For a birder from North West England, Avalon Marshes in Somerset is like a different world. How can I relate this to Pennington Flash? Despite the old English name which seems to hark back to the days of Arthurian legend, it's about as far removed from anywhere else in England as it possibly could be whilst still being in the same county, and in fact it's got a very eastern European feel. Actually, perhaps Avalon marshes is the perfect name and this is what these marshes were like in the Dark Ages, before modern people trashed the countryside.
Today I visited Ham Wall RSPB and nearby Shapwick Heath, and quite apart
from a Great Reed Warbler at Ham Wall there were just an amazing array of
other species.
I was told that there are around 38 booming bitterns in the marshes and at
the last survey there were 22 nests of great white egret. Several cuckoos
were calling along with a mass of warblers and over Shapwick Heath at least
24 hobbies were in the air at the same time, and three common cranes flew
over. On the marsh, a wood sandpiper, 20 ruff and 30 black-tailed godwits.
Just an amazing place.
The great reed warbler showed very well at times and was my 6th in the UK.
This is something that I have never seen anywhere else in the UK apart from
here, a breeding plumage great white egret. Note the black bill, not yellow
as is the case with all of the non-breeders we see on our estuaries in the
North West.
One great white egret nest is in the reeds quite close to the path and last
time I was here about 3 weeks ago I witnessed a change over at the nest.
These three common cranes flew over heading south. They are most likely from the Somerset Great Crane Project which was started around 2010 to try to restablish the species as a UK breeding bird.
One of 24 hobbies.
Marsh harriers are everywhere.
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