Spring on the Levels

THE warmth of today's spring weather brought out the adders; at least four were basking on a heap of cut grass; some were intertwined making it hard to count them with confidence.

The young silver birch leaves, the white bark and the red of the bog myrtle created quite a wonderful spectacle.

 

There are so many great-crested grebes on the Levels - both individuals and pairs were everywhere you looked.  The males send out a call that is like a bark to attract the females and probably warn off other males.  Other calls heard today included booming bitterns, screeching water-rails,  chittering little grebes, singing warblers and even croaking marsh frogs.

And finally a fine male robin was singing his heart out...

Catcott Lows, Somerset

The sun eventually shone on us yesterday in Somerset - although it remained cold (as you would expect in November).

The water levels at the Lows are starting to rise, and with it, the many wintering wildfowl and other birds arrive.  There were good numbers of teal, wigeon, pintail, lapwing, golden plover (200+) [these guys looked amazing in the sun and this is the best view I've ever had of this spp in the Levels], 100s of startlings, snipe, plus an egret and buzzard.  There was no appearances of any more exotic raptors however, which normally raise the birds into wielding flocks.  However they did occasionally get spooked by nothing in particular.

starlings, lapwings, golden plovers and some ducks

Mostly lapwings and golden plovers

 

I also managed to get a nice view of the Sabine's gull at another site up the road (Noah's hide).  This was a lifer for me - yipee!  Thank you to the generous chap who allowed me to look through his scope just before the bird flew off..