West Bexington - Wed 12 Jun

When news broke yesterday of a Caspian Tern at West Bexington I waited with baited breath for news today. The good news was that the bird was still present...the bad news, despite having an afternoon off work I had other commitments so could not head out until 4.00pm. The drive south was dismal with thick fog and rain and by the time I got to the coast the rain was falling steadily. To add insult to injury I was told on arrival that the bird had flown off ten minutes earlier. A walk east for nearly a mile produced nothing but a Fulmar so it was back to the car park. Whilst debating what to do next a couple of birders I had been talking to and who had decided to head back towards the mere started waving frantically and a five minute sprint then followed. And there it was hawking over the mere before following the beach eastwards right past us...a cracking Caspian Tern and a UK tick to boot...result!!!

Ham Wall RSPB - Sun 9 Jun

Yet another trip to Ham Wall and yet again I failed to see the elusive Little Bitterns! That being said I had a wonderful couple of hours out and about and bumped in to lots of Somerset birders.
On the bird front highlights included a couple of really good flight views of Bitterns, including one bird that treated me to a prolonged fly-past before alighting in to a reed bed. A Great White Egret also flew over.
From the second viewing platform I located two drake Garganey (one fast asleep with the other being a little more active) and two Shelduck amongst good numbers of wildfowl. A few Lapwing were also present from here along with single Redshank and Black-tailed Godwit.
I also saw a couple of Kingfishers as I walked back to the car and after chatting with a few mates I bumped in to headed back home for some much needed lunch!

Ham Wall RSPB & Meare Heath NNR - Wed 5 Jun

OK, so I guess everyone out there now knows why I've made three visits to Ham Wall in the past week...yes I was hoping to see the Little Bitterns...but I have failed every time! So what was present this afternoon, well a couple of Hobbies graced the skies and a Cuckoo was heard calling but there was not really much else about.
I decided to head back to the car park and take a walk out to Meare Heath and see if the drained lagoon held anything of interest. A total of fifty-three Black-tailed Godwits and twelve Lapwings accounted for the waders present. The birds of the day were fly-overs though, with a Bittern and Great White Egret both gracing the skies, albeit briefly, and before I knew it time was up and it was back home for dinner!

Thurlbear Quarrylands - Sat 1 Jun

This afternoon I made a flying visit to Thurlbear Quarrylands, just south of Taunton. I was hoping there might be some butterflies around as it was such a warm and sunny afternoon, but this was not to be the case. That being said during the thirty minutes I spent on site I was treated to that most stirring of summer songsters with three Nightingales blasting away from deep in the undergrowth. Unfortunately despite one of the birds singing from a bramble patch no more than six feet in front of me, it kept itself predictively hidden so I had to make do with simply enjoying the audio performance.

Ham Wall RSPB - Sat 1 Jun

A fairly early trip out today and I again found myself at Ham Wall. An enjoyable walk in the morning sun produced a few birds of quality with a few booming Bitterns and a couple of Marsh Harriers, including a sub-adult bird which has been making news on the Somerset Birds forum due to its missing flight feathers and damaged leg. As I walked on past the now famous "SVP", or second viewing platform, I located a single Spotted Flycatcher feeding up in the trees and looking rather smart (nothing like the thousand or birds that passed through Portland Bill this morning, but a single bird is better than nothing and was a year tick all the same!).

 

 

The walk back to the car failed to produce anything else out of the ordinary but it was good to get out and about on such a lovely day.



Ham Wall RSPB - Thu 30 May

An evening visit with one of my birding mates to Ham Wall RSPB reserve today. Arriving at about 7.10pm we enjoyed a good couple of hours on the reserve. A Great White Egret was showing well from the first viewing platform and a sub-adult male Marsh Harrier was hunting over the reed beds. At least three Bitterns were still booming away and there seemed to be a glut of Cuckoos with at least five seen and another couple heard. A good number of Swifts were hawking above us almost constantly and we also saw a couple of Hobbies (one perched up and a second whizzing past at a rate of knots). All in all an enjoyable evening out.

Acres Down - Sun 26 May

I had arranged a free morning with the sole intention of twitching a Roller in Hampshire, but just as I was setting off the bird flew north and failed to show again. So instead I spent the time at Acres Down in the hope of picking up some decent raptors. During the three or so hours I was on site I was treated to some pretty good views of at least six Goshawk, but I only saw Common Buzzards...no sign today of any Honey Buzzards.
A male Whinchat was a nice surprise and two Hawfinch flew through. A Tree Pipit seemed to be in almost constant song whilst I was present and a couple of Hobbies also passed overhead. So I managed to add a couple more species to the year list, but I would have rather the Roller had stayed put!
Year list for 2013 now at 190 species.