11th August - RSPB Ham Wall and Shapwick Heath, Somerset

 A chance to visit the Avalon Marshes Reserves kis never one to mis up so it was a very early start for once to make sure there was no interruption to the family activities.  Getting up at 5.00am, the sun still had 45 minutes until dawn, but there was the twilight away to the east across the field at the back of the house.

It was a 30 minute drive across the flat land of the levels, the light dressing up the clouds with red.  The locals don't expect other cars to be on the road and there was a couple of near misses on bends when they decided to use all the road.

Only one car in the car park when we arrived and as we walked out along the wall the sun was just up and it was a spectacular view along the canal.

At the first viewing point a Great Egret was fishing against the reeds.

The view across the reeds at the first viewing platform.

We crossed the canal and headed for the Avalon Hide, walking on the other side of the canal the early morning mist was highlighted gold by the rising sun

It was quiet in the hide, a single Great Egret and a few Gadwall the only birds seen.  I picked out a distant Marsh Harrier in a hawthorn bush, but it was impossible to get any definition due to the light.  The view looking across the marsh with the Glastonbury Tor in the far distance.

Bleating calls highlighted me to an adult Great Crested Grebe and a begging juvenile.

Rather than diving to catch the fish, it was able to "snorkel" due to the shallow water.  As it did so the water would boil as the fish wanted to get out of the way.

I could hear Bearded Tits but was unable to see them, the birds were proving to be very quiet.  The one bird to be seen in good numbers though were the Great Egrets.  This one flying towards the hide.

And after leaving the hide, this one posed very nicely in the reeds

This was a first for me, a Small Red-eyed Damselfly perched on a grass stem.  The blue on the first part of the abdomen and the small wings relative to the full abdomen, distinguish it from the Red-eyed Damselfly.

We walked the loops with the only bird of note was a Great Spotted Woodpecker.  Heading back towards the car park a Buzzard came at us along the path, while another was sat on a fence from the main bridge.

I was keen to walk across the road and into the Shapwick Heath reserve.  a few years ago at the same time of year there had been an Osprey on Noah's Lake.  Walking along the canal path the sun was finally breaking through and this was bring out the insects in the trees and a good number of warblers, mostly Chiffchaffs, and Great and Blue Tits.

From Noah's Hide it was immediately obvious the water levels were low.  up to half a dozen Great Egrets were around the lake and a Little Egret was preening in front of the hide.  The only bird to attract my attention though, was a female Marsh Harrier, hunting around the bushes.

I wanted to be back at the house by 10.00am, so we called it a day.  A little disappointing morning, but the dawn scenery was worth getting up early for.