Chew Valley Lake 12.10.26
Eight of us eventually met at Heron’s Green Bay after interesting journeys including road closures. Weather was a bit dull and drizzly but cleared up at times. The water levels, as to be expected this year, were very low. This meant that the birds were quite distant, but we managed some good telescope views.
Egrets and herons were very active feeding in the aptly-named Heron’s Green Bay. We saw 35 Great White Egrets and 12 Little Egrets as well as a few Grey Herons. The ducks were rather distant, but we saw good numbers of Teal, Shoveler, Mallard and Gadwall as well as about 15 female Pintail upending. More distantly were good numbers of Little and Great Crested Grebe. We were then treated to the spectacle of around 300 Cormorants moving into the bay to feed. A female Marsh Harrier flew over the bay, scattering the sleeping duck flocks.
We then moved on to Herriot’s Bridge. Viewing conditions worsened as the drizzly rain came in but some of us were able to spot about 40 Snipe, 20 Lapwing and 3 Black-tailed Godwit through the gloom. On the main lake side of the road, we had distant views of ducks, herons and Cormorants as well as a group of around 200 Coot. The channel was the most productive though as we had superb views of a Kingfisher perched in willow branches close to us followed by the amazing sight of a Water Rail bathing in the stream. Normally, Water Rails are notoriously difficult to see as they often feed deep in the reeds and at night, so this was a real treat! (see this link to a video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/4aCOVW1zQms ). We also had great views of a Grey Wagtail below the bridge.
A few of us went on to Woodford Lodge where we had closer views of Great Crested Grebes and saw the Cormorant flock resting on the banks of Denny Island. A couple of us had distant views of 11 Dunlin, 4 Ringed Plover, Pochard, Tufted Duck and a resting group of 35 Greater Black-backed Gulls. As we were leaving, we spotted 6 Cattle Egrets feeding in a field near the exit to Woodford Lodge (making the ‘set’ of egrets). A total of 41 species in total.
Great White Egret Little Egret Cattle Egret Grey Heron Little Grebe Great crested Grebe
Mallard Shoveler Teal Wigeon Pintail Gadwall Tufted Duck Pochard Cormorant
Lesser Black-backed Gull Greater Blac-backed Gull Black-headed Gull Herring Gull Pied Wagtail
Meadow Pipit Mute Swan Canada Goose Moorhen Cetti’s Warbler Moorhen Coot Snipe
Lapwing Black-tailed Godwit Great-spotted Woodpecker Water Rail Kingfisher Grey Wagtail
Dunlin Ringed Plover Goldcrest Robin Dunnock Magpie Pheasant
Matt Plenty
