Photos:
Cuckoo, Whitehtroat and Bittern at Shapwick Heath plus a view of the pool from Decoy Hide with Glastonbury Tor in the background
Tuesday 10th May
On my travels and after work I headed over to the Shapwick Heath area. I always immediately chill out when visiting this place. I walked down the causeway to Noah’s Hide, collecting good birds as I went. The first thing I picked up was a calling Cuckoo, and then another and then another and then a fourth! 33 Black-tailed Godwits were feeding in the mud patch at Meare Heath and a couple of Little Egrets were seen flying over the reed beds. Cetti’s Warblers were very vocal with 5 singing birds heard and numerous other warbler species.
I heard two booming Bitterns at Meare Heath and then a third Bittern at Shapwick in the corner near Noah’s Hide. I sat in Noah’s Hide and literally a few minutes later the heavens opened and it became very, very wet outside. I could see some rustling in the reed bed in front and slightly to the right of the hide. Eventually through the bins I could see a Bittern walking through them. Not the boomer which I could still hear. It disappeared and then reappeared and then flew across a small stretch of water to the reeds slightly to the left of the hide.
Thinking that was probably the Bittern show over I scanned the far side of the lake and spotted another Bittern lift out of the reeds on the far side and head over towards the Decoy Hide. I looked up again and two Bitterns were flying from near the hide and off across the water to the far side. Was one of these either the boomer or the bird I saw earlier. No and no as the boomer started up again and the first flying bird hopped back across the small stretch of water. Then the two birds I had seen returned back across the lake and began circling the reed beds, all the while making a noise between a gull and a strangled Crow! Another Bittern was later spotted flying along the far side of the pool. That made six Bitterns here and the two heard at Meare Heath!!!
Because of the rain there was no Hobby activity though when the rain ceased I did find 4 birds perched in a tree and a fifth in a nearby tree. A sixth flew over the back of the pool and then another birder spotted three flying fast past the left of the hide – I only saw the last of these. A female Marsh Harrier also entertained, flying around the pool edge.
I later headed off to Ham Wall. Here the Bittern fest continued. Four booming birds were detected in various corners of the reed beds. While walking along the path another two flew over and circled (I could still hear all the boomers at this point and then a third flying bird lifted out and headed off towards Shapwick. Seven Bitterns here! One stretch of hedge here contained three Garden Warblers while I also detected 9 Cetti’s Warblers including some good sightings for a change. I also had another three Cuckoos.
Near dusk I headed back but diverted past Catcott Lows, a nearby nature reserve. From the hides there was nothing on the pools so I headed off down the track towards Catcott Heath.
Among the numerous warblers here were 3 Garden Warblers, 2 Cetti’s Warblers and a reeling Gropper. A Bittern was also booming here in the small reed bed. That made 16 Bitterns seen / hear today – amazing!!! The day was rounded off by three male Cuckoos seeming to appear from nowhere and launch into a singing competition and as I drove off I spotted a Little Owl on a fencepost. On Days Like These…..
Wednesday 11th May
After work today I went to a reserve called Westhay Moor. It’s not far from Shapwick but the habitat (and the birds) are quite different. Here the pools are largely fringed with Willow and much less expanse of phragmites. There were numerous warblers calling with at least 18 Willow Warblers heard singing. A Little Egret flew over and 3 different male Cuckoos called from various parts of the reserve – one was seen well. At one of the hides I was watching an empty pool when a Hobby appeared and treated me to a display of hunting. I later saw two different birds, one a fly over and the other showing very well. Plenty of Swifts overhead too.
Next I wandered over to Shapwick and headed in from the opposite direction than usual. The two entrances to the causeway are around 1.5 miles apart so I didn’t get anywhere near the places I visited yesterday. I wandered down to Decoy Hide and watched from there, however it suddenly seemed to be quiet. A flock of 33 Black-tailed Godwits flew over heading north – I wonder if these were heading for Westhay which is roughly in that direction. Another birder who then arrived told me to get on to a raptor he had seen in the distance. Viewing it through my scope I realised it was a Bittern coming towards us. As it passed over I realised it was climbing higher and heading off to the north – maybe following the Blackwits. A second Bittern started booming in the nearby reedbed. On the way back to the car a Tawny Owl started calling, seemingly from somewhere deep in the reeds! Also I picked up no fewer than seven singing Garden Warblers, none of which had uttered a peep when I walked by the first time! A Little Egret also flew over near dusk in the direction taken by the Blackwits and Bittern.
On my travels and after work I headed over to the Shapwick Heath area. I always immediately chill out when visiting this place. I walked down the causeway to Noah’s Hide, collecting good birds as I went. The first thing I picked up was a calling Cuckoo, and then another and then another and then a fourth! 33 Black-tailed Godwits were feeding in the mud patch at Meare Heath and a couple of Little Egrets were seen flying over the reed beds. Cetti’s Warblers were very vocal with 5 singing birds heard and numerous other warbler species.
I heard two booming Bitterns at Meare Heath and then a third Bittern at Shapwick in the corner near Noah’s Hide. I sat in Noah’s Hide and literally a few minutes later the heavens opened and it became very, very wet outside. I could see some rustling in the reed bed in front and slightly to the right of the hide. Eventually through the bins I could see a Bittern walking through them. Not the boomer which I could still hear. It disappeared and then reappeared and then flew across a small stretch of water to the reeds slightly to the left of the hide.
Thinking that was probably the Bittern show over I scanned the far side of the lake and spotted another Bittern lift out of the reeds on the far side and head over towards the Decoy Hide. I looked up again and two Bitterns were flying from near the hide and off across the water to the far side. Was one of these either the boomer or the bird I saw earlier. No and no as the boomer started up again and the first flying bird hopped back across the small stretch of water. Then the two birds I had seen returned back across the lake and began circling the reed beds, all the while making a noise between a gull and a strangled Crow! Another Bittern was later spotted flying along the far side of the pool. That made six Bitterns here and the two heard at Meare Heath!!!
Because of the rain there was no Hobby activity though when the rain ceased I did find 4 birds perched in a tree and a fifth in a nearby tree. A sixth flew over the back of the pool and then another birder spotted three flying fast past the left of the hide – I only saw the last of these. A female Marsh Harrier also entertained, flying around the pool edge.
I later headed off to Ham Wall. Here the Bittern fest continued. Four booming birds were detected in various corners of the reed beds. While walking along the path another two flew over and circled (I could still hear all the boomers at this point and then a third flying bird lifted out and headed off towards Shapwick. Seven Bitterns here! One stretch of hedge here contained three Garden Warblers while I also detected 9 Cetti’s Warblers including some good sightings for a change. I also had another three Cuckoos.
Near dusk I headed back but diverted past Catcott Lows, a nearby nature reserve. From the hides there was nothing on the pools so I headed off down the track towards Catcott Heath.
Among the numerous warblers here were 3 Garden Warblers, 2 Cetti’s Warblers and a reeling Gropper. A Bittern was also booming here in the small reed bed. That made 16 Bitterns seen / hear today – amazing!!! The day was rounded off by three male Cuckoos seeming to appear from nowhere and launch into a singing competition and as I drove off I spotted a Little Owl on a fencepost. On Days Like These…..
Wednesday 11th May
After work today I went to a reserve called Westhay Moor. It’s not far from Shapwick but the habitat (and the birds) are quite different. Here the pools are largely fringed with Willow and much less expanse of phragmites. There were numerous warblers calling with at least 18 Willow Warblers heard singing. A Little Egret flew over and 3 different male Cuckoos called from various parts of the reserve – one was seen well. At one of the hides I was watching an empty pool when a Hobby appeared and treated me to a display of hunting. I later saw two different birds, one a fly over and the other showing very well. Plenty of Swifts overhead too.
Next I wandered over to Shapwick and headed in from the opposite direction than usual. The two entrances to the causeway are around 1.5 miles apart so I didn’t get anywhere near the places I visited yesterday. I wandered down to Decoy Hide and watched from there, however it suddenly seemed to be quiet. A flock of 33 Black-tailed Godwits flew over heading north – I wonder if these were heading for Westhay which is roughly in that direction. Another birder who then arrived told me to get on to a raptor he had seen in the distance. Viewing it through my scope I realised it was a Bittern coming towards us. As it passed over I realised it was climbing higher and heading off to the north – maybe following the Blackwits. A second Bittern started booming in the nearby reedbed. On the way back to the car a Tawny Owl started calling, seemingly from somewhere deep in the reeds! Also I picked up no fewer than seven singing Garden Warblers, none of which had uttered a peep when I walked by the first time! A Little Egret also flew over near dusk in the direction taken by the Blackwits and Bittern.
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