Another mild week on the reserve - not really feeling like December. Some of our wildlife is perhaps a little confused too with several common frogs seen in one area this week while staff and volunteers were working, a few sightings of Red Admiral butterfly and even the report of a Swallow flying over the car park this Monday. I've also read of a report of 4 Swallows being fed in a nest in Cornwall.
The mild weather and fairly dry conditions of late have allowed us to crack on with plenty of habitat management over the last fortnight and we've achieved a huge amount. Stonechats have been present whilst reed cutting all week along with large groups of Pied Wagtails taking the opportunity to feed in the cut areas.
Despite not really having that cold snap yet we are seeing winter visitors present on the reserve and some numbers increasing. Small groups of Redpolls have been seen this week - 6 at the screens at Waltons and a group of around 20 flying over the reserve on Wednesday. 3 or 4 Siskins flew close to the Avalon hide on Thursday while several others flew over the car park.Thursday also saw several Fieldfare and Redwing in amongst pockets of Starlings on the north of the reserve just prior to murmuration time.
The Starlings are still favouring Ham Wall at present and using Waltons - great for visitors. A Peregrine flew over the roost at Waltons during the week but the birds did not react by flying up. Instead it went eerily silent - odd for those people watching.
This week saw the November WeBS count (Wetland Bird Survey). Numbers were up again in general on last month but the milder weather could well be keeping some numbers lower than expected.
A few of this months figures with last month's in brackets: Gadwall 285 (182), Wigeon 136 (48), Tufted Duck 53 (1) but Teal down to 80 from 112. There were also 5 Little Egret, 3 Great White Egrets and 3 Bitterns during the count (all this on the northern side of the reserve only - south counted separately).
The WeBS at Long Drove a plot we manage south of Waltons turned up a Glossy Ibis. The 2nd or 3rd time it's been seen in this area recently - we were wondering where it was going during the daytime, before roosting over at Shapwick Heath. On Sunday the Glossy Ibis also flew from this direction and flew through the Starling murmuration at Waltons. It was also seen in flight over Waltons last Friday evening. Could be worth turning up a little earlier for the Starlings and seeing if you can get a sighting.
John Crispin decided to try and find it the following day (Tuesday) without luck. He did however flush a Short Eared Owl and quickly grab these shots - not bad as he was taken quite by surprise and would have preferred a different lens if he'd known. Thanks for sharing these John.
Short Eared Owl - John Crispin.
Also at Long Drove during the same visit around 30 Linnets were present close to the entrance.
The Avalon Hide is still proving a god draw and offering some great sightings. The path is a little muddy so some good boots are in order. We'll be taking a good look at the path soon to decide how best to solve this problem. Once you're there, some good rewards can be had. Last Friday saw 2 Kingfishers chasing each other around before going their separate ways, Great White Egrets, plenty of Shoveler and of course frequent Marsh |Harrier activity. There are certainly at least 3 different birds being seen regularly. This photo of John Crispin's shows a Marsh Harrier with the 'yellow' fore wing feathers of a female type and the 'grey' wing feathers of the male type. There can be a great variance in this species and can often confuse.
Marsh Harrier - John Crispin
Another Avalon HIde shot was sent to me by John Crabb this week. He was in the hide when a couple pointed out this Tawny Owl poking it's head out of the box visible in the wood behind the hide (The one you walk through to get there). It was a bit of a stretch with his lens but he did get this shot - thanks John.
Tawny Owl - John Crabb
The walk along the canal path past the path to the hide has brought some interesting finds this week too (from the Avalon hide path down past the 2nd platform to the next bridge). 2 sightings of Firecrest, a few Siberian Chiffchaff sightings including 2 together on Monday, 4 Bullfinches together and in the cut and wet areas several sightings of Water Pipit as many as 5 seen along with several Meadow Pipits (up to 15).
Also this week: 5 Raven flying over on Monday morning then seen again flying south in the afternoon, Lots of Greylag Geese visible from the 2nd platform (Canada Geese too), Great Spotted Woodpecker, Treecreeper reported, Plenty of Long Tailed Tits flocking - often with other tit but also Chichaff and Goldcrest and who knows what else - worth scanning these groups, Large groups of Lapwing airborne and smaller groups settled on the ground (try 2nd platform), Snipe being seen and heard here and there throughout the site and this Little Grebe seen from the Avalon Hide.
It wasn't diving for food as usual but searching the cut typher areas for food. I was doing this for some time (30 mins or so before stopping, preening and carrying on in the same manner. Interesting sometimes just to study the behaviour of these creatures - fascinating.
That's it for this week! Have a great weekend everyone. I'll try to get one last blog out if I can before the Christmas break!!