A spring day on the Somerset Levels 13th April 2018

Water Rail calling from the boardwalk

I had a trip out yesterday to the Somerset Levels for a bit of birding, 4 of us left Cornwall at "stupid o'clock!" and had a great day at Ham Wall and Shapwick Heath.

The weather was very dull but dry and a reasonable temperature.

Birding was fairly quiet but the highlight was a water rail calling at the entrance to the hide and a cracking male Marsh Harrier dropping down into the reed bed near the 70 acre marsh hide. Sadly a bit distant but then it's not everyday you see this sort of thing!

Male Marsh Harrier

 

 

Great Crested Grebe on nest

Great Crested Grebes

 

 

 

 

 

Cetti's Warbler

Great Crested Grebes Courtship and Mating 15th March 2018

I had a great day on the Somerset Levels photographing this pair of Great Crested Grebes.

It was the first time I'd watched the courtship display of these birds despite seeing it many times on the TV.

On the positive side the lighting was good the first time they danced, a bit contrasty but much better than the rain we normally get!

On the negative side when they dived for pondweed to complete the ceremony they brought up huge beakfulls of very dark & muddy weed. This tended to merge into one big dark blob when the birds were close to each other and often hid their faces during their "face-offs".

After displaying they then added bits of reed to the nesting platform and then mated. The light was bit difficult but with a bit of exposure compensation they look ok.

So here are a few more images from the sequence......