Birding Somerset Levels

Treecreeper Certhia familiaris

Wednesday 5 March

With a thick mist hanging over the Somerset Levels until midday it rather spilt my visit to RSPB Greylake and certainly no sight of a Hen Harrier albeit a pair of quartering Marsh Harriers whilst I was there.  That apart, much small numbers than I might have expected made up mostly of Wigeon and Teal with a good number of Shoveler and a few Mallard.

A misty Greylake reserve

On first arriving at the site the car park feeder was attracting a few House Sparrows and Chaffinches. Walking through the reed bed towards the twin hides a Robin and a passing female Marsh Harrier.  Once ensconssed in the hide I managed to find a single Lapwing and a pair of distant Carrion Crows.  Off to both my right and left pairs of Mute Swans and then a lone Greylag Goose appeared amongst the Wigeon flock.  Amongst the Coot a couple of Moorhen and then a single Heron flew over the back quickly followed by a quartering male Marsh Harrier.

Male Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus

Meanwhile, behind me, a number of singing/calling Cetti's Warblers before the arrival of two Great White Egrets.  Time to call it a day and as I made my way back to the car a Little Egret in the flooded field to my left and at the car park itself both Blackbird and Woodpigeon.  Finally, a couple of Jackdaw as I headed off to my next site.

Twenty-five minutes later I was parked up at RSPB Swell Wood and already both Blue and Great Tits attacking the feeder in front of me.  A Great Spotted Woodpecker decided it could do without my company and disappeared into the trees further away to be replaced by my only Long-tailed Tit of the morning accompanied by a number of Chaffinches.

Somerset Levels seen from Swell Wood

Making my way to the hide below the heronry I was immediately aware of these large water birds nesting in the tree tops and both looking and sounding like something out of our pre-historic past! But sitting quietly in the hide I was are of both the number of Great and Blue Tits along with a pair of Robin.  During the coming minutes the area immediately in front of the hide was also visited by Coal and Marsh Tits plus a Nuthatch, Dunnock and a couple of Treecreepers.

Treecreeper Certhia familiaris

Leaving the hide I made my way out to the mirador overlooking the Somerset Levels and there, in the distance below me, a pair of Cranes.  On the irrigation pool a handful of Mallard and further back a small flock of Shoveler and even further away a number of grazing Mute Swans. Scoping the fences below I even found a resting Buzzard.  Having eaten my picnic lunch and the weather now much improved, I decided to make my way back and visit the Bleadon Levels Nature Reserve on the outskirts of Weston-super-Mare, noting both Woodpigeon and Starling as I departed the wood.  This reserve was most disappointing to say the least and only produced a Robin and couple of Carrion Crows plus a calling Magpie.

Distant Cranes Grus grus seen from Swell Wood

Birds seen:

Greylag Goose, Mute Swan, Wigeon, Mallard, Shoveler, Teal, Little Egret, Great White Egret, Heron, Crane, Marsh Harrier, Buzzard, Moorhen, Coot, Crane, Lapwing, Herring Gull, Woodpigeon, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Cetti's Warbler, Long-tailed Tit, Coal Tit, Marsh Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Nuthatch, Treecreeper, Magpie, Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch.

Blue Tit Parus caeruleus

Coal Tit Parus ater

Marsh Tit Parus palustris

Dunnock Prunella modularis

Herons Ardea cinerea on their tree-top nests

Record shot of the visiting Nuthatch Sitta europaea

Robin Erithacus rubecula

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