6th June 2023 – RSPB Ham Wall, Somerset

We have had wall to wall sunshine for the last few weeks and we are promised a “plume” of hot weather from Spain later this week. So, how did I manage to pick today to go birding on the Somerset Levels when it was so grey and cold?

I started at Catcott but soon gave in as the hide was so draughty and there was very little to see (and what I could see was certainly impossible to photograph). I moved on to Ham Wall where at leat there was the relief of toilets.

I was hoping to see hobbies but as it was too cold and dull to encourage the dragonflies to offer themselves up so I had no luck on that score. Great white egrets were my best bet as they were easy to see. There were lots of viewings of marsh harriers too but I must apologise for the heavily edited photos. The highlight of my day was a glimpse of a bittern in flight and some cute pochard chicks.

My shot of a swift will give you an idea of the light conditions.

Very white and very close was what I needed and this great white egret obliged

I only managed 2 frames of this bittern before it disappeared into the reeds

Male marsh harrier

Female marsh harrier

Cute pochard chicks

Slideshow of today’s photos:

Comments

5 responses to “6th June 2023 – RSPB Ham Wall, Somerset”

  1. chrisbrewster2013 Avatar

    Some lovely photos in challenging conditions Martin! Been much the same here weather wise. Cx

    Sent from my iPad

    Liked by 1 person

    1. martintayler Avatar

      Thank you Chris.

      Like

  2. paula graham Avatar
    paula graham

    Fabulous action photography.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. martintayler Avatar

      Thank you Paula

      Like

  3. thebulldogbreeder23 Avatar

    ❤ The Blog
    Wow, this post about RSPB Ham Wall in Somerset is amazing! I love how you've described the beauty of the reserve and its diverse wildlife. It's great to know that there are places like this where we can connect with nature and appreciate its wonders. Thanks for sharing!
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