Shapwick Heath/Ham Walls RSPB day out

Colin Gittins and I decided to have a day out here, it's always a good day even though there were no rarities present. The fine weather (22c) had all the speciality birds performing well. Highlights included :-


Bittern                              2 seen & 15 booming
Great Egret                       25 including a number of pairs at nest sites
Little Egret                       4
Marsh Harrier                   4 male, 6 female
Red Kite                           1
Black-tailed Godwit         23
Cuckoo                             3
Hobby                              31 including 20 in the air together
Garden Warbler               1

A total of 65 species were seen, we also had a quick stop at nearby West Hay Moor Nature Reserve, but it was very run down and little of note was seen.


Hoverflies were well represented with 22 species with the usual large amounts of Tropida scita, Anasymia lineata and Parhelophilus species, but the highlight was my first Eristalinus Sepulchralis, but I couldn't get a shot before it flew off.

 Anasymia lineata

 Azure Damselfly

 Coot Egg - There were a number of these on the paths around the reserve. It was noticed that Carrion Crows were quartering the reed beds like harriers and robbing the eggs from the nests and then dropping them on the paths to break and eat what's inside.

 Tropida Scita

Yellow-tailed Moth caterpillar - quite a few of these seen and large numbers can be a serious pest.