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Meare Wetlands - BirdForum Opus


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England, Somerset

Alternative name: Meare Marshes

Overview

Meare Wetlands is also known as Meare Marshes. It's the site of a peat harvesting operation that resulted in the formation of these wetlands in Somerset near Glastonbury.

These wetlands are an area with tremendous birding potential with two National Nature Reserves nearby.


Birds

Notable Species

Meare, while not a huge location, has had 128 species sighted. The top 5 species, by number of sightings, are the European Starling, Eurasian Wigeon, Northern Lapwing, Black-headed Gull, and the Gadwall.

Another plus is the proximity of three other locations, Shapwick Heath National Nature Reserve, Shapwick Moor Nature Reserve, and RSPB Ham Wall. All with excellent birding potential combining to make Meare and it's close neighbors a destination for birding and birders.

Rarities

No species has been seen recorded as rare in available resources; some of the species observed less often here include the Egyptian Goose, Hudsonian Godwit, Wood Sandpiper, Eurasian Jay, Rook, Eurasian Treecreeper, and Western Yellow Wagtail.

Check-list

Birds you can see here include:

European Starling, Eurasian Wigeon, Northern Lapwing, Black-headed Gull, Gadwall, Mute Swan, Common Swift, Eurasian Coot, Black-tailed Godwit, Mallard, Green-winged Teal, Northern Shoveler, Herring Gull, Tufted Duck, Bank Swallow, Long-tailed Tit, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Eurasian Hobby, Barn Swallow, Graylag Goose, Canada Goose, Common Wood-Pigeon, Great Cormorant, Little Egret, Carrion Crow, Fieldfare, Lesser Redpoll, Whimbrel, Common House-Martin

Other Wildlife

To do

Site Information

History and Use

This is the site of a former peat harvesting operation.

Areas of Interest

Nearby Areas of Interest

RSPB Ham Wall is 890 m/3,000 ft south-southeast of Meare Wetlands and is an RSPB location in the near vicinity offering another opportunity for birding and the enjoyment of nature.

Shapwick Heath National Nature Reserve is 1 km/ 0.5 mile west of Meare Wetlands and is another nearby birding and nature location in the area.

Shapwick Moor Nature Reserve is 2.5 km/ 1.5 mile south-southwest cross country from Meare Wetlands and is another birding location and nature location just the other side of Shapwick Heath Nature Reserve.


Access and Facilities

Contact a trusted travel professional regarding specific, up-to-date information, and recommendations, for travel to this location.

Contact Details

To do

References

  1. eBird - https://ebird.org/hotspot/L962771
  2. Avalon Marshes – Shapwick Heath National Nature Reserve - http://avalonmarshes.org/explore/nature-reserves/shapwick-heath/
  3. Avalon Marshes – Ham Wall National Nature Reserve - http://avalonmarshes.org/explore/nature-reserves/ham-wall/
  4. RSPB Ham Wall - https://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves-and-events/reserves-a-z/ham-wall/

Recommended Citation

External Links

  1. Meare on Streetmap

Maps

  1. Meare Wetlands on StreetMaps
  2. RSPB Ham Wall on Google Maps




Content and images originally posted by alcatras

Reviews

alcatras's review

Pros

  • peacefull

Cons

  • long way from london
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