Avalon Marshes - Sat 3 Jan

In what seems to have become somewhat of a tradition, myself and four of my oldest birding friends headed off for a trip to the Somerset Levels to start the year off. Always good fun and great company the birds are almost secondary!

We started the day at Wet Moor where despite the bitter cold we managed to connect with some good birds, with a flock of around thirty or so Russian White-fronted Geese on the deck, and another sixty seen in flight overhead. A lone Bewick's Swan was eventually picked out in the distance and a spectacular site of thirty-five Common Crane flying over was something to see and hear.

On then to Greylake RSPB which proved to be pointless so we didn't linger, instead heading to Catcott where we failed to connect with the recent Glossy Ibis but had great views of a hunting Marsh Harrier.

Another miss at Meare as we didn't see the elusive and mobile Whooper Swans and Long Drove also drew a blank as we missed the two Ring-necked Duck.

We then spent some time at Shapwick Heath, walking out to view Noah's Lake. Again, lot's of duck but nothing out of the ordinary...it was interesting that there was not actually that much variety in the birds we were seeing. Lots of wildfowl and little else.

We finished the day back at Wet Moor after a brief stop just north of Muchelney where five Bewick's Swans were showing really well.

Whereas we missed a few things today, it was a wonderful day out with good friends and that more than made up for the somewhat low total of species recorded.