22nd April 2025 – RSPB Ham Wall, Avalon Marshes, Somerset

One of the great things about Ham Wall is that, right from the car park, you hear lots of birds at close quarters. The loudest were the blackcaps and the garden warblers but, although I had fleeting views of them, I couldn’t for the life of me get a photograph of therm. I had to settle for robins and dunnocks.

European robin

Dunnock

It was nice to feel the sun too, although it was tempered by a cool breeze. I was also very heartened to hear my first cuckoo of the spring.

I spent a while trying for photos of a glossy ibis. I thought I had missed it when it flew over me early on but I managed to catch up with it feeding in the reeds close to a hide.

Glossy ibis

The iridescent feathers of the glossy ibis were very attractive in the sun

Occasionally the glossy ibis ventured out from the reeds

Great white egret, which not very long ago would have been as rare as the glossy ibis in this area

Great crested grebe looking quite glorious

Great crested grebe

Moorhen

Grey heron on the nest with its young

The sun also brought out the butterflies. I saw a few distant orange tipped butterflies and some peacocks at closer range.

Peacock butterfly

Peacock butterfly

The very best thing about Ham Wall at this time of the year is the booming of bitterns which you hear all around. Unfortunately, I didn’t manage to see one. They are very secretive birds but it is amazing how many times I have managed to see them here.

However, I was compensated, at the Avalon Hide, by close up views of marsh harriers.

Marsh harrier

Marsh harrier

Marsh harrier

Marsh harrier

Marsh harrier

From the Avalon Hide I could see the weather was deteriorating and so headed back to the car park where I arrived just as the rain started.

On my way back I had a short stop to watch 3 hobbies hunting dragonfly. By then it felt too cold for dragonflies but the hobbies proved me wrong.

Hobby catching a dragonfly

Hobby eating a dragonfly “on the wing”

Hobby

Hobby

Hobby

Comments

2 responses to “22nd April 2025 – RSPB Ham Wall, Avalon Marshes, Somerset”

  1. robbiesinspiration Avatar

    Such great pictures, Martin. The great crested grebe looks like it has a lion’s mane.

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    1. martintayler Avatar

      It does indeed. Many thanks Robbie.

      Martin Tayler
      Martin’s bird and nature blog: https://martinsbirdblog.com/

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