It feels like we are creeping towards the end of the breeding season already with lots of fledged birds being spotted and lots of family groups of smaller birds flitting amongst the branches and emptying the reserves feeders at the car park. In particular groups of Goldfinches (although wonderful to see some good healthy Greenfinch too) taking plenty of sunflower hearts. On the live feeder which beams back to the Welcome building some rather soggy Blue Tits on Wednesday in the rain but a family of Great Tits which seemed to spend most of the day on our TV screen. The best sight though is of the young Great Spotted Woodpecker (yet to lose its red crest) and parent birds feeding happily too. They were sitting up on the wooden fence of the compound behind the Welcome building waiting their turn.
The car park is a good place to wait a while before you move to the reserve: Chiffchaffs were singing all day and there are Blackbirds and Song Thrush still feeding, a very noisy Jay yesterday and you can often hear the Cuckoo in the tree line too. There seem to be plenty around still and many are still calling frantically. A pair were even seen mating last week - a bit late? Try the Waltons or Loxtons trails for a sighting.
Back in the car park you'll often see Great White Egrets flying over towards Shapwick and back on feeding flights for youngsters - many now close to fledging. Yesterday a male Marsh Harrier came in close and Buzzards are frequent flyovers. Also yesterday a Red Kite was spotted over Shapwick and it headed out way - didn't see it myself though but they are becoming far more common a sight these days. The car park islands still look good with Ox-eye daisies a plenty. By the new shelter the longer grasses are full of grasshoppers and I've been seeing plenty of Small Skipper butterflies there too.
The pools of course are home to plenty of dragonflies and damselflies and the very noisy Iberian Water Frogs. Common Frogs and Toads are also making a home in the longer damper grass.
Down on the reserve, I dare say that the Avalon Hide continues to be the best focal point. The fledged Marsh Harriers from the nest in front are very active and there has been many a food pass witnessed by visitors. The young birds will often perch up on the bushes waiting for parent birds to return. Yesterday one was reported to be sitting on a tuft of vegetation out in the water in front of the hide and was hassled by its sibling.
Thanks to Andrew Kirby & Graham Wagner for sending me their shots of food passes from adults to juveniles this week:
Marsh Harriers food pass: Graham Wagner
There is still an active Bitterns nest nearby and so there is still a bit of conflict to as the Bittern tries to protect its young. As time goes on it should be less of an issue. Young Bitterns will grow larger, stronger and they have a large pointy bill which could do some damage. They also become far more mobile and will move away from the nest site and hide more easily.
Thanks again to Andrew Kirby who took this shot this week of a Bittern in the reeds at the Avalon Hide:
Bearded Tits are still being spotted here too. Familiarise yourself with the 'pinging' call to try and pick them up. Family groups have been reported on a few occasions this week. They seem to be doing really well all over the reserve this year - a bumper season looks on the cards - fantastic.
Another star of the Avalon Hide in recent weeks has been the Barn Owls. I mentioned last week that the nest to the right of the hide had fledged. Well it has but birds were still returning to the wood for parents to feed them early this week. Not sure how much longer they would put up with that. The nest to the left must pretty much be fledged too but scan the tree line to perhaps see young birds perched out in the open.
There is a 3rd nest to the north of the reserve which is about 4 weeks behind the others so there's still a good chance of daytime sightings when the weather is fine. Thanks to Graham Wagner for sending me his Barn Owl shot taken this week:
Barn Owl: Graham Wagner
On the other parts of the reserve try the 2nd platform area for the Glossy Ibis - or the 2 blinds which look onto the western edge of this section on the footpath side of the drain. It was seen here yesterday for some time but has also been seen over at Shapwick Heath on the scrape so you could try there too. Other birds common to both these areas this week also include Black Tailed Godwits (up to 30 seen on Ham wall this week but over 50 at Shapwick) and Green Sandpiper (4 on Ham wall & up to 9 on Shapwick Heath).
Great White Egrets and Little Egrets are being seen from the 2nd platform on most days - it's hard to visit Ham wall and not see a Great White these days. Thanks again to Graham Wagner for another great shot:
Waltons is often worth a walk around too. A fair selection of duck and other wildfowl can be seen from the screens or the Tor View Hide and there have been Bearded Tits reported from around here in recent weeks. There seems to be a lot more Kingfisher activity in the area too. Yesterday birds were circling round the western side of Waltons and up over the main track and the flying up the channels. A Mistle Thrush was also making itself know too in the same area.
The main path is also good for adding to you list: Blackcap, Willow Warbler, Goldcrest, Treecreeper and Bullfinch all seen quite regularly along here with groups of Long Tailed Tits feeding noisily in the trees too.
Check out the lower vegetation and waters edge for Dragonflies too. Common Darter now out as well as the first Ruddy darter spotted this week (if it's mild with no frosts some of this species will be around well into November). Look out also for Scarce Chaser, the remaining 4 spotted Chasers and Black Tailed Skimmers and the first of the Brown Hawkers due imminently.
Grass Snake was again spotted this week swimming up the narrow channels in Waltons and a Common Lizard basking on one of our log piles. An Adder was also spotted over on the Shapwick Heath boardwalk yesterday and photographed by some happy visitors.
In fact there are a lot of happy, visitors at the moment - coming back full of praise after their visit at just what they had seen.
Also this week: Cattle Egrets are still being seen so keep your eyes open - it may not be the Little Egret you think it is, Lapwing still being spotted from the 2nd platform - some very young birds were spotted on the scrape at Shapwick - may have come from this area? Also a pair of Greylag Geese with a single youngster from the Avalon Hide and Great Crested Grebes in the same area still busy feeding youngsters.
There are also quite a few Swift & Swallows being seen over the reserve too to add to the mix.
Thanks to Graham Wagner again for his photograph of Swift at Ham Wall:
Swift: Graham Wagner
That's it for this week - have a great weekend!