Having worked most of the extended Bank Holiday weekend I was fortunate enough to have the day off today. We had spent Sunday up in Twyford in Berks where I had been given the honour of becoming Godfather to the daughter of some very close friends...and we were also lucky enough to see several dozen Red Kites and a Montagu's Harrier during the day!
So after a relaxing morning we popped up to Meare Heath for a late afternoon walk which ended up being rather productive with regard to birds. We walked out along the path and had a look over the drained lagoon where we saw single Ringed Plover and Little Ringed Plover as well as a couple of Redshank and several Black-tailed Godwits.
We then walked out to the hide and for once found it empty, so we settled down and spent an enjoyable half an hour or so in looking out over Noah's Lake. Several Swifts were whizzing around overhead, as were a few Hobbies. A Whimbrel flew up from a clump of vegetation and headed off north and a Bittern was seen in flight. The highlight was a small flock of six Black Terns that were hawking insects over the water and showed really well from our vantage point.
We then retraced our steps back to the car and managed to see a couple of Wood Sandpipers on the drained lagoon, we had missed them on the way out. A Marsh Harrier was seen briefly over the reed beds to the south of the path and we also saw another two Bitterns.
Before we realised it was gone 5.00pm and so it was time to come on home for dinner.
UK list for 2011 now at 220 species.
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