Meare Heath NR - Sun 31 Aug

This afternoon I made my first trip up on to the Somerset Levels for a couple of months and it was well worth the trip. Parking at Ashcott Corner I walked east towards Meare Heath and Noah's Lake, stopping at the drained lagoon to check out the mass of birds assembled there. Before too long I had noted four Green Sandpipers, half a dozen Dunlin and four  Ruff and a roosting Garganey. A single Great White Egret was also present and the arguable highlight a moulting adult Curlew Sandpiper. A Water Rail was also seen on the fringes of the pool skulking in and out of the reeds.
I then headed off to the hide that overlooks Noah's Lake and almost the first bird I saw was a very smart Osprey.

 

Not a lot else was seen from the hide so I retraced my steps back towards the car, pausing again to look over the waders before heading on home after a lovely afternoon out in the sun with some good birds to boot.