SOMERSET LEVELS TOUR 2 - 2ND FEB 2011

DAY 2 - CATCOTT LOW, SHAPWICK HEATH, GREYLAKE, STARLING ROOST

A dull, overcast day, with a misty start but a little warmer. We set off for Shapwick Heath to see the Starling roost irrupt in the early morning light. The birds were quite distant from the our vantage point along the footpath but it was still spectacular.

After breakfast we set off for Catcott Low a short distance from our guest house. The ice had mostly gone from the flooded meadow that is overlooked from the hide. A good number of Wigeon and Pintail were present and a lone Peregrine was found in the distant trees. Back along the entrance track we found a couple of Bullfinches with Chaffinches and Blue Tits.

From Catcott we drove to Shapwick Heath and walked along the main 'drain' to Noah's Lake. from the elevated hide we added great Crested grebe, Common Gull and Common Pochard to our list but there also were plenty of Shoveler, Tufted Duck, Teal, Wigeon, a few Goldeneye and one Pintail. In the woodlands along the approach track went spent a good hour watching Siskin, Lesser Redpoll, Coal Tit, Long-tailed Tit and Goldcrest.

We took lunch in the Railway Inn and then set off for Greylake RSPB reserve, this is a new reserve consisting of a vast area of flooded meadow, open lagoon and hedgerows of pollarded willow. We found two Peregrines perched on a fence and at least 10 Common Buzzards were on site. A vast flock of some 200 wigeon were joined by Teal and Gadwall and in the middle distance there large flocks of Lapwing. Closer views were had of Redwing, Fieldfare, Pied Wagtail and several Common Snipe.

The next two hours were spent looking for the re-introduced Common Cranes, these birds had been hand reared from eggs at Slimbridge and then released into the wild over King Sedgemoor.
We found Green Woodpecker, lots more Lapwing, Wigeon, Teal and Mute Swans but not the cranes.

Lastly we returned to Shapwick Heath to try to pin down the starling roost, but failed miserably, the birds had moved roost-site again!