Quick visit this afternoon into an Arctic-like Noah's hide produced a gannet, seen twice close to the hide and being blown back behind it. Also 3 common terns, a kingfisher and a couple of hobbies. Meare Heath/70 acre produced 3 bitterns, one perched up in the reeds for about 5 minutes, 3 marsh harriers (2m 1f), a peregrine put up the 133 blackwits, also a ruff, a single whimbrel and a redshank. 6 more whimbrel over MH hide and a female sparrowhawk. On return past the scrape godwit numbers up to 136, but still no Hudsonian. Egyptian goose at Ham Wall VP1 and a very red-legged GWE with black bill, ringed I think but ring colours difficult to identify. Tuftie/Pochard hybrid with pochards in front of the Walton Heath blinds, swifts everywhere with a few swallows, house and sand martins among them. Female blackcap at Shapwick (I'd only seen males so far before this Spring). Garden warbler, song thrush and a few more hobbies at Ham Wall. Not a bad day considering the weather conditions - and no crowds.
6-May-15
Presumably the same adult Gannet earlier at 13:40 hrs. Seen to fly into the Brue Estuary, then went inland over the STW and towards East Huntspill.
Also, between 14:00 & 15:00, 2 Arctic Terns and a single adult Kittwake off the Huntspill Seawall.
Much later, at 19:55 hrs, 2 Arctic Skuas (a dark and a light phase) flew down-channel off Burnham seafront, where also a distant flock of c.40 Kittiwakes seen.
A little earlier, Andy Slade saw 4 Pom Skuas fly north from further north along the bay.
