HAM WALL - VIEWING POINT 1 (VP1) & AVALON HIDE
WEATHER: a clear sky to start with, bright sunshine until midday then cloud and showers. Temp 12C with a light wind.
It was a beautiful morning and Ham Wall delivered the 'goods' once again, albeit over a long morning of searching.
My two target species were Jack Snipe and Water Pipit, both of these species had been reported from VP 1 and the Avalon Hide this morning, so my expectations were high and the weather was perfect. However the roads were not. I set out at 10:30am, it is usually a 40 minute drive to Ham Wall, but not today!!
A road accident neared Somerton blocked the road in both directions and I had to double back and take an alternative route, this added 30 minutes to the drive time. Then as I approached RSPB Ham Wall the road from Ashcott was closed in both directions for road repairs!! Doh!
I doubled backed once again and travelled through Shapwick and Meare, a 10 mile detour, to get to Ham Wall Reserve.
By the time I reached VP 1 at 11:45 both of my traget birds had disappeared! I spent an hour trolling through at least 100 Common Snipe, looking for the Jack Snipe, to no avail. I couldn't find the Jack Snipe and there was no sign of a Water Pipit either.
News came in of both species being seen at the Avalon Hide, but I perserved and spent even more time searching from VP 1. I saw Green Sandpiper, Redshank, lots of the common Duck species, Great and Little Egrets, Marsh Harrier and I heard a Bittern making that frog-like call from the reedbed.
Eventually I succumbed to the temptation of seeing my target speices at the Avalon Hide and so I walked over there. Along the way I saw Cetti's Warbler, Reed Bunting, a flock of Long-tailed Tits with at least three Chiffchaffs following along.
It was 2pm when I reached the Avalon Hide, I didn't bring lunch or a drink!! Dumb move! However, The visit was exciting with plenty to see which distracted me from my hunger pangs.
The hide was practically empty and I had to search long and hard to find the Jack Snipe, which I did. It was distant of course and very hard to see. The Water Pipits (3) were showy and obliging, although they were mainly distant too!
A Glossy Ibis dropped in, I saw three more Green Sandpipers, a few more Common Snipe, a Water Rail, Great and Little Egrets and plenty of Teal, Shoveler, Gadwall and a few Wigeon.
Walking back to the car park I bumped into a 'flock' of Chiffchaffs!! At least four 'chiffys' were feeding together. I got back home, via the road-works diversion, at 4:30pm. It had been a long, 'quick' visit to Ham Wall, but well worth it.