Somerset Ornithological Society - Bird News
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HUDSONIAN GODWIT - MEARE HEATH

Reports of a Hudsonian Godwit on meare Heath scrape this am via birdguides, rba and surfbirds. Anyone got more details of the report?

Re: HUDSONIAN GODWIT - MEARE HEATH

Photos on Twitter from Andy Slade and James Packer.

Re: HUDSONIAN GODWIT - MEARE HEATH

Hudsonian showing well to a swelling crowd of visitors this morning along with the Wood Sandpiper and a Greenshank and at least 130 Blackwits. Also around were Garden Warblers and a Wood Warbler.

Re: HUDSONIAN GODWIT - MEARE HEATH

Everything in Martin's post plus an arctic tern flew over meare Heath towards Noah's.

Re: HUDSONIAN GODWIT - MEARE HEATH

Still showing well at 12:30pm... standing room only. Long shot here...(copy and paste)

https://flic.kr/p/s21FvY

if that doesn't work try...

https://www.flickr.com/photos/cosperwosper/17076725398/

Re: HUDSONIAN GODWIT - MEARE HEATH

My 3-min video clip (720p HD) of this bird is now on YouTube...

https://youtu.be/VPt79yPKhsM

A really great find by Tom Raven - thanks Tom

Re: HUDSONIAN GODWIT - MEARE HEATH

I was wondering why I was almost alone on Ham Wall this morning, until I checked twitter and discovered the news about the Mega Rare Hunsonian Godwit, so as I was in the area, I popped along to take a look.

Pictures on my flickr site including the bird in flight

or Links to the bird in flight below

https://flic.kr/p/s2dwu8

https://flic.kr/p/s2dwb2

I do not know Tom Raven, but well done for spotting this bird. Looks slightly different to the other Godwits but it is not that obvious.

Re: HUDSONIAN GODWIT - MEARE HEATH

Great find Tom! Perfect venue for a MEGA to turn up at! tested the parking limits of the new car park, would have been carnage without it! Wood warbler was added bonus!

Re: HUDSONIAN GODWIT - MEARE HEATH

A fantastic find, well done Tom! I got there just in time to see it flying off with a group of blackwits just after 4pm. The many visitors also enjoyed two bitterns chasing behind the scrape, and a reasonably low flyover by three (ringed) cranes, one flying with a dangling crooked leg, and a cuckoo calling from the woods.

Re: HUDSONIAN GODWIT - MEARE HEATH

Wow!

What a stunning bird!
Well done Tom Raven for finding such a rarity!
I'd never seen so many birders anywhere, some had come hundreds of miles just to see it!
By the way, love the new car park! Just in time for today, could you imagine if this bird had showed up this time last year?! Bedlam on the road outside!

Managed a flight pic showing dark underwing, just click the link below.

%%bbCodeItem_1%%Hudsonian Godwit!!!! by Carl Bovis Nature Photography, on Flickr

Re: HUDSONIAN GODWIT - MEARE HEATH

It flew off when I arrived...

I did see it for about 2 seconds though. Hadn't returned when I left at 5.45

Still it was nice to meet Graham at Noahs. The hide was empty. Don't know why :-)

Re: HUDSONIAN GODWIT - MEARE HEATH

Also saw a Sparrowhawk 'stoop' from a great height at prey in the treeline whilst watching the Hudwit, just like a Peregrine! Is this unusual? Never seen them hunting in this way before!

More pics of the Hudwit on my blog.

Re: HUDSONIAN GODWIT - MEARE HEATH

Does anyone know where this bird may have gone? Any reports of it turning up anywhere else?

Typically it turned up on a day I wasn't in the county.

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Unfortunatly, there's been no sign of the bird since saturday as far as I know. I would assume that it will follow the blackwits?

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Have just been reading in Shorebirds what superb migrants HGs are. They rarely get lost and travel huge distances. Sadly, I think we've seen the last of this one as it will probably have very itchy feet and be powering north.

Re: HUDSONIAN GODWIT - MEARE HEATH

The bird was back this morning at 11.00. I waited half an hour to be 100% sure with a flight view when it stood out from the crowd with its black underwings.

Re: HUDSONIAN GODWIT - MEARE HEATH


Carl Bovis wrote ... 'Also saw a Sparrowhawk 'stoop' from a great height at prey in the treeline whilst watching the Hudwit, just like a Peregrine! Is this unusual? Never seen them hunting in this way before!'....


Hi Carl,

Great images of the Hudwit on your website - well done!

Concerning the 'soar and stoop' technique - yes, this is quite a common hunting strategy used by Sparrowhawk but it may be that some individuals select it far more than others and perhaps some hawks rarely or never use it at all. Shapwick Heath and environs seems to be a particular good area to observe this particular behaviour. In good weather you can often see it repeated several times over a period of few hours.

Keep watching the sky!

NPW

Re: HUDSONIAN GODWIT - MEARE HEATH

I arrived at Meare at 13.00ish not realising the Hudsonian was back,the Godwits were all flying round the scrape,i had v good views of it until 2ish when I left,it was nice to get good views of the dark underwing which I didn't see on sat,also present,a Ruff & LRP. Wonder if it'll be a long stayer??

Re: HUDSONIAN GODWIT - MEARE HEATH

Thank you Nick for your reply and compliment!

I probably don't watch the sky enough!
This Sparrowhawk had been soaring, which I have seen many times, but it's sudden and long stoop to attack was a new one for me, but thrilling!


Re: HUDSONIAN GODWIT - MEARE HEATH

The 'Hudwit' still present and showing well when I left shortly after 5.30pm.

Re: HUDSONIAN GODWIT - MEARE HEATH

Present until just gone 8.00 p.m. When it flew off west with a group of Blackwits.

Re: HUDSONIAN GODWIT - MEARE HEATH

The Hudsonian G'Wit left the scrape in company with about 40 of the Blk Wit flock present heading west over Noah's at 2005 hrs.
Everyone present then departed and I left at 2015, as of then the bird had not returned nor had the Blk. Wits it left with!

Re: HUDSONIAN GODWIT - MEARE HEATH

Reported present 0930 today via birdguides.

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I know that this site is for bird news, but just out of interest, why do Godwits fly off the scrape in the evening. Clearly the scrape is a safe environment and provides a good food supply as they return most mornings. So what else drives them off at night. Is it something like (a) a place to hide at night, (b) safety with bigger numbers of waders, (c) risk of a sudden rise in water levels (d) something else?

many thanks

Robin

Re: HUDSONIAN GODWIT - MEARE HEATH

And still present at 16:40 hrs today (30th)

Re: HUDSONIAN GODWIT - MEARE HEATH

For any one that may have missed the Hudsonion Godwit I have placed a short video taken in very windy conditions on my website.

Re: HUDSONIAN GODWIT - MEARE HEATH

The Hudsonian Godwit still present on the Meare Heath scrape/drained lagoon today - from the pager messages it has been there since early morning (probably roosted there last night as it was still present at 8.45pm y'day evening), and still present 12.25pm at least.

Re: HUDSONIAN GODWIT - MEARE HEATH

The Hudsonian godwit was present from early morning apparently. It was there when I arrived at 8.10 and other visitors had been there a while before then. Also one Ruff, one Redshank and a male Garganey. At Noah's, one Common Tern, 3 Black headed gulls, still a few Wigeon around and a big flock of Sand Martins.

Re: HUDSONIAN GODWIT - MEARE HEATH

Hudsonian Godwit still Pres today. Also this am on Ham Wall/Shapwick 2 Garganey on Meare Heath, 2 Bittern, 4 GWE, 1 Cuckoo and 7 hobby. Photos on site.

Re: HUDSONIAN GODWIT - MEARE HEATH

At last I have an opportunity to visit Shapwick this afternoon (Tuesday).

I understand the Hudsonian Godwit didn't show at all yesterday. Has it been seen at all today?

Thanks.

Jamie

Re: HUDSONIAN GODWIT - MEARE HEATH

Hudwit hasn't been seen today to my knowledge.

Re: HUDSONIAN GODWIT - MEARE HEATH

Thanks Oliver. I'll try again on Thursday afternoon.

Re: HUDSONIAN GODWIT - MEARE HEATH

Hudwit not present up until 1515 today (Wed 6th) : 134 Blk tld Godwits were still there