Ham Wall RSPB - Fri 26 Apr & Sat 27 Apr

With the afternoon off work I headed up on to the Somerset Levels as there had been some good birds at Ham Wall reported earlier in the day...needless to say they had all but vanished by the time I arrived! That being said I did get some wonderful views of the Pied-billed Grebe at long last and what a cracker it is now that it's in full summer plumage.
Also from the second viewing platform a Redshank, Common Sandpiper and eventually I managed to see one of the Wood Sandpipers that had been found earlier in the day. A good number of Swifts were flying around overhead with at nearly a hundred present. the usual warblers were in good voice and another year presented itself in the form of a Garden Warbler singing from deep within the scrub, and try as I might I could not see it. And that was pretty much it with regard to the bird action, so a little disappointing considering what had been about in the morning.
A return visit on Saturday afternoon with the family enabled me to get some good views of the pair of Black-winged Stilts that had appeared that morning (they had spent the previous few days in south-Wales). The second viewing platform at Ham Wall seems to be the place to be at present and these two lanky waders put on a good show.
Several Swifts passed by overhead during a break in the cloudy, windy conditions and at least two Bitterns were heard booming away from deep in the reeds. There was nothing else unexpected though.
UK list for 2013 now at 174 species.