Somerset Levels Tour 1 - Jan 29th 2011

A very cold start to my 3 tours of the 'levels' with temperatures around freezing all day. My first group arrived in Yeovil, Somerset by train on time at 10:38am. We drove straight to our hotel in Meare, we noted Common Kestrel, Rook, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Magpie, Fieldfare, Redwing, Lapwing and Wood Pigeon en route.

We checked in, and were back out in field by12 noon.

Our first venue was Westhay Moor, an area where peat extraction was still going on whilst the disused areas were managed for wildlife. A patch-work of large areas of open water and vast reed-beds were dissected by very straight tracks called droves.

We parked along one such drove and walk 1km to a large pool called 7 acre lake where we found several interesting duck species and our target bird the Goosander . Many Mute Swans fed in the shallow pools alongside, Shoveler, Teal, Wigeon, Tufted Duck, Gadwall and Mallard. Passerines were scarce, a couple of Blue Tits, a single Goldcrest and a Song Thrush were recorded.

Next we drove to the car park and at Ham Wall RSPB Resreve which was quite crowded. Our walk along the 'drain' eastward to Meare Heath and Noah's Lake was very cold we suffered with a stiff breeze from the north. Nothing new was added to our list until we looked over the lake where we found Great Crested Grebe and a Goldeneye. From the raised-hide we found 9 Bewick Swans, a Pintail, lots of Cormorants, more Goldeneye and many Wigeon, Gadwall, Tufted Duck, Common Pochard and Mute swans.

The woodland along track near the hide provided the best birding so far with excellent views of a very obliging Goldcrest then a flock of Lesser Redpolls were found together with Siskin, Long-tailed Tit, Great Tit, Treecreeper, Blue Tit and a couple of lovely Redwings.

Our last birding venue was at Ham Wall nature reserve and along with about 200 other people, who had braved the cold, we stood to watch the Starling Roost hoping for a spectacular display. Whist waiting we watched a GReat White Egret in the nearby pool, we also saw Chaffinch, Robin, Little Egret, Common Buzzard, Marsh Harrier and a fly over Reed Bunting.

The Starlings arrived in huge numbers but decided to roost elsewhere so we were disappointed by not seeing a display, we vowed to try again tomorrow. It was now getting dark so we set off for the short trip to the hotel.