Steart,

Steart,

9^th January 2011.

Brr it was cold, and the drive over the hills was interesting to say the least. Having got there, we saw Collared Doves and Blue Tits, only in the car park, but there was a Little Owl in the apex of the eaves in an old farm house, but as it was there when we returned, one has to wonder if it was a good stone model!!

We then went out to look out to sea, over the pebbled beach. There were flights of Knots flying over the water; as the sun was out the grey underwing shone. It was very artistic, and beautiful. There was a considerable number of Shelduck swimming in the sea. They are very smart ducks with a chestnut band over their shoulders and are one of the biggest ducks about the size of a small goose. On careful scanning we could see a few Curlew which despite their size are very difficult to see. We then progressed to the tower hide, where we could look over the marshland and river. To one side we could see a Peregrine Falcon sitting on a post, and then it took off and disrupted the waders.

We then walked to the lane and passed the farm there. There was a small flock of Lapwings in a rather muddy field, which was good as they are reducing in numbers. The hedgerow was a pretty scrappy one, but even then there were very few birds, like Tits and Robins, which was surprising. One has to wonder whether the normal birds have died in the snow and cold or given up England as a bad place to be and gone on to warmer climates like the south of France. There were a few near the farm, but little else except for a juvenile Kestrel sitting on a telegraph wire. To begin with we thought it was a Merlin, but once it flew and hovered there was no doubt what it was.

Then we went to the small car park off the lane approaching Steart. There was little extra, except for a flock of Linnets which swooped over a muddy patch. After that, some of the group continued to Combwich to view the River Parrett a few miles upstream. And so ended a lovely day's birding at a very beautiful place to visit, well worth going to, even if it is a little far.

Number of species seen: 52

Ann Crawford

Birds seen, in BOU order or alphabetic order

BOU order

Mute Swan

Canada Goose

Shelduck

Wigeon

Gadwall

Teal

Mallard

Pintail

Shoveler

Cormorant

Little Egret

Grey Heron

Buzzard

Kestrel

Peregrine

Oystercatcher

Avocet

Grey Plover

Lapwing

Knot

Dunlin

Curlew

Common Sandpiper

Redshank

Turnstone

Black-headed Gull

Herring Gull

Great Black-backed Gull

Wood Pigeon

Collared Dove

Little Owl

Magpie

Jackdaw

Rook

Carrion Crow

Blue Tit

Great Tit

Sky Lark

Long-tailed Tit

Starling

Blackbird

Redwing

Robin

Dunnock

House Sparrow

Pied Wagtail

Meadow Pipit

Chaffinch

Greenfinch

Goldfinch

Linnet

Reed Bunting

Alphabetic order