Ham Wall Delights

 Bittern 

  Bittern - This is how you see most of them at Ham Wall

 Landing gear out

 Habitat as you enter reserve

 Reed Bunting

Glastonbury Tor over looks the reserve

A very distant Hobby

After looking at a good weather forecast I opted to take a day off from work midweek to make my May trip to RSPB Ham Wall in Somerset. Despite there being areas of road works I was parked up in under two hours. The reserve can take a bit of finding if you haven’t been before but I had no such problems.

The first of many number of Cetis Warblers called as I put on the walking boots and headed up the path to the reed beds. I could hear the booming Bitterns approaching the first viewing platform and it didn’t take long until I was treated with the first of three different birds I saw during the morning. Before carrying on my walk a Great White Egret emerged at the edge of the water to make it a memorable start to the day.

A number of Marsh Harries including a stunning male was in sight at the second viewing platform. Round me there was constant noise of Reed & Sedge Warblers enjoying the warmth of the morning sun. I was hoping a Garganey might be around but sadly no luck. The Bitterns continued to boom.

As I headed back down the path towards the reed bed where the Little Bitterns were last year a Hobby flew straight over my head looking for an early breakfast, I watched it closely hunt before I saw it later in the morning very high with another Hobby. There were plenty of dragon flies around the reserve and it was really the first place I’ve noticed them in numbers this summer. I did hang around to see if any Little Bitterns were around but I didn’t hear or see any. The lack of the RSPB volunteers probably gave indication to my findings. The final bird at Ham Wall was a male Cuckoo.

As I entered the Shapwick Heath reserve the bird song increased again and a Garden Warbler was on view along side Blackcaps and the common warblers.  On the first flash there was a flock of Black-Tailed Godwits and two Little Egrets. Over head Marsh Harriers continued to hunt to please an increasing crowd of watchers who must have been on an organised trip as when I got back the car park it was full and any new arrivals were having to park on road causing much frustration to the local farmer.

Both Hobby and Bittern were new birds for the year. It must be the best place in the county to get to see Bitterns flying around.