A good start to the day with an early morning visit to Shapwick NNR ,from Noels Hide ,Osprey present and drawing in the visitors, Little Grebe,Juvenile G-c-Grebe,Pair of Kingfishers, Little Egret,and Heron fishing,a female Marsh Harrier gave a slow pass in front of the hide,Glossy Ibis and a Curlew Sandpiper at the scrape.7.10 to 9.31 this morning.

Quite soon after Jim left Noah's hide a few birders remaining in the hide noticed a large bird in the trees on the far left of the reserve. It was considered by those present that it may be a second Osprey?? Time will tell no doubt. I did manage to take a very long distance shot,

See link:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cromwells_boy/9597069515/in/photostream/

Glossy Ibis left the Meare Heath scrape around 10.30, thought too have gone back to Ham Wall

Dear Brian,

Thanks for sharing the two photos. I scrutinised them carefully but both just seem to lack the necessary detail to make a firm identification (by me at least). It's hard to be sure but the head and nape look rather too pale for an Osprey. Given its choice of perch too, I'm wondering if it might be the pale morph juvenile Common Buzzard that I reported from the same vicinity earlier in the month (and on my previous visit in July)?

Best regards,

Nick

Osprey spent a quite morning watching the ducks fly by before flying to the far end of Noels Lake and perching . Returning from Shapwick via Jacks Drove Tealham Moor saw a handsome male Marsh Harrier flying towards me.

Hi Jim,

So no sign of a second Osprey then?

Or the pale morph Common Buzzard?

Best regards,

Nick

Alan Ashman has just phoned me to say that there are now 2 Ospreys at Noah's Lake - the rather tatty one that's been around a few days and a fresher-looking individual. How this correlates with Jim's sighting is unknown (to me, at least).

Dear Julian,

Good news - thanks to you (and Alan) for the update.

Perhaps Brian's photo shows an Osprey after all?

Or could it have been a photo preminition?

Best regards,

Nick