Another successful Starling Spectacular
SOMERSET BIRDWATCHING HOLIDAYS TRIP REPORT:
January 12th-14th 2022
Tour Leaders: Stephen Moss & Graeme Mitchell
Wednesday 12th January
It was nice to welcome back old friends to Somerset and guests who had booked to join us exactly a year ago, however because of Covid restrictions this full party of birdwatchers had transferred their bookings for a full 12 months.
They were rewarded with a brilliantly sunny winter’s afternoon when we headed out on to local flooded moors below the Isle of Wedmore for an introduction to the birds of Somerset.
We had hoped to catch up with a rare Tundra Bean Goose that had been hanging around with some local Canada Geese. We quickly found the Canada Geese, but sadly there was to be no sight of the rarity.
As a compensation, Little and Great White Egrets were stalking the flooded fields and a female Marsh Harrier quartered the moor on hunting patrol. Stonechats and Ravens and passing Lapwings were to set the scene for the next couple of days.
At the Glastonbury Road we could see a field full of hunched white blobs which through our binoculars turned into the third species of British egret – Cattle Egrets. “Egrets I’ve had a few, but then again, too few to mention….”
We met up with Matt Merritt, the editor of that fine organ ‘Bird Watching Magazine’ in the car park of RSPB Ham Wall – not by coincidence, it was always planned that he was going to see for himself the fun that his readers had been enjoying over the last few years with Somerset Birdwatching Holidays.
And dead on time, we were joined by Stephen who had just flown in from a taxing journalistic mission reporting on the birds of Costa Rica (well, someone’s got to do it).
Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, Stephen met us at the first viewing platform just before the first wave of starlings appeared on the horizon.
The marshes were packed with ducks: notably several hundred Shoveler, and lots of Gadwall and Coots (the former is reputed to steal food from the latter, hence their close proximity), and a few Tufted Ducks. We also enjoyed sightings of both male and female Marsh Harriers and Great White Egrets in the late afternoon sun, and heard the usual Little Grebes, Cetti’s Warblers and Water Rails, none of which showed themselves!
At 4.28pm, just after sunset (as predicted by Stephen!) the first Starlings appeared, soon followed by many more, arriving from all directions. They seemed to split into three groups: one descending into the reedbed behind the trees and in front of Glastonbury Tor; the second into Walton’s Marsh against the setting sun; and the third – and largest – somewhere towards the Avalon Hide. We enjoyed some murmurations and movements, and the flocks’ reflections in the water, as the waxing moon grew more prominent in the darkening sky. As we left, we heard the Starlings chattered to one another in the reedbed, accompanied by two Great White Egrets silhouetted against the sky, and back at the car park, Matt and Stephen spotted two Barn Owls. As Graeme says, no two nights are ever the same! Then back top Walls Farm for a splendid meal from Kay.
Thursday 13th January
A fine, misty morning as we headed through Bridgwater to the WWT reserve at Steart Marshes, where we were greeted in the car park by a female Marsh harrier floating past the pylons, against the background of Hinkley Point construction site (giving Graeme the chance to repeat his ‘we always see cranes’ joke. I say joke…)
We then headed down to the hide, with little or no action from birds, suggesting there weren’t many present. How wrong we were: on the ground were several thousand birds: lots of Shoveler, Wigeon, a few Shelduck, gulls and a large flock of Lapwings with a few Golden Plovers. A female (or immature male) Merlin was perched on a gate, giving great scope views, at which point a male Peregrine appeared (our 5th raptor of the morning after a Buzzard en route), flushed all the birds, grabbed a Golden Plover, was mobbed by crows and then after plucking its unfortunate victim, flew off with it! There were also Linnets, a Kestrel and from the Mendip Hide, 2 Marsh Harriers, and a Raven.
We then headed down the M5 and turned inland to the RSPB reserve at Swell Wood, where the car park feeder boasted Great and Coal Tits. We headed down to the watchpoint, getting great views of a singing Goldcrest and singing Nuthatch on the way, and a calling Green Woodpecker and drumming Great Spotted Woodpecker. From the lookout we saw a total of 9 Cranes – our tallest and most majestic bird – in small groups of twos and threes, a Great White Egret and distant Roe Deer. From the open hide, where some photographers had scattered nuts, we enjoyed great views of Coal Tit, Robin, Wren and two Nuthatches.
After our usual excellent lunch at the King Alfred Inn at Burrow Bridge, we headed back north via the RSPB reserve at Greylake. We swiftly headed past the House Sparrows in the car park and towards the packed hide, where we heard the news that the very rare Baikal Teal (a vagrant from Siberia and first ever in Somerset) had not been seen that day! We were compensated with lots of Teal, Wigeon, Shoveler and Snipe, a Great White Egret, an adult female Peregrine perched on a pylon with a much smaller Kestrel, two Stonechats, a pair of Stock Doves, and an almost entirely white Buzzard.
Back at Ham Wall, we saw Great Crested Grebe, drake Pochard and the usual ducks from the first viewing platform, along with at least 8 Snipe and several Marsh Harriers. We decided to head to the Avalon Hide, which along with the usual ducks had a splendid Great White Egret showing off its plumes. Around 4.20 the Starling spectacular began again: with flock after flock coming in over our heads, swirling around and then landing right in front of the hide, completely flattening the reeds as they did so. Several Marsh Harriers and a Sparrowhawk then appeared, and perhaps emboldened by the exposed view of the Starlings the harriers began to attack them, pushing then up into the air time and again. Finally, a female harrier managed to catch a Starling and headed away to feed – the first time we have seen one succeed! Then, out of nowhere, a Bittern materialised right behind the roosting Starlings, giving great views before it flew off. Once again, we headed back to Walls Farm for another lovely meal and convivial evening.
Friday 14th January
On a cold and very misty morning we headed down to our ‘coastal patch’ – the Three Rivers (Huntspill, Parrett and Brue). Unfortunately, the visibility was very poor, yet at Sloway Lane Bridge we still managed to see a Kingfisher in flight, and hear a Water Rail, along with a very early singing Song Thrush.
At the sluice there were lots of Redwings, Greenfinches and Goldfinches feeding on frosty brambles, a Bullfinch calling in the copse, and more Redwings and Starlings along the sea wall. As we walked along, the mist slowly began to clear, revealing an otherworldly scene – and a very low tide indeed. A flock of Curlews appeared (later we saw a record 75 birds for this site) plus a few Bar-tailed Godwits, large flocks of Lapwings; and as the mist lifted still further, revealing the far side of the Parrett, about 20 Avocets, gulls (including Great Black-backed), Dunlin, Teal and Wigeon, a female Marsh Harrier which landed, also on the far side, then later (when a Merlin helicopter passed low overhead) flew to this side and back. We then spotted two birds on the grass: one Curlew and a much smaller Whimbrel.
As the mist finally cleared, we saw 70 Canada Geese and about 300 Lapwings with 4 Golden Plovers in flight, 20-30 Meadow Pipits, 1 Black-tailed Godwit on far side, and a male Reed Bunting in the copse.
For our final stop, we drove across the levels to Catcott Lows (a Somerset Wildlife Trust reserve). From the viewing screens we enjoyed close-up views of hundreds of Wigeon, along with several splendid male Pintails; then a Stonechat, and a Chiffchaff right in front of us. Yet another Great White Egret (our star bird and logo!) brought a very eventful few days to a suitable end, as we said our goodbyes.
TOTAL: 78 Species
RSPB Ham Wall