Levels Otters

Got out at last!

Lovely sunny morning, didn't see anything out of the ordinary, but heard lots of cuckoos calling, swallows skimming and hobbies hawking - so I was happy with that and the fresh air!

The best looking day of the week, going by the forecast...

and it didn,t disappoint!

Lovely sunshine, if a bit breezy - heard and saw loads of blackcaps, walking out. Saw lots of orange tips and brimstones at Ham Wall.

A few little egrets getting territorial and my first hobby of the year!

Heard news of two otters seen last week by the screens on Waltons Heath side, and then one running along the boardwalk.

Continued to Shapwick and heard more news of two otters - presumably youngsters - playing in front of Noahs on the 7th April and then fishing near the tin shed for an hour the following week - could be the same two as seen at Ham Wall?

there are about 20 bitterns at Ham Wall and about 12 at Shapwick, apparently.

Went to Decoy, noticing lots of small, translucent mayflies? plenty of St.Marks flies and midges for the swifts, swallows and Sand Martins.

Walked out to Ham Wall for the first time in a few weeks - easter hols, illnesses, etc. getting in the way!

Got a wet shirt - no suprise there - but saw very little; heard the odd bittern booming and some soggy bees and windswept brimstones.....

No news of otters....

Had a very early morning start down to Blandford, was on the black bridge by 6.30 and duly saw the mum and 2 cubs head off past the weir and upstream, as is their routine now. Had another suprise close encounter with the cubs when I was sitting by the river having my lunch and then heard them at about 8p.m. when I was setting off home, peeping as they came down the weir, presumably back to lay up on the island fgor the night.

Apart from that, I,ve been helping out in the Blue Cedar Gallery, which is running an exhibition of local photographers work - including mine - so please feel free to visit, everyday except Monday and Tuesday, from 10am.

Have also been out daily in the sunshine at the Abbey - photographing squirrels amidst the spring flowers and chilling out!

Gloomy again - walked out behind Snows and towards the reserve, but got distracted by a couple of kingfishers whistling and zipping past, followed them up and down the Brue and walked a fair way along its banks, seeing a few grey wagtails and some new lambs.

Sat up Wearyall Hill and got good views of buzzards over my head, gooing to look around my local area a bit more as there doesn't seem to be much otter action lately.

Heard from my friend in Blandford; pretty quiet there too - as with last years cubs, the mum has taken them away from the centre of humanity now they're stronger, am going to pop down next week to check out the kingfishers, for a day out!

Beautiful sunshine and warm too, if you could get out of the wind - which I couldn,t at Westhay!

Got a thumping headache from squinting all day and didn't see a lot really; Greylags chasing each otherand making a right din, daffodils nodding in the wind and my first butterfly - a tortoiseshell struggling to flap about - home for a paracetamol!

The first day you could see your hand in front of your face!

Not much to see at Ham Wall or Shapwick though; the gerat white on the scrape was displaying lovely breeding plumage and the godwits were quarrelling, plus a bit of coot mating - spring is in the air....

Beautiful day again - and as is often the case, not much around.......

Watched female bullfinches again by ashcott carpark and got a brief sighting of a male, but apart from that only small birds - no news of otters on the local grapevine.

Spring?

What a lovely day!

Everything was pairing off, bursting into bud - you name it........

Just sat at the first viewing platform for several hours soaking up the sun. Saw several bittern, great white, loads of lapwing, small finches and a female marsh harrier patrolling back and forth.

Just caught the orange head flash of a firecrest by the platform as I approached; apparently a pair had been chasing each other there for about twenty minutes - I didn't see them again.

Photographed three female bullfinches by the carpark - unfortunately not the male and generally wandered about happily.

An otter was spotted along the track to Decoy last week, but otherwise no news.

Stayed on for the starlings as I haven't really seen them much this year, due to my aversion to crowds! Found a spot on my own on the opposite bank to the viewing platform, out of sight and listened to at least two boomers answeing each other, saw two great whites fly off before the starlings arrived. When they did it felt like I was in the middle of the swarm - it was amazing! The best starling encounter I,ve had - the noise was brilliant and the sky was black with them - they settled close in around the pool by the platform and then with a huge roar of wings relocated a bit further back. I went home very happy! 

Wednesday 22nd February

Was my birthday yesterday; went to Greylake in the morning and watched a pair of peregrine; made a nice change, but then the rain came down and forty ramblers descended in a chattering gaggle- aaagh!

Been over to Shapwick earlier in the week - reports of two otters crossing the track a couple of weeks ago and one on the ice in front of Noahs during the cold weather, but not a lot else.

Also been over to Westhay - the usual goosander and a couple of nice pintail and some fresh spraint, plus two great whites, but nothing exciting really.