A Bittern flew over the car park hide at 1330 today routing from Chilton Polden to the reed bed adjacent to Godwins peat works on the Burtle to Westhay road. The 2 Barnacle Geese are still present as are a good number of Pintail. Due to the high water level many duck are hidden from view among the pools in the juncas it took two Hercules to give a show of those present early p.m.
21-Feb-15 (morning)
The 2 Barnacle Geese still present, other h'lights juv (male?) Marsh Harrier, Peregrine and Grt White Egret; also large nos of Wigeon plus a few Pintail etc.
25-Feb-15 (morning)
The 2 Barnacle Geese still present; also a Grt White Egret and good nos of Wigeon plus about 20 Pintail, but no sign of any raptors
3-Mar-15 (mid-afternoon)
The 2 Barnacle Geese still present; also a Grt White Egret, 2 Common Buzzards, 2 Marsh Harriers, adult Peregrine, Sparrowhawk and good nos of Wigeon and Shoveler plus about 20 Pintail.
A Barn Owl hunting at 16:45 hrs between Catcott Village and the Lows.
5-Mar-15
Yesterday's Barnacle Geese, single Blk-t Godwit and flyover Curlew were all absent this afternoon, though 2 Grt W Egrets present and 2 Marsh Harriers showed up over Canada Farm Lake area.
A bit miffed to learn from Alan Ashman (welcome back Alan), as I entered the hide, that I'd just missed a fly-thro' ringtail Hen Harrier by 2 mins, oh bother!! Looked for it later, without success, across Chilton Moor.
An hour visit early afternoon - no sign of the Barnacle Geese and not a single wader-bird except the usual Herons and one GWE. Also 2 LBB Gulls and a flyover Peregrine. I attempted a count of the other wildfowl and came up with:
Widgeon 1,000
Shoveler 80
Teal 60
Pintail 32
Gadwall 8
Mallard 2
Tuftie 2
Greylag 10 (also 31 at Westhay Moor this morning)
Canada Goose 6
Hi Jon, There was one Blk Tld, G'Wit around at 1300 today it was chased unsuccessfully ( probably by the same Peregrine) for several minutes into the strong southerly wind, not much in it but the Peregrine couldn't gain on it and gave up. The Godwit (or one of its relatives) returned 10 minutes later and disappeared into the vegetation.