Collared Pratincole delights crowds at Ham Wall

 Collared Pratincole (Griffin Wildlife)

 Distant Bitter

 Great White Egret

 Platform two

 The lookout from the platform

 Marsh Harrier

 Camo-man

Suit-man

How are good birds found on a Sunday night ? When a Collared Pratincole was reported at Ham Wall (Somerset) time was always against a late evening visit. After being reported on Monday myself & Roland decided to take a half day on Tuesday and head down after lunch (Roland had to ensure the fish was in the fridge before leaving home apparently). A smooth journey listening to bell ringing stories & the band British Sea Power set us up for walk to the second viewing platform.

Crossing the canal we recorded our first two (of a possible nine) Great White Egrets. Any visitor to this stunning reserve would do well to miss this species now. The Pratincole had been reported showing very well however we had to wait a good hour to get a flight view before it disappeared again behind the reeds.

The bird is well worth a visit as they are a rely seen this side of the country. The bird clearly showed it was a very agile and fluent flier whilst it's tern like shape catches the eye but clearly with longer wings & legs. Chris Griffin of Griffin Wildlife kindly send me the above photo to use where you can see the birds features in more detail. This species was only the second recorded in Somerset, the last being in 1858

As we were waiting there were a selection of other birders to keep us amused including camo-man (a tog who went in and out of focus with his super camafluged clothing), suit-man (clearly the best dressed birder in Somerset) and nice man (who joined in our bantering observations).

Other sightings included a Hobby that hawked above us and three flying Bittern and two Glossy Ibis’s.

Many thanks to Chris Griffin of Griffin Wildlife for his fantastic image. 

New arrivals at pits

Hunting hobby

Fox cub

 Yellowhammer

 Little Owl on my way home

Little Owl

Distant female Ruff

Redshank 

Three consecutive day visits to Salford Priors over the weekend saw no movement with waders. The only waders around the site were the Little Ringed Plovers and the Oystercatchers who are trying to nest in their third location of the spring. 

Sunday mornings visit did result in two fox cubs playing before taking a hiding postition photographed above. Very cute, however I also witnessed an adult Fox removing eggs from a Mute Swans nest. Sadly last weeks pair of Pochard's were not around but I certainly haven't given up hope whilst the pair of Shelduck so seem to be continually harassed by another bird.

The highlight of the morning was a Hobby hunting over south lagoons and a Cuckoo around the central lagoon & bunds. House Martin numbers seem to be much better this year whilst I have counted over 400 Swifts on four different visits.  The water table has remained to high this spring so we have done well to record the species we have.

On Saturday I paid my third visit of the week to Upton Warren mainly to record my first Ruff of the year. Plenty of good chat in the hides as always. Avocet number have increased to a record 43 whilst there was a Shoveler brood of 18 ! 

On the way home on Sunday I called in to see my local Little Owls. After an intial game of hide and seek I managed to take a couple of images.

The only way to Phalarope is Essex

Digiscoped Wilson's Pharalope

Digiscoped Wilson's Pharalope

RSPB Vange Marsh

Twitchers delight

RSPB Vange Marsh

M40 disaster

Days out birding when you spend more time in car than birding are not my idea of fun but sometimes you have to bite the bullet if you want to see a bird that's on your most wanted list.

Wilson's Pharalope is a bird I've wanted to see since I started to bird seriously and given I'd put aside two days for birding I gave up a full day in the field to twitch a reported bird at RSPB Vange Marsh, Essex with the two Daves and Jarrad.  The 2 1/2 hour journey actually took 4 1/2 hours after a fatality on the M40 resulted in a total closure for 2 hours. 

The reserve was created in 2005 and has freshwater water with islands, saltwater lagoon, meadows and scrub land. We joined a handful of birders already looking at the bird on the far side of the lagoon sadly we could still pick out its energetic feeding action using a scope. When the sun went in slightly it was easier to decipher the birds longer neck and plumage. The bird appeared to spend most time wading rather than swimming like other Pharalopes. 

Wilson's Pharalopes are an American wader that breeds in north America & west Canada. This looked to be a first winter bird that has just got lost on its first migration south. The birds in summer plumage are stunning however you would need to be very lucky to see one in breeding plumage in the UK. (I've added this video from Youtube of Wilson's Pharalopes feeding in America)

Other sightings whilst on the marsh included Cettis Warbler, three Little Stints, 30+ Redshanks, 15 Curlew, 30 Shoveler, Hobby, Kestrel six Snipe, 100 Lapwing, 40 Black-tailed Godwit, two Green Sandpiper and three Ruff.

Move movement at Salford Priors

Returning Reed Warbler

Thursday afternoons visit to the pits saw me find my first Hobby of 2015 with it flying through in the field where Redstart was last week. It did perch up for a few seconds before it spotted me so I could 100% confirm its identification. A pair of Kestrel were hunting the Snipe meadow whilst a single Swallow past me when on Pophills.

On Saturday, Lee arrived at the same time, so we set off together around the site. The main pit was pretty much as normal minus the Sandpipers. Two Sand Martin did pass through which pleased Lee as they were his first of the year. As we headed past the Old lagoons a Cuckoo took flight heading past. We tried and relocate the bird but sadly no luck. We did however find 4 calling Sedge Warblers of which one allowed us some great views. The Little Ringed Plovers were noted in three different locations.

I had my first umpiring appointment on Sunday so I had to start well before Jon. On comparing the sightings he had the superior return. My only additional sightings to Saturday was a Hobby that flew from edge of planation and a number of Reed Warblers that had arrived overnight. I flushed three late Snipe from the top of one of the bunds. It was great to see and hear them in the reed beds again. Jon recorded a Whimbrel flying through, Common & Lesser Whitethroats and Yellow Wagtails. 

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.