Went to the small hide at the top end of Blagdon Lake, to find that most of the ducks had drifted quite far out. Within half an hour I located the eclipse-plumage male LESSER SCAUP in amongst tufted ducks and coots. Due to distance and poor lighting, I was only able to eliminate a hybrid duck after it flapped its wings. Also, the car flushed a family of 3 green woodpeckers up from the road.
A quick scan of Herriot's Pool, Chew Valley Lake produced nothing more than 2 Great Black-Backed Gulls, a Common Sandpiper and the flock of Black-Tailed Godwits.
Sunday, 19 July 2015
Saturday, 18 July 2015
18th July 2015
Went to Kingsteinton today to look for the Gull-Billed Tern. Parked up at the Passage House Inn, however the bird had not showed all day. There was little else of interest on show other than some whimbrel, but some entertainment was had from a day-flying bat that flew very low over our heads several times, before landing on a post, allowing a rare close-range photo opportunity in good light.
Shortly after this, the bat started to descend the post, before jumping down directly into the water! It swam back to the post but was unable to climb it. At this point, another birder waded into the water to fish it out, and placed onto a nearby tree.
After some lunch, we headed to the mouth of the estuary, where 4 common sandpipers and good numbers of quite distant sandwich terns were present. Scanning through the terns, I found a slightly smaller, darker individual which had a greyish upper-tail in flight, however I now think that the bird was just a young sandwich tern. After this, we had to leave, though the tern was not seen for the rest of the day. Another case of arriving exactly a day late!
Shortly after this, the bat started to descend the post, before jumping down directly into the water! It swam back to the post but was unable to climb it. At this point, another birder waded into the water to fish it out, and placed onto a nearby tree.
The Bat going for a swim!
After some lunch, we headed to the mouth of the estuary, where 4 common sandpipers and good numbers of quite distant sandwich terns were present. Scanning through the terns, I found a slightly smaller, darker individual which had a greyish upper-tail in flight, however I now think that the bird was just a young sandwich tern. After this, we had to leave, though the tern was not seen for the rest of the day. Another case of arriving exactly a day late!
Wednesday, 15 July 2015
15th July 2015
Returned to Sutton Bingham Res this afternoon, where the 2nd Summer Great Black-Backed Gull was still present and was more mobile than last week. Also had a Common Tern which showed at close range from the main road at the North End and scoped a distant green woodpecker North of the Car Park on the opposite bank.
Saturday, 11 July 2015
11th July 2015
Went to Ham Wall today, highlights were c.4 Great White Egrets, 2 Bitterns, a Cuckoo, a family group of treecreepers, good numbers of buzzards, marsh harriers and hobbies and a single common tern.
Also, some extra entertainment was had from a flyover Vulcan Bomber:
Bittern
Thursday, 9 July 2015
9th July 2015
Went to Sutton Bingham today, and had a Great Black-Backed Gull (My first at this site) and 2 Kingfishers. Also a good selection of butterflies along the side of the Res.
Great Black-Backed Gull (Bird furthest to the Right)
Lesser Black-Backed Gull
Kingfisher
Great Crested Grebe
Tuesday, 7 July 2015
7th July 2015
A walk through Yeovil Today produced my first Painted Lady Butterfly of the year, and a male Bullfinch on Yeovil Openspace.
Saturday, 4 July 2015
5th July 2015
Went to Bowling Green Marsh near Topshom today, had a good selection of waders including ringed plover, common sandpiper, sanderling, greenshank and whimbrel. Only other species of interest was a raven.
Curlew
Whimbrel
Greenshanks
Song Thrush
Raven
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