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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Somerset Birding (1 Viewer)

Hi can anyone advise me the best place to park at the moment for the starling roost, or any other gems of info? I am coming from Essex for the day on Wednesday and would really welcome some local knowledge. The starling hotline suggested parking at Peat Moors, but so often I have been told by a visitors centre to park miles away from something only to be told by a local birder that there is much closer parking.

I would also welcome any local knowledge regarding good places to spend the day in the area. We are planning to start at Greylake RSPB at the moment as we read there is a good selection of raptors first thing. Any comments will be welcomed.

Cheers!

Sue
 
Hi Runeston
Westhay,catcott lows,canada farm,mear heath, Ham wall and shapwick and are all easily accessed from Greylake.
check out the SOS website for up to date info on the starling roost.
If at Shapwick,mear heath or Ham wall park at Ashcott corner.
 
Best thing I've seen for ages

We drove over Tealham Moor yesterday, and in a very quick trip saw half a dozen Lapwings, with plenty of display going on, and a Redshank down in a ditch. Fantastic. Ten years ago there were no breeding waders at all on this moor. Twenty-five years ago there were plenty (including Snipe).

Well done the STNC (or whoever) :clap: Brilliant.
 
Hi there,

I'm trying to find out which Counties still use the Watsonian Vice County system to record birds in and which go by whatever the political boundary may change to (and why).

The Watsonian Vice County system was set to accurately record and compare historical and modern data and it seems that there can be/is confusion when some counties no longer use this system whilst others do. Does anyone in your county have a view on this ? Discussion here if anyone has a comment:

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=142074

ps this is not about getting more or less county ticks, more a question about uniformity in recording.

Johnny Allan
 
Little Bittern showing very well, when not being mobile and elusive, and singing frequently [a very handy aid to keeping track of it!] at RSPB Ham Wall.
 
I'm just back home from a couple of weeks' holiday in SW England (Cotswolds and Cornwall). Not much birding was done but we did have an hour and a half's walk at Shapwick Heath en route between the two bits of the holiday.

I was really very impressed and can't believe there seem to be so few people posting from Somerset on birdforum. The scale of the wetlands is something else and the birds certainly compare well with some of the better known East Anglian wetlands that I've visited. Just walking 1km along the main path from the car park, I saw a female Marsh Harrier, Little Egret, no less than three Bittern flyovers, a Hobby and heard about eight Cetti's Warblers, one of which flew across the track in front of me. Not to mention plenty of Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs and Reed Warblers, all species that are scarce here in the frozen north. And I didn't even see the Little Bittern, Purple Heron or Great Egrets that have been in the area recently - it wouldn't surprise me if one or more of these species started breeding here in the not too distant future. Well worth a visit and I hope I'll be able to make a more leisurely visit in the future.
 

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I can really recommend the Somerset Levels to everyone who might be visiting during the Summer months, I was there all day yesterday. The sights and sounds are something else.

Just a brief note of my sightings for the day included an early morning hunting Barn Owl, three Buzzards, a Male and Female Marsh Harrier, 9 singing Cettis Warblers with three being seen, Reed and Sedge Warblers everywere, various Ducks and Great-crested and Little Grebe with young, and other wildlife included an Otter, various Dragonflies and Chasers, plus hundreds of Damselflies and various Butterflies including a glorious White Admiral. Plus not forgetting the Marsh Frogs.
The reserves are real gems.
 
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The Great White Egret is stil present on the Meare Heath Lagoon, Shapwick Heath, though Distant. And the Little Bittern can still be heard at the RSPB Reserve Ham Wall.
 
Surprised nobody has mentioned the Spotted Crake at Greylake.
Been there for 3 or 4 days now and is showing well.
 

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-Osprey showing well from Noahs Hide at Shapwick, Common Tern as well.
Also Ruff,Snipe Ringed Plover and BT Godwits amongst the Lapwing on the Shallow Lagoon as you walk down from Ashcott corner carpark.
 
we are thinking of spending a few days in Somerset this November with plenty of time for birding - can anybody recommend where we should go? or even better stay?
 
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