Ham Wall and Shapwick Heath, 8th June

We went to Ham Wall in Somerset early this morning, hoping for a chance sighting of one of the little bittern pair who are breeding there this year. Unfortunately, our two hour wait was in vain, but two fly-past great egrets, a red kite and two marsh harriers kept us entertained. Nearby, at the first viewing platform, two bitterns flew past very close, and several reed warblers and whitethroats were new for the year. The only waders present were two redshanks, but there were still hundreds of ducks, including several pochard. We then headed to Shapwick Heath. Amazingly, we saw four bitterns fly past, a remarkable total in less than half an hour! We also saw a pair of distant hobbies, and about 50 black-tailed godwits. Both reserves were alive with bird song, with bitterns booming and cuckoos calling everywhere. Yet another stunning morning on the Somerset Levels- it's hard to think of a nicer place to be in Britain on a nice summer's day.