Westhay and Ham Wall, Saturday 4th March, by Gerry and Jan Turner

Westhay and Ham Wall, Saturday 4th March, by Gerry and Jan Turner

I arrived late to find 20 local group members leaving Westhay Somerset Wildlife Trust CP but not too late to be asked to do the meeting’s notes! More practice is needed with the new ‘in car’ navigation system which seemed to insist on using the M5. It was a crisp, sunny but very cold early spring morning that greeted us as we sniffed the air of Avalon Marshes. The consequential extremely good visibility meant that we were able to appreciate a wide ranging marshy landscape of reed and water with willow, silver birch, alders and scots pine set against the sun covered Mendip Hills in the background. The narrow waterways and some ponds were iced over whilst a steady breeze made gloves a useful accessory.

With Green Woodpeckers very much in evidence vocally but not seen, the meeting started on an instant high, especially for those like me who had not seen Water Rail before. Really close views in prime plumage tutting away, a sound that was to become instantly recognisable as more and more were encountered. Great Crested Grebe were seen displaying and another highlight was the numbers of Goosander, at one point RJ counted 19. A total of 31 species were seen before lunch.

Lunch, spent in Shapwick Heath - Ashcott Corner CP, was a very private affair, each to their own car. An opportunity to warm up and observe passing Ravens.

Then it was time to explore the carefully managed RSPB Ham Wall reserve. Wide expanses of straw coloured 10ft tall reed beds which contrasted sharply with the uniformly black peat soil. Board walks surrounded by Greater Reedmace with exploding seed heads; young willows that had been almost severed near their base and laid end to end along the edges of pools. Everywhere neat and tidy. Here we noted Reed Buntings feeding on reed seed and Goldcrests were prominent but no eye lines! Pussy Willow was beginning to emerge and I was surprised to see the variety and size of mollusc shells amongst the ditch clearance workings. They included swan mussels, spiral and common snail forms. A gleeful shout signaled a ‘lifer’ for some lucky person who spotted a Bittern (confirmed by RJ) in flight, unfortunately most of the group were pre-occupied looking elsewhere! This was matched by a breakaway member who reported watching an otter for 15 minutes on the Shapwick Heath reserve. One day it will be us! The sighting of Redpoll and a single Bullfinch female brought the overall species count to 40. [After finishing at Ham Wall, a few of us went across the road to Shapwick Heath; with extra birds seen there, the group total reached 50 - RS.]

Another excellent day out and thanks again to Ray Jones who led the meeting, John Allan and Richard Swinbank.

Birds seen, in BOU order or alphabetic order

BOU order

Mute Swan

Greylag Goose

Canada Goose

Wigeon

Gadwall

Teal

Mallard

Pintail

Shoveler

Pochard

Tufted Duck

Goldeneye

Goosander

Little Grebe

Great Crested Grebe

Cormorant

Bittern

Grey Heron

Buzzard

Kestrel

Water Rail

Moorhen

Coot

Lapwing

Snipe

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Wood Pigeon

Green Woodpecker

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Meadow Pipit

Wren

Dunnock

Robin

Blackbird

Fieldfare

Song Thrush

Cetti’s Warbler

Goldcrest

Long-tailed Tit

Coal Tit

Blue Tit

Great Tit

Treecreper

Carrion Crow

Raven

Starling

Chaffinch

Redpoll

Bullfinch

Reed Bunting

Alphabetic order