JAN 17TH 2013 - SOMERSET LEVELS DAY 6

CHEDDAR RESERVOIR - CHEW VALLEY LAKE - CATCOTT LOWS

This was the last day of the Somerset tours for 2103. Luckily it dry all day with a high cloud base, but it was very cold.

We set off for Cheddar at 8:30am and arrive at 8:50am. I expected a large wildfowl influx due to the freezing over of many pools on the levels but that wasn't the case, if anything, there were fewer birds than last week. In fact, the Smew had gone along with the Scaup and many other ducks had reduced in number. We did note: Goldeneye (3), Common Pochard, Tufted Duck, Wigeon, Shoveler and lots of Common Coots. Four of the five common gulls species were present, Great-black Backed was missing. We saw Meadow Pipits and Pied Wagtails on the edge of the water.

Chew wasn't much better we had to search from a couple of places before we found a Ruddy Duck! There were plenty of the common ducks and quite a few Goldeneye. At Herriot's Bridge we added Great Black-backed Gull and Grey Wagtail to the trip list and then we drove round to the visitor's centre for lunch. Before we went in to eat we took a short walk along the nature trails where we found Goldcrest, Long-tailed Tit, Great-spotted Woodpecker and a Treecreeper. Out on the water we located 5 Goosanders and many more Goldeneye.

After lunch we drove back onto the 'Levels' where we sat in the hide at Catcott until darkness fell. It was bitterly cold but we enjoyed watching many ducks including several Pintails. there was also a Whooper Swan with a couple of Mute Swans, a Great White Egret fed out in the marsh and two Marsh Harriers hunted in the distance.

At 5pm we called it day and ended the birding for this tour. We had run up a total of 95 species with another heard but not seen (Water Rail & Cetti's Warbler). We had stayed dry and enjoyed some fabulous visits to the Starling roost, in fact the Starling roost was voted, unanimously, the best sighting of the trip despite seeing some rarer birds such as Temminck's Stint, Glaucous Gull, Waxing, Jack Snipe, Cattle Egret and Brambling.

ADDITIONS TO THE NEW YEAR LIST

125. Treecreeper