herons nest building again in the reedbeds. One was seen carrying a stick this week in the Waltons area - a now traditional nest site for a few herons each year. .
Out to the Avalon Hide next; On the way check out the area on your left. Quite shallow water here in places and the teal, shoveler and lapwings like this in particular as well as small flocks of snipe. You can get a bit closer by going to the temporary screens on the left just before you enter the wood.
Through the wood look out for treecreeper, stonechats in the reedy edges and great spotted woodpeckers. Always worth looking back to the owl box on the edge of the wood once you reach the hide - sometimes the tawny owl will show itself.
Plenty of other possibilities when it comes to birds of prey here. Barn owls can also be seen sometimes in the boxes to the left of the hide. This week from the Avalon Hide: sparrowhawk, buzzard, kestrel, peregrine (male and female) and several marsh harriers have all been spotted. In fact on Monday a marsh harrier and a bittern were seen drinking from the waters edge together and then a sparrowhawk and marsh harrier were seen in close proximity. I'm sure the peace between marsh harrier and bittern will be far more uneasy come breeding season - we often see conflict between these 2 from this hide. A bittern was booming weakly from in front of this hide this morning and 3 were seen here yesterday.
Back to VP2 now to finish. More of the same perhaps but generally good sightings here of marsh harrier, great white egret, little egret (pictured) pintail and Canada or greylag goose. There has been a big group over near Sharpham where a pink footed goose was reported amongst them. These groups often loiter on the reserve or fly over so worth scanning the skeens.
A windblown Little Egret taken this week - John Crispin
Siskin can often be seen in the trees next to the platform, fieldfare and redwing have flown over this week too whilst lapwing, snipe and black tail godwits have also been seen here.
Again plenty of wildfowl. Here's an interesting shot of gadwall taken by John Crispin this week. Several males (black bills) persuing a female (orange bill) in order to obtain a mate - perhaps a little one sided. Thanks again John for all you shots this week:
Also on the reserve this week: Roe deer seen on several occasions, peacock butterflies seen out and about yesterday with a bumblebee (species not identified) and the starlings appear to be back on Ham Wall viewed from the 2 platforms.
Thank you to those of you who have voted for us so far in the Countryfile magazine awards. If you could please sign up to our Thunderclap too we'd be really grateful. You can do it here: http://thndr.me/GJ1Ych . It helps spread the message about voting for Ham Wall as Nature Reserve of the year. The more people who join the more people who know to vote for us.
That's it for this week - thanks for reading - have a great weekend.