Thornbury U3A
Report on Outing to Greylake and Catcott Lows, 14th February 2022
Greylake is an RSPB reserve on the Somerset levels, best known for its damp fields, reedbeds and rough grassland that floods during the winter creating habitat for overwintering ducks and waders. In the Summer, breeding ground-nesting birds such as Lapwings are being encouraged. A little further north, Catcott is similar and was established by Somerset Wildlife Trust in 1968 as the first of the chain of nature reserves that now make up the Avalon Marshes, west of Glastonbury.
We started at Greylake with a good turnout of 12 members. The reserve was very busy because of a rare Baikal Teal which had been living there amongst the other ducks since early January. Baikal Teal are relatively widespread in Siberia and NE China, but only around 20 have ever been formally recorded in the UK (BTO website). Unfortunately this meant the hide and viewing screen were full of “twitchers” from all over the country wanting to see the rarity, and our views from the windows were a bit restricted. Nevertheless, we had great sightings of colourful ducks such as Teal, Wigeon and Shoveler, as well as Marsh Harrier, Water Rail, Snipe, Lapwings and a good-sized flock of Golden Plovers. We did also manage to see the Baikal Teal but it was asleep for most of the morning and kept its head under its wing, so views of the colourful plumage were disappointing.
Our species list for Greylake was: Greylag Goose (Anser anser), Mute Swan (Cygnus olor), Baikal Teal (Sibirionetta formosa), Shoveler (Spatula clypeata), Wigeon (Mareca penelope), Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), Teal (Anas crecca), Woodpigeon (Columba palumbus), Water Rail (Rallus aquaticus), Little Grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis), Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus), Golden Plover (Pluvialis apricaria), Snipe (Gallinago gallinago), Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo), Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea), Great White Egret (Ardea alba), Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus), Carrion Crow (Corvus corone), Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus), Great Tit (Parus major), Cetti's Warbler (Cettia cetti), Starling (Sturnus vulgaris), Robin (Erithacus rubecula), House Sparrow (Passer domesticus), Dunnock (Prunella modularis), and Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs). (Apologies for the Latin names – that’s how my software shares the list!)
After leaving Greylake, we had lunch at the Avalon Marshes Centre (adjacent to Shapwick Heath Nature Reserve), which has a great outdoor cafe providing coffee, sandwiches, cake etc. Then to Catcott Lows where the sun appeared occasionally, giving better light for the ducks’ plumage. The highlights included several Pintail (a very elegant duck, and favourite for many of us), another rarity – the Glossy Ibis, and Kestrel, Stonechat and great views of the Marsh Harriers.
Species list for Catcott Lows was: Canada Goose (Branta canadensis), Mute Swan (Cygnus olor), Shoveler (Spatula clypeata), Wigeon (Mareca penelope), Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), Pintail (Anas acuta), Teal (Anas crecca), Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus), Woodpigeon (Columba palumbus), Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus), Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo), Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus), Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea), Great White Egret (Ardea alba), Little Egret (Egretta garzetta), Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus), Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus), Magpie (Pica pica), Carrion Crow (Corvus corone), Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes), Starling (Sturnus vulgaris), Redwing (Turdus iliacus), Robin (Erithacus rubecula), Stonechat (Saxicola rubicola), and two female Roe Deer (Capreolus capreolus).
For the return journey, members of the group were encouraged to travel via the Westhay to Wedmore Road, and those of us who did were rewarded with a flock of about 20 Cattle Egrets following a digger working on the drainage ditches.