Exploring the Natural Wonders of Somerset June 2025

 A three day tour for Naturetrek taking in the best Somerset has to offer in June.

Bee Orchid

 

 

The Quantock Hills.

We ventured to Hodder’s Combe in the Quantock Hills, a region famous for its ancient oak woodlands. Here, we spotted a variety of birds, including pied flycatchers, lesser spotted woodpeckers, and redstarts. Among the fungi population were striking specimens of Chicken-of-the-Woods.

Chicken-of-the-Woods

 

One client discovered stoneflies and caddisflies in a stream, highlighting the diversity of aquatic life in the area. We enjoyed lunch at the evocatively named Dead Woman’s Ditch, an historic site thought to be named after a tragic event centuries ago. Moving onward, we took in sweeping views from Black Hill’s trig point, looking across Bridgwater Bay to Wales, with the islands of Flatholm and Steepholm dotting the horizon. Saw Dartford Warblers at this site.

Later, at WWT Steart Marshes on the coast, we observed nesting avocets, oystercatchers, little ringed plovers, and shelducks—an incredible display of wetland wildlife.

Nesting Avocet (from my photo library)

 

 

Somerset Levels.

On the 2nd day we paid a visit to RSPB Ham Wall, the flagship reserve of the Somerset Levels, introduced us to a spectacular array of birdlife, including great crested grebes feeding their young, gadwall, pochard, and the unmistakable booming of bitterns. A sky full of swallows, swifts, and sand martins added to the atmosphere.

 

Great-crested Grebe with youngster. (from my photo library)

Polden Hills.

Lunch at Avalon Marshes Tea Hub provided a moment to relax before heading to Ivythorn Hill on the Polden Hills, a National Trust reserve. Here, the wildflowers were in full bloom, featuring five species of orchids—common spotted, pyramidal, common twayblade, greater butterfly, and bee orchids—alongside an abundance of insects, from great-green bush crickets to lacewings and hoverflies.

Collard Hill was our next stop, but the landscape appeared overgrazed compared to previous years. However, the south-facing escarpment still held pockets of floral beauty, offering sweeping views across Sedgemoor’s wetlands.

Bee Orchid

Common spotted Orchid

Common Twayblade

Greater Butterfly Orchid

 

Scarce Chaser

Marbled White

Great green Bush Cricket

The Dramatic Beauty of Cheddar Gorge

On day 3 we ascended to Blackmoor Reserve on the Mendip Hills National Landscape, where we explored remnants of old lead mines and pond ecosystems. The walk through Nether Woods revealed a tapestry of red campion and fluttering insects.

 Lunch was enjoyed amidst the towering limestone cliffs of Cheddar Gorge, one of Somerset’s most iconic landmarks. Oliver made an exciting discovery—Cheddar Pinks, a rare flower native to the gorge, prompting a few of us to climb higher for photographs.

Cheddar Pinks

 We scanned the ponds near Cheddar village in hopes of spotting water voles but were unsuccessful. However, a peaceful hour spent at Cheddar Reservoir was the perfect way to conclude our exploration.

The Naturetrek Somerset team

 

 

 

 

Isles of Scilly in the Spring, May 2025.

 

Exploring the Isles of Scilly in Spring: A Nature-Lover’s Dream with Naturetrek

 

Sunrise departure from Penzance harbour

 

When you think of the Isles of Scilly, visions of stunning landscapes, rare wildlife, and windswept coastlines come to mind. Our eight-day adventure from the 5th to the 12th of May 2025 delivered all of that—and more.

Arrival & First Impressions

Setting sail aboard the Scillonian III from Penzance, our journey began with stunning views of the Cornish coastline, passing landmarks like the Minack Theatre and Longships Lighthouse. Dolphins played in the waves while Manx shearwaters soared around the boat. As we neared St. Mary’s, the anticipation grew—this was just the beginning.

Once settled into the Star Castle Hotel, we embarked on a walk around the Garrison, where blackcaps, stonechats, and linnets flitted among the wildflowers. The call of cuckoos in the distance set the tone for a memorable week.

 

Songthrush

Wren

Linnet

Island-Hopping Adventures

Each day brought a new adventure, visiting the iconic isles of St. Agnes, Tresco, Bryher, and St. Martin’s. From windswept coastal trails to thriving offshore bird sanctuaries, each location revealed its own distinct charm.

One of the most exhilarating moments was our boat trip around Bishop’s Rock Lighthouse, Annet & the Western Rocks, where puffins, razorbills, guillemots and grey seals greeted us. The seabirds perched on the granite outcrops, watching curiously as we navigated the waters. At Tresco, the renowned Abbey Gardens dazzled with exotic plants, and guests even caught glimpses of the elusive Scilly shrew.

Meanwhile, on St. Agnes, nature treated us to a stunning display of shelducks, wigeons, and whimbrels by the Big Pool. And who could forget Troytown Farm’s famous homemade ice cream? Enjoying a scoop while overlooking the rugged coastline felt like the perfect way to soak in the moment.

Atlantic Puffin

Atlantic Puffin

Guillemots

Black Guillemot

Razorbill

 

A picnic lunch on Bryher

 

Wildlife Highlights

Spring is a spectacular time for wildlife on Scilly. Throughout the trip, we spotted rare birds such as a second-summer purple heron, a great white egret, and, most surprisingly, a black guillemot—the first recorded on the islands since 2004!

Seals basked lazily on rocky shores, while butterflies danced along wildflower-strewn paths. Even unexpected sightings—like a possible weasel below Star Castle’s steps—added an element of mystery to our explorations.

Great White Egret

Great White Egret

Purple Heron

 

Coastal Wonders & Final Farewells

With each passing day, we found ourselves more immersed in the rhythm of these enchanting islands. From quiet moments watching oystercatchers on the beaches to soaking in the last golden sunset over the harbour, every experience felt precious.

Our return voyage on the Scillonian III was filled with seabird sightings, including an unforgettable raft of over 200 Manx shearwaters near Wolf Rock Lighthouse. As Penzance came into view, there was a collective sense of awe—this journey had been very special.

Bryher toward Tresco

Starling carrying bits of pasty to its brood on St.Martins

Grey Seals

Grey Seals

A raft of Manx Shearwaters

 

Looking Ahead

The Isles of Scilly in spring offer something truly magical—whether you’re a seasoned birder, a plant enthusiast, or simply someone seeking a peaceful escape. As we parted ways, there was already talk of a return visit, eager to explore more of these spectacular islands.

Star castle Hotel on St.Mary's.

 

 

Visiting the Bishop's Rock lighthouse

 

Bishop's Rock lighthouse

 

The Turks Head on St.Agnes

 

Pete's ploughmans lunch for one!

 

Bryher towards Tresco

 

 

Another first class tour with Naturetrek to the Isles of Scilly. Checkout their website for future tours and other worldwide destinations at https://www.naturetrek.co.uk/

Winter and Spring on the Somerset Levels 24/25.

 Flock of Wigeon

 

I've been fortunate to have led 4 tours of the Somerset Levels for Naturetrek recently, 3 in the winter and one last week in mid April. I also spent a few days there with friends in February as well, so I thought it was time to post a few of my photos. It's not been easy to lead groups and get photos so I'll just post a selection of some of the amazing birdlife that call these marshes their winter home.

Most of our time has been spent on the Avalon Marshes which include RSPB Ham Wall, Shapwick Heath and Westhay. Our other favourite sites to visit include RSPB Greylake & RSPB Swell Wood on the western side of the Polden Hills in the Sedgemoor section of marshes.

During the winter several million Starlings come into roost every evening in the Avalon marshes and their arrival is an amazing spectacle and one high up the list of our clients. Photographing it is rarely easy as they time their arrival to coincide with dusk and rapidly falling light levels. However sometimes blurred images can show their numbers off to good effect. Often video clips can capture the spectacle even better and I find that my phone can produce high quality images.

Here is a short clip of a Starling murmuration at Shapwick Heath in January 2025.

Starlings at Shapwick Heath

Starlings at Shapwick Heath

 

Another feature of the area in the winter is the huge number of wintering wildfowl. Large flocks of Wigeon, Teal, Shoveler, Pintail, Gadwall and other ducks frequent some of the larger lakes and marshes such as at Noah's Lake, Decoy Lake, Ham Wall and Greylake.

Wildfowl at Noah's Lake at Shapwick Heath.

 

Gadwall pair

Wigeon pair

Drake Teal displaying

Drake Wigeon bathing

Drake Teal

 

North American Ring-necked Duck at Decoy Lake

Large flocks of Lapwing over-winter in the area and Snipe are regularly spotted close to the hides pulled out resting. This winter however they had to be on their toes as there were 2 female Merlin hunting in the Greylake complex and Snipe was their favoured prey.

Snipe

Snipe

 

 

 

 

 

Female Merlin

Female Merlin

 

 

Female Merlin

Lapwing

Water Rail

Whooper Swan

 

Whooper Swans

 

There were 3 Whooper Swans at Noah's lake at Shapwick for most of the winter, as last winter, but they rarely showed well until on one of our tours in February they passed by directly in front of the hide giving us all incredible views.

Another bird that is on most people's wishlist to watch is the Beared Tit or Bearded Reedling. They have been difficult to see all winter other than the one time I called into Greylake on my way up to the area from Cornwall. On this visit I was in the hide when someone shouted that they were feeding on grit on the path behind the hide. I managed to grab a couple of shots.

Bearded Tit pair

Male Bearded Tit

 

 

Male Reed Bunting

An over-wintering Chiffchaff

 

 Common Cranes were reintroduced onto the Levels in 2010 and are successfully breeding in the area now, we usually manage to see some cranes during our tour although usually distant but as a leader I always have my telescope to help clients get better views. Last week we were fortunate to have a fly past from 2 birds at Greylake.

Common Crane at Greylake

Common Crane at Greylake

 

 

Great White Egrets are also breeding across the marshes now and are a regular sight on our tours.

Great White Egret

Great White Egret

 

The Egrets are now almost as common as the Grey Herons, with 3 species now breeding, the Great, Little and Cattle Egrets.

This year there have been at least 5 pairs of Grey Herons nesting in the reeds by the Tor hide and they were easy to watch back in February whilst nest building and last week it was good to see young birds in some of the nests.

Grey Heron

Grey Heron with nest material

Grey Heron with nest material

 

Grey Heron with nest material

 

As Spring kicks in we started to see more species nesting and a few summer visitors such as Swallows, Sand Martins, Reed Warblers, Blackcaps and Garden Warblers returning. 

Great-crested Grebes were nesting and Cormorants were sporting their breeding thigh patches.

Marsh Harriers were everywhere and we watched some carrying long strands of reeds into nesting areas.

Great-crested Grebes on nest

Cormorant.

 

 

Marsh Harrier

Marsh Harrier

Marsh Harrier

A surprise visitor in the Ham Wall car park was this Weasel which peaked out from under the decking and proceeded to stroll around the car park in broad daylight... always a treat to watch.

Weasel

 

 

Finally to mark the coming of Spring we found a super Brimstone butterfly last week at Westhay reserve in glorious sunshine!

Brimstone butterfly

 

I will be returning to the Levels for Naturetrek next winter with several tours planned so if anyone fancies joining us then take a look at the the Naturetrek website for dates.