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Sunday 24 April 2016

Flock of Whimbrel, passing Cranes, posing Whitethroat and nesting Cetti's Warblers at Ham Wall!

Spent a wonderful couple of hours at RSPB Ham Wall today, the weather was chilly but sunny, and the birds were singing with the joys of Spring!
  Lots of people were enjoying the Reserve, including BBC Springwatch regular Mike Dilger.
By the first viewing platform a remarkably 'showy' Whitethroat sang constantly, out in the open just feet from an admiring crowd of birders!
  Also in fine song were the Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps, Wrens and Cetti's Warblers.
I found a pair of Cetti's building a nest, they kept flying past me within touching distance looking for nesting material! I've never had such good views, though photographing them was still a challenge as they were always on the move and rarely out in the open!
    From the hide in the reedbeds I was lucky enough to see a 25 strong flock of Whimbrel fly low through the reserve heading in the Glastonbury direction!
  Another wonderful experience was hearing the bugling call of Cranes overhead! My first experience of this, and it was magical!
   Add to all this, Bitterns, Great White Egrets and Marsh Harriers in flight, Garganey, Glossy Ibis, Greenshanks and Black Tailed Godwits from the 2nd viewing platform, and an abundance of common birds with beakfuls of bugs for their hungry young.... Ham Wall really is a fantastic place!

Below are some of the photo's I took during my visit;













^Above^ - Whitethroat








^Above^ - Cetti's Warblers.




^Above^ - Blackcaps (Female bottom)


^Above^ - Chiffchaff.





^Above^ - 25 strong flock of Whimbrel passing through!


^Above^ - Bittern.



^Above^ - Cranes overhead!



^Above^ - Distant Glossy Ibis!


^Above^ - Great White Egret.


^Above^ - Male and female Gadwall.


^Above^ - Young Heron in it's nest.



^Above^ - Female Chaffinch.


^Above^ - Great Crested Grebe.


^Above^ - Greylag Geese.





^Above^ - Long Tailed Tit with lunch for it's young!


^Above^ - Female Tufted Duck.



^Above^ - Wrens.



^Above^ - Mating Lesser Black Back Gulls!



^Above^ - Robin with a bug feast!


^Above^ - Blue Tit.


^Above^ - View from Ham Wall to Glastonbury Tor.


^Above^ - Reedbeds and flies!

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