Fortnightly my wife has a patchwork and quilting class in North Somerset and I take the opportunity to drop her off and go birdwatching in that area. The last few occasions I have been further south to the Somerset Levels but this time I had a day in the Chew Valley at Chew Valley Lake and Blagdon Lake. The weather was fabulous and there were plenty of birds to keep me occupied.

At my first spot, at Herriott’s bridge at Chew Valley Lake, I saw bearded tits (everyone’s favourites) but they didn’t hang around for me to photograph them. My first photos were of a pair of gadwall (could they have been the pair that I saw in Eastville Park?)

There were thousands of waterfowl on the lakes but most of them were telescope distance away. Here are some of the ones that came close enough to photograph.

And some of the woodland birds …

At Blagdon the highlight was three Egyptian geese which looked stunning in the late afternoon sun.

Needless to say I was late getting back to pick up my wife.