andygilbert
Active member
Re the above....Sorry, I've just been advised to check, and actually it wasn't a mandarin but a Drake Wood Duck. Stil, Ive never seen one of them wild in the UK either.
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Somerset Birding (4 Viewers)
- Thread starter shoshone
- Start date
HELP no longer needed with White Egret ID Somerset levels please.
Looking NORTH on Shapwick Heath 100 metres east of the footbridge, about 200 metres west of the car park where you could walk east to Ham Wall, a large white Grey Heron shaped Egret.
Larger than a Little Egret, ALL WHITE and definitely grey Heron Size and with the laboured flight of a larger bird, with black legs.
Yellow bill I think, but the light was fading. Later a group of 8 Little Egrets flew up amongst one of the Starling flocks. The LE's all had smaller bodies, black legs and quicker wing beats than the larger white bird seen earlier. So not the bird I had seen earlier amongst them.
Any ideas please?
cheers
obm
Looking NORTH on Shapwick Heath 100 metres east of the footbridge, about 200 metres west of the car park where you could walk east to Ham Wall, a large white Grey Heron shaped Egret.
Larger than a Little Egret, ALL WHITE and definitely grey Heron Size and with the laboured flight of a larger bird, with black legs.
Yellow bill I think, but the light was fading. Later a group of 8 Little Egrets flew up amongst one of the Starling flocks. The LE's all had smaller bodies, black legs and quicker wing beats than the larger white bird seen earlier. So not the bird I had seen earlier amongst them.
Any ideas please?
cheers
obm
Last edited by a moderator:
andygilbert
Active member
This morning 2 purple Sandpipers at Battery Point Portishead, on the rocks by the lighthouse at high tide. This is the first time I have seen this sepcies, they are lovely birds
andygilbert
Active member
REPLY TO OBM ABOVE:
HELP no longer needed with White Egret ID Somerset levels please.
Looking NORTH on Shapwick Heath 100 metres east of the footbridge, about 200 metres west of the car park where you could walk east to Ham Wall, a large white Grey Heron shaped Egret.
Larger than a Little Egret, ALL WHITE and definitely grey Heron Size and with the laboured flight of a larger bird, with black legs.
Yellow bill I think, but the light was fading. Later a group of 8 Little Egrets flew up amongst one of the Starling flocks. The LE's all had smaller bodies, black legs and quicker wing beats than the larger white bird seen earlier. So not the bird I had seen earlier amongst them.
Any ideas please?
cheers
obm
According to my Collins guide, the great white egret has a yellow bill EXCEPT in the breeding season, when it's black with a yellow base. Legs always greenish-black.
Cattle egrets seem to always have an orange bill.
Little egrets black bill, dark legs, yellow feet.
Perhaps you were looking at little egrets? Some specimens are biger than others, and I've seen both great and little white egrets in Somerset.
HELP no longer needed with White Egret ID Somerset levels please.
Looking NORTH on Shapwick Heath 100 metres east of the footbridge, about 200 metres west of the car park where you could walk east to Ham Wall, a large white Grey Heron shaped Egret.
Larger than a Little Egret, ALL WHITE and definitely grey Heron Size and with the laboured flight of a larger bird, with black legs.
Yellow bill I think, but the light was fading. Later a group of 8 Little Egrets flew up amongst one of the Starling flocks. The LE's all had smaller bodies, black legs and quicker wing beats than the larger white bird seen earlier. So not the bird I had seen earlier amongst them.
Any ideas please?
cheers
obm
According to my Collins guide, the great white egret has a yellow bill EXCEPT in the breeding season, when it's black with a yellow base. Legs always greenish-black.
Cattle egrets seem to always have an orange bill.
Little egrets black bill, dark legs, yellow feet.
Perhaps you were looking at little egrets? Some specimens are biger than others, and I've seen both great and little white egrets in Somerset.
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Thank you for the input Andy.
http://www.somersetbirds.net/gallery.htm
the link shows a picture of the type of bird I saw on the day.
regards
obm
http://www.somersetbirds.net/gallery.htm
the link shows a picture of the type of bird I saw on the day.
regards
obm
Hi Folks
I currently live in Aberdeenshire but I'm planning a visit to Bristol to see my family and whilst there I really want to catchup with Nightjars. Can anybody please give me some good sites to try and see this bird. Im comming down to Bristol the first week in August so I hope they are still here. I did read they are in the UK until September, not sure if this info is correct and applies to the Somerset area. I did read on here that Nightjars are almost guaranteed at Staple Plain (near Watchet) if this is the case can anybody give me a little more info on where to go etc. Any help would be really appreciated
Dave
I currently live in Aberdeenshire but I'm planning a visit to Bristol to see my family and whilst there I really want to catchup with Nightjars. Can anybody please give me some good sites to try and see this bird. Im comming down to Bristol the first week in August so I hope they are still here. I did read they are in the UK until September, not sure if this info is correct and applies to the Somerset area. I did read on here that Nightjars are almost guaranteed at Staple Plain (near Watchet) if this is the case can anybody give me a little more info on where to go etc. Any help would be really appreciated
Dave
Thanks for the reply Dave. I'm kinda hoping that there might be a site nearer to Bristol but I'm willing to travel if needed. As I now live up in Aberdeenshire the nearest site for me to see Nightjar is down by Ayr about 5 hours drive so a wee drive down to Staple Plain is fine by me;-).
I did know quite a few sites around Somerset, Wiltshire etc for Nightjar but those sites are from 20 years ago or more when I lived in Bristol and as we all know things change. I have tried a few of those old sites last time I was down but to no avail so I guess I need an update on new locations to try and connect with this fantastic bird.
I did know quite a few sites around Somerset, Wiltshire etc for Nightjar but those sites are from 20 years ago or more when I lived in Bristol and as we all know things change. I have tried a few of those old sites last time I was down but to no avail so I guess I need an update on new locations to try and connect with this fantastic bird.
devon.birder
Well-known member
Stock Hill near Priddy is much nearer Bristol. This is a very good Nightjar site but use plenty of insect repellant. Roger
I am staying with friends on Exmoor this weekend and hope to get a little birding in. Devon.birder, I remember you mentioned some time ago in a different thread about seeing Pied Flycatchers and Redstart when walking up or down the hill between Webber's Post and Cloutsham ford. Is this still the case? I would love to see a male Redstart if possible.
ATB
Dave
ATB
Dave
devon.birder
Well-known member
Both species are still there although more difficult to see with all the leaves now on the trees. If you carry on over the ford for about four hundred yards or so there is a small bridge over the stream. You will see a steep track up the hillside the other side of the bridge. If you go up this track when it levels out you are looking down on a wooded valley. This is also a good spot for Pied Flycatcher, Redstart and Wood Warbler. Roger
andygilbert
Active member
I have a leser spotted woodpecker in my back garden! (Portishead BS20, North Somerset, up around the top of the hill). We have some very large mature trees, oak, ash etc.....and I have feeders on them. The woodpecker really likes my nut-feeder.
I've had a green woodpecker before, and a greater spotted recently, but I know that the lesser is on the red list and is very uncommon. It's the first one I've ever seen and I can watch him thro the back window. Wish I had a decent SLR camera.
I've had a green woodpecker before, and a greater spotted recently, but I know that the lesser is on the red list and is very uncommon. It's the first one I've ever seen and I can watch him thro the back window. Wish I had a decent SLR camera.
StarainBoy
Well-known member
I'm in Portishead as well and it's been 4 years since my last Lesser. Would it be possible to see it? I've got a compact zoom too if that'd be any good.
Dartford Warbler has been reported from Wavering Down in the past, I have not heard of any recent sightings.
I have seen Cattle Egrets at Sharpham in the past ,again I have not heard of any recently.
Suggest you ask on the Somerset Ornithilogical Society website.
Enjoy your trip and I hope the weather improves for you.
devon.birder
Well-known member
I very much doubt you will get any information on Dartfords or Woodlarks from the SOS site. You will need to go to Dorset to have any chance of seeing either species in July. Read back posts on the Dorset thread. Roger
