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Wednesday 9 March 2016

Cetti's Warbler, Siskin and Stonechats!

In the last 2 weeks I popped to Westhay Moor nature reserve in Somerset, Sand Bay near Weston Super Mare and RSPB Swell Wood.
  At Westhay I got really lucky with a Cetti's Warbler and managed to bag my best ever photo of this elusive seldom seen species! Being a bit of a perfectionist, I'm a bit annoyed about the twig over it's tail, but beggars can't be choosers!


I heard some Bearded Tits 'pinging' deep in the reeds near the Island Hide, but unfortunately I didn't even see them, let alone get a photo!
    These are my bogey birds, I have still never seen one, despite regularly visiting the reedbeds of the Somerset Levels!
  There were plenty of Chiffchaffs looking for bugs in the reeds, but these proved difficult to photograph too!
  Just outside the reserve I saw a Great White Egret feeding with some Little Egrets, but no sign of the Cattle Egret that had been seen recently.

I visited Sand Bay with my family in the hope of photographing the Dartford Warblers, but alas, no luck again, it was just too windy for them to pop out of the undergrowth, but I photographed the resident Stonechats, who never fail to pose, whatever the weather!

Finally I called in at RSPB Swell Wood briefly and photographed some of the birds in the car park..... the feeders had been emptied, but there were still some seeds on the ground, which tempted some Long Tailed Tits down....I'd never seen these little birds on the ground before!

Below are some of my photo's from the last couple of weeks;




^Above^ - More of the Westhay Cetti's Warbler!



^Above^ - Chiffchaff's at Westhay!





^Above^ - Gadwall at Westhay.




^Above^ - Robins at Westhay.


^Above^ - Wren at Westhay.



^Above^ - Great Crested Grebes at Westhay.


^Above^ - Reed Bunting at Westhay.


^Above^ - Great White Egret, Little Egrets and Mute Swan outside Westhay.


 ^Above^ - Cormorant at Shapwick Heath.


^Above^ - Buzzard at Shapwick Heath.


^Above^ - Singing Dunnock at Shapwick Heath.



^Above^ - Redwing at Shapwick Heath.


^Above^ - Siskin at Shapwick Heath.


^Above^ - Tree reflection at Shapwick Heath.











^Above^ - Male and female Stonchats at Sand Bay.


^Above^ - Meadow Pipit at Sand Bay.




^Above^ - House Sparrows at Sand Bay.


^Above^ - Reed Bunting at Sand Bay.


^Above^ - Blackbird at RSPB Swell Wood.



^Above^ - Long Tailed Tits on the ground at Swell Wood.



^Above^ - Coal Tits at Swell Wood.


^Above^ - Great Tit at Swell Wood.


^Above^ - Blue Tit at Swell Wood.


^Above^ - Female Chaffinch at Swell Wood.





^Above^ - Robins at Swell Wood.


^Above^ - Wren at Swell Wood.


^Above^ - Nuthatch at Swell Wood.



^Above^ - Male Kestrel at Curry Rivel.


^Above^ - Finally, a record shot of a female Marsh Harrier between Westonzoyland and Middlezoy, quite a distance from the marshes!

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