… so I made the decision to go to Shapwick Heath NNR, amid the Avalon Marshes of the Somerset Levels
Didn't go mad, so had a lie in, and left home to avoid most of the rush hour. It was an hour and a little bits drive, except with my SatNav, that has a vendetta against me and was getting her own back for all the times she had to say "Route recalculation"!! An hour and a half later I arrived!!
First to meet me were a plethora of ducks, coots and swans and a particularly lovely female mallard
I walked along the path, towards Noah's Hide, and met an unusually marked fella
I climbed the steps to the hide, and looking across the expanse of water were more ducks, coots, gulls, cormorants and swans. Suddenly a vast quantity of them exploded into the air in a cacophony of noise.... I'm assuming Marsh Harrier, as it was at the marshes and harrying the wildfowl
I'll apologise now, but I got a bit excited to see him, and he appeared 4 more times through my visit, and there are pictures each time!!
On leaving the hide heading back to the main pathway, there were a dozen or more Long Tail Tits being Lollipoppy!
And a little way away was Mr Heron, enjoying the sunshine
Across the other side of the stream/canal/ Drain was a stonechat looking very smart
Then Marshy H came back into view
And some more Long Tails
I didn't make it to either Decoy Hide or the hide the other side of the road but had a good (r)amble about
Then Marshy came back out for a looksee
Lovely bit of silhouetting here (If I do say so myself!!)
And then my 1st sighting of a Great White Shark Egret
It wasn't to be my ;last...but patience is a virtue, dear reader
Mr Cormorant, less silhouetty
But he'd soon had enough!
Marshy came back around again
But he was too far distant to worry Mr and Mrs Wigeon
As I had a bit of a drive home, I called it a day around 2pm and headed back to the car..... it was nearly BE-headed back to the car, as I was treated to a low fly-by
And so I tootled off home a very happy bunny!!
Unknown said:By the way, Marshy is a she
Marsha then!
Great pics PB
PimperneBloke said:Are female Marsh Harriers significantly bigger than males,
They are bigger, but I can't tell the difference normally, probably because I tend to see them in the air when judging size is difficult. While females and juveniles can easily be confused, adult males are obviously different (they have large grey bands on their wings) so you'll know when you've got a male.