Monday 2 April 2012

Shapwick Heath - Waders galore

I picked Shapwick Heath in Somerset as my main destination for the day whilst returning home, some good birds were hopefully guaranteed? A Common Crane in flight over the Ham Wall side just after I'd arrived, was a good start!

It was a gorgeous day and the walk in flat and featureless with Blackcap singing and a distant male Marsh Harrier in flight.....



Eventually I reached the main lagoon and for the first time in a week of two, there was no sign of the Long-billed Dowitchers :-(



There were two Great White Egrets however. Both were now in breeding mode with black bills, quite mobile but one bird lingering distantly....





A fair number of Black-tailed Godwits were feeding up with a single white headed Ruff. Every now and then they would perform an impromptu 'red arrows' display!





Just after midday, my luck returned - not the two smaller waders joining in on the display flight - the two Long-billed Dowitchers!



They flew about for a while before settling down on the nearest muddy island!





Kingfisher was added to the day list and eventually the heat shimmer made photography impossible, nothing new had arrived, it was time to move on....