Winter here but spring is only 20 miles away

A brief visit to the Somerset Levels showed how close spring is now.

Meanwhile here in Clevedon winter hangs doggedly on with many of the same  waders and  ducks though they must be preparing to leave imminently.

At Dowlais water levels remain astonishingly high with the few lapwing standing on the odd higher patch, generally well out of photographic reach. On the shore here and a mile or so along the estuary at the yeo they sometimes get closer however.

grey plover


grey plover with a dunlin, they really are quite differently sized



Finally grey plover with some knot. These are best told by the bill length when they occur together like this



The best waders though were undoubtedly the avocets. 17 of these terrific waders are still hanging around and I caught up with them close in (on the far bank
of the yeo) as they flew off out to the estuary following high tide





A short shopping excursion to Street ( don't worry, I survived by hiding in a man creche (sometimes called coffee shops) until the majority was done ) gave me the chance to visit Ham Wall again. Here I saw the iconic weed dance which I cannot ever recall having watched in full before.



In case the video does not play here are a couple of stills




While listening intently for booming bitterns ( just one heard) I took pics of a couple of close ducks simply because they are at there best now. They probably look better still in sunlight but this is Britain in 2020 after all  !!

teal pair




shoveller





As always I took several bad photos of the marsh harriers, they never come close enough for my camera



Finally, back on the patch I was fortunate enough to be invited to a site meeting with English Nature who were discussing the impact of the proposed coastal footpath on angling with a key member of the local angling society. I am very grateful to Paul Cox for his invite and was able to get a good idea of how the footpath will impact local birders. Only time will tell but it will certainly alter the way in which we can access our patch and, I suspect, reduce the number of scarce birds and migrants we see but it could well lead to more space for roosting waders without even minimal disturbance. We will have to wait and see.

I took a couple of pictures that I am pleased with this week which I would like to share, neither are high quality, or rare species but just pleased me.

The first is a coot from Blakes pools with lots of ripples



and the second a flyby little egret (one of 6 on the seawall today, that shows a glimpse of blue sky, hope for the month to come



Hopefully next week will bring the first migrants. Paul Bowerman, watching the next section of coast North of here had his first wheatear yesterday so I am quietly expectant

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