Take a Look - Level 42 (Part 1)

 Just because we have not been celebrating the 'C Word' doesn't mean we have been sat idley by twiddling the proverbials, on the contrary, we have been more active than is usual. So much so that already we are 4 days behind and now looking back at a magical day across the

SOMERSET LEVELS
making a start at

and imperative that we arrived pre-dawn to witness one of the most magical moments the reserve has to offer. We could already hear the kerfuffle from the car park about a mile away as

many 'thousands' of

STARLINGs

made to leave their reedbed roost, known as a 'murmuration'
MAGIC!
While in the process recording all of the more common British Herons including

LITTLE EGRET

GREY HERON

GREAT WHITE EGRET

along with a number of the smaller version

CATTLE EGRET

and only dipping out on the most shy and secretive of them all the

BITTERN
On entry to a nearby hide the first thing to be noticed were a number of

OWL PELETS
regurgitated by most likely Barn or Tawny Owl before catching sight of the
Thousands of Waterfowl.

TEAL
in the majority and with small mixed

'flurries' ariving at regular intervals such as

TEAL and WIGEON (male's with thier 'golden caps')
in the background.

Male SHOVELER 

also in the background

and foreground with Wigeon before turning our attentions to something a little more agressive!

The first of at least c3

MARSH HARRIERs

spoiled for choice as far as

breakfast was concerned!

DRAINS

served by the mechanics of a

WIND GENERATOR

Of the passerines, small perching birds, there were decent numbers of

SISKIN left and LESSER REDPOLL
and just a single

WATER PIPIT
while representative of the Wading Birds probably a thousand

LAPWING
and who knows how many dozens of the less numerous

GOLDEN PLOVER
both mostly 'on the wing'.

A huge heap of PEAT thought for a commercial market rightly or wrongly? who knows, along with regular squeals from

WATER RAIL/s
The last of it before moving on was something of a fluke as walking along one of the drains coinsiding with the 'landing' of this Jack (small)

PIKE
which was successfully 'clicked' from some distance and with the anglers cooperation.

Part 2 Coming to a Blog near you in the near future!