Somerset Ornithological Society - Bird News
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Catcott Lows water management improvement

Thursday 20th Nov. Drainage work started today on the Lows. The gravity drain adjacent to the pump house is being replaced. I understand this work will take around 5 days and involve a machine trench digging etc. 50 yards to the left of the car park hide, so some disturbance is inevitable.
Despite this activity this afternoon there were three Ruff in amongst a resting flock of 100 Lapwing, three different Marsh Harriers were seen including the green tagged bird. Duck nos. however were down to around 30 as most had cleared off when the machinery arrived and did not return!

Re: Catcott Lows water management improvement

Green-tagged marsh harrier and 3 others were all perched up in a bush on Noah's Lake yesterday afternoon. Earlier, a very dark, presumably juvenile bird was seen at Catcott, but, apart from a female kestrel, a stonechat and couple of roe deer, the relatively few ducks present were at the back, away from the digger. 2 drake pintail, the usual kingfisher and 2 water rails also at Noah's yesterday.

Re: Catcott Lows water management improvement

No sign of action on the drainage front p.m. today but it's obviously still WIP!
Duck nos. have improved at least 400 duck present mostly Wigeon plus Shoveller,Teal, Mallard, Gadwall and 5 Pintail drakes. Just a dozen Lapwing, 2 Ruff (very briefly) and a single G.W. Egret. A couple of juv Marsh Harriers and three Sparrow Hawk passes in a couple of hours.

Re: Catcott Lows water management improvement

A morning visit to The Lows today coincided with Radio Somerset doing a live broadcast from the car park hide celebrating the 50th year of The Somerset Wildlife Trust.
2 Marsh Harriers and a single G.W.Egret plus a couple of dozen duck were all that were present. However the drainage work was completed last week and the machinery etc. has all been removed,so hopefully now the disturbance having ceased birds will return in numbers!

Re: Catcott Lows water management improvement

A couple of thousand duck on Canada lake this am ( webs count) - mostly wigeon., teal but 52 pintails - presumably the displaced Catcott birds.

Re: Catcott Lows water management improvement

Tues. Lunchtime visit duck nos. up to 300 + including 39 Pintail, hopefully this increase will continue.

Re: Catcott Lows water management improvement

100 Pintail today among the several hundred duck present majority as usual were Wigeon with 50+ Shoveller, Teal, Gadwall and Mallard. 12 Blk.Tld. G'Wits and only a few Snipe seen plus hundreds of Lapwing overflying when disturbed from the fields to the north of the reserve beside the South Drain. A single G.W. Egret the usual bird (it has an inner primary missing from it's left wing)! Plus 3 Different Marsh Harriers including a Green wing tagged bird (presumably L1) ?? half a dozen Buzzards a Kestrel and at least 2 Sparrow Hawks made up the raptors

Re: Catcott Lows

47 Black Tld. G'Wits with around 1000 Lapwing dropping in as the light was fading late afternoon today (Fri). Water level is about right now unfortunately we can't read the level on the board by the pumphouse, as there's a need for a small amount of weeding!!