Shapwick Heath 30th August 2016

Shapwick Heath 30th August 2016

The 29th was a very warm day and we decided just to hang out in the garden at the cottage in Montacute and have a “do nothing” day. I had broken a toe in my left foot the day before we left for this holiday so I had been in a bit of continuous, low-level, pain all through the week. THe idea of not walking far for one day was welcome. We had to leave the next day anyway so it gave us a chance to pack our bags properly anyway and then on the following morning we had one last chance to go to Shapwick Heath and try for Glossy Ibis again.

As soon as we got to the car ark we fell into conversation with someone and then we met a birder coming back to thecar park. A short conversation with him indicated that the Glossy Ibises were to be seen on the marsh opposite the new hide; there were several Great White Egrets and the Osprey was still on its tree. Encouraged by this we marched up the path and eventually came to the spot where there was a mixture of eight Great White Egrets, fifteen Little Egrets and two Glossy Ibises all feeding in a melange of bills prodding, probing and jabbing. The odd Grey Heron joined in for good measure.

The day was wonderfully sunny and, even though I could not see my phone, I still managed to get some lovely digi-phone-scoped video of the group of birds, a mass of legs and bills all doubled by the reflections in the rippling blue green water – a fantastic sight.

On the water were the usual large numbers of Mallard, Gadwall and Black-tailed Godwits and a few Mute Swans but the stars for us were the “year tick” Glossy Ibises

We spen so much time there and there were so many other birders present that we decided that there wasn’t much point in trying to get into Noah’s Hide to see the Osprey again because it would have been full all day. Instead we headed back to the car and drove off to Slimbridge.

Bird Sightings : Shapwick Heath