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.

Sutton Bingham - Fri 26 Apr & Sat 27 Apr

A flying visit on my way home from work produced my first Lesser Whitethroat of the year with one singing from a hedge near the Canoe Club (though typically it failed to show itself). West Pool hosted six Mute Swans which were new arrivals and had gone by Saturday morning. A tern was feeding off the dam but was too distant to positively identify which was rather frustrating.
An equally brief stop on Saturday morning before work generated another SBR year tick in the form of a Swift feeding over the reservoir with loads of Swallows and Sand Martins. The pair of Wigeon were again seen...it's interesting that they have not yet departed and with a little luck they may attempt to breed.

Meare Heath NR & Ham Wall RSPB - Sun 21 Apr

A family trip out this afternoon and we headed up Ashcott Corner, parking the car and braving light drizzle for a walk out towards Noah's Lake. Reaching the hide we were afforded some excellent views of the two summer-plumaged Whiskered Terns as the hawked for insects with half a dozen or so Arctic Terns. There was little else of note on the water so we returned to the car, adding singing Reed Warbler and Sedge Warblers to the year list (though neither were seen as the skulked in the reed beds), and two Kingfishers were noted as they sped past us. The drained lagoon hosted good numbers of Black-tailed Godwits and a couple of Redshank, but there were no other waders. A flock of twenty or so Lesser Redpoll were a surprise this late in year as they fed in alders near the car park before flying east and at least three Bitterns were booming away from deep within the reeds.
Upon reaching the car we decided to take a quick walk out to the first viewing platform at Ham Wall, and before we had even entered the reserve a male Marsh Harrier drifted over at quite some height. Again there were good numbers of warblers, especially Willow Warblers and Blackcaps, and amongst a large flock of hirundines I picked up my first Swift of 2013, rounding off what was a pleasant afternoon and we got back to the car just as it started raining again.

Sutton Bingham - Sun 21 Apr

I had longer than usual this morning so when news broke of a pair of Whiskered Terns on the Somerset Levels I started off in that direction, now I don't know why, but something made me change my mind and instead I ended up at Sutton Bingham Reservoir. Parking in the car park I took a walk down the length of the reservoir and back again.
Around the car park a few Blackcaps were present, I also saw a pair of Bullfinches, and a female Sparrowhawk soared high above the water. Continuing along the water's edge a Common Sandpiper took flight and then a bit of a surprise as three Greylag Geese flew in from the north and settled on the water opposite the hide, where they spent most of the time close to the vegetation.

There was not much else happening but on the walk back I heard and then saw my first Whitethroat of the year in roadside hedges near the hide. On returning to the car park I caught a glimpse of a warbler actively feeding in some trees behind the pay area. Reaching for my bins I couldn't believe it...a very smart male Wood Warbler! Knowing that the local SBR listers would be interested I had a frantic twenty minutes calling various birding friends and before long a couple had arrived...but the bird had gone missing. We eventually heard it sing and as I left it was still present. I have since found out that it is the only the third record of Wood Warbler for Sutton Bingham Reservoir.

Sixpenny Handley - Sat 20 Apr

Some nine weeks since my last attempt I made another trip to Wyke Down near Sixpenny Handley this afternoon hoping that it would be a case of third time lucky with regard to the Great Grey Shrike and Short-eared Owls that were still lingering in the area. Arriving at 3.30pm it took half an hour of searching before I finally found the Great Grey Shrike, it had somehow managed to get in to a small tree not far from the road, though no-one saw it fly in, a very bright male Linnet was singing away. Over the next thirty minutes in some wonderful sunshine I was lucky enough to see a couple of Red Kites soaring distantly over fields and just as I was getting in to the car a Short-eared Owl took flight from cover and treated me and the other gathered birders to a wonderful fly-by, and a second bird was seen sat in the long grass...I must have scanned that area at least half a dozen times without seeing it earlier. So it turned out to be a very successful afternoon!

Sutton Bingham - Wed 17 Apr & Thu 18 Apr

A couple of flying visits over the past few days. I had to go to Bournemouth on Wednesday afternoon so that put pay to any birding, though I did decide to fly in to the reservoir (not literally) on the way home. A surprise greeted me in the form of an Egyptian Goose on the northern causeway!

A Little Egret was near the Sailing Club, but that was about it apart from a load of hirundines feeding over the water.
A last minute decision to drop in on Thursday after work proved to be a good call with six Arctic Terns present hawking over the water between the car park and the Canoe Club. I thought that there would be a good chance of some being present as there had been a constant stream of sightings on the pager all day. The Egyptian Goose was still on the northern causeway and was the only other bird of interest.

Sutton Bingham & East Coker WTW - Sun 14 Apr

A morning trip out again and it was a wonderful Spring day at last. I stayed local and made a flying visit to the reservoir where a single Common Sandpiper was on the northern causeway. Feeding over West Pool and the southern end of the reservoir, loads of Swallows and Sand Martins.
With nothing much else around I headed in to East Coker and visited the Water Treatment Works. There was no sign of the Siberian Chiffchaff but there had been a mini-fall of Willow Warblers with at least ten feeding on the sewage beds and another couple singing. There were only a couple of Chiffchaffs present today, but a Blackcap was a new arrival. In fields alongside the WTW I located a Wheatear and a Linnet was singing away. At least two Yellowhammers were seen as were at least three Skylarks.