Wow! What an absolute scorcher of a week. The hot weather is certainly taking it's toll on some of the vegetation at Ham Wall - many plants taking on a brown hue and lots going to seed. The hot weather also means that birds are far less active in the middle of the day - and who can blame them - the hot afternoons have been quieter on the visitor front too as people seek shade or stay indoors.
Many visitors get to the reserve early while it's much cooler to get more action. Marsh Harriers are still pretty active in front of the Avalon Hide - with many food drops made this week - most likely to well grown youngsters in the reedbeds below. Birds are also seen quite regularly over Waltons and from the 1st platform. John Crispin photographed this male bird carrying food this week. Thanks John:
Bitterns are seen fairly regularly too. Still a few active nests on site judging by our survey results. The area in front of the Avalon Hide is one such place as is VP1 and Waltons.
Early mornings or late in the day may also give you a good chance of seeing Barn Owls too. We've had an increase in activity and sightings this week suggesting that they have growing youngsters to feed and are out for longer periods that usual. Keep your eyes open around the Avalon Hide and from VP1 (wood in distance) in particular as these are areas where we have boxes set up which are regularly used. We are due to have a look at the boxes next Friday to see what stage they are at and whether it's possible to ring any youngsters. Thanks to John Crispin who captured this beautiful shot this week:
One of our other stars is of course the great white egret. These really are easy pickings on a visit to Ham wall at the moment. Regular flights across the car park mean you don't have to travel far but also check out both viewing platforms and the Avalon Hide for regular sightings. but also of little egret and grey heron - you may even get them all at the same time. Even better in the same frame of you camera - thanks to Graham Wagner for this brilliant shot:
And another shot here from Graham of what looks like 2 grey herons having a bit of a squabble:
There's still plenty of time to catch up with our spring/summer visitors. Lots of warblers are still on site. At the car park you can usually catch up with chiffchaffs and blackcaps while a walk along the main path can often add willow warbler and garden warbler to the list and then whitethroat from the 1st platform. In the reedbeds the resident cettis warblers are still joined by the many chattering reed warblers and a few sedge warblers too getting ready to fatten up for the long journey back to Africa. Thanks to John Crispin for his sedge warbler shot and the the extra info he's provided to annotate the picture:
"In late July, prior to migration, it appears that sedge warblers seek out sites with large numbers of plum reed aphids. This food helps to put on fat for its long migration. Birds with the heaviest fat reserves, some double their normal weight, have been known to make a non-stop flight from southern Britain to Africa. Lighter birds are forced to make the journey in several shorter flights.
Other migrants to spot are swallows, house martins, sand martin and swift - all seen across the reserve at some point this week. A large group of martins flew close to the car park yesterday afternoon picking off insects as they went.
Hobby are also being seen - not in great numbers but daily. VP1, Avalon Hide and the Tor View Hide tends to be the place where people are reporting them from although I've failed to see one myself this week. I've also not seen a cuckoo this week either. Some people have although they definitely seem to have gone quiet. A couple of visitors reported seeing 3 together on Monday from the 2nd platform (VP2) and from the very end of the track - one was a female doing her 'bubbling' call.
Those hobby that are about have plenty of dragonflies to chose from. Still good but decreasing numbers of 4 spotted chasers on site. Walk around the Waltons trail to see the larger numbers (these will decling quite swiftly now I would think though). You can also see black tailed skimmers (they often land on the paths in front of you), southern hawker, common hawker, scarce chaser and now several brown hawkers around and my first common darters. You can also see Emperors - the largest of our dragonflies. Thanks to Graham Wagner for his shot of a female egg laying on Ham Wall this week:
In terms of butterflies look out for ringlets (a very dark and barely marked butterfly) - they aren't around for long, comma, green veined white and small skippers amongst others. Ringlets and small skippers can be seen close to the shelter near the ponds. Look out for a host of invertebrates along the main track on the way to VP1.
Look out also along the main path for Jays. I've seen several in the last couple of weeks but John Crispin has seen an adult with a youngster - see its large gape in the photo - thanks John!. Thanks also to Graham Wagner for his Jay submission:
Jay: Graham Wagner
4 Jay photos from John Crispin
Also this week: A water vole seen swimming in the rhyne as you cross from VP1 toward waltons on Sunday, 2 kingfishers seen flying around Waltons on Tuesday and another from the old rail bridge on Tuesday, 2 raven seen in flight at the eastern end of the reserve yesterday, buzzards regularly, Red Kites spotted flying over the reserve today and yesterday, 4 green sandpipers in Waltons near the last of the covered screens feeding on the floating weeds on Monday and a common tern seen from the Tor View Hide on Tuesday - thanks to Graham Wagner for his shot:
That's it for this week. Have a great weekend and enjoy the sunshine!