A day at RSPB Ham Wall
Friday 29th September 2023.
It’s coming up to 8am when we arrive at RSPB Ham Wall. The weather conditions are perfect and this could be a good day to see bearded tits. We know that we always have a good day at Ham Wall but we have to remind ourselves that the good day can sometimes start here in the car park.
I am changing into my boots when I see a juvenile green woodpecker 30 yards away drinking from a puddle. I manage to get my camera out and set up, hobble 10 yards to wait behind a tree, one boot yet to be laced up and one shoe still on. The bird is still there, head down, dipping its bill in the water and then head up as it swallows.
This continues for a couple of minutes and then it turns around and hops up onto one of the wooden barriers. I hadn’t noticed woodpecker number 2 until then and hastily adjust my camera to try to get both birds into one image. That’s when my luck with the green woodpecker runs out as a car comes into the car park and the birds are gone. No worries, there is plenty more to see,
Within seconds a jay flies in from the right and has a bit of a hop along one of the wooden barriers.
It too was soon off but within 3 minutes there was a bit of a curfuffle from the right and there is another Jay in flight, this time with something in its beak.
I was back at the car trying to put on my second boot when I heard it so the jay had already flown some way away by the time I managed to get the camera up and focused on it. This looks very much like an acorn to me.
Eventually both boots are on and laced up and I am ready to go. I love the Mini Marshes and the picnic area, which are next to the car park. It’s a great place to sit and drink coffee from the Welcome Building and to watch butterflies and bees as well as birds. I could spend lots of time here but at the moment there is no wind and the prospect of seeing bearded tits is good so we move on. But my eyes stray and the three deer south of the old railway bridge are just so delightful, I have to stop and watch for a few minutes while they groom each other.
Walking along the main track we’ve stopped to check a bird call with the Merlin app. It’s a coal tit but we can’t see it and there is no chance of getting a picture, nor any chance of getting a picture of the great spotted woodpecker that flies past. Fortunately there is an obliging grey heron that flies up out of the reeds close by, heading north.
It’s a beautiful walk along the main track, passing Viewing Platform 1, over the bridge and along the side of the reed beds towards the Avalon Hide. While we sit in the hide, we hear at least 2 flocks of bearded tits and see some directly in front of us that are unfortunately too far away to photograph. In front of them stands a great white egret taking in the sun’s rays to warm itself.
Gadwall spend their time entertaining us by taking off and landing and flying around.
Other birds observed here include little grebe, teal, coot, mallard, greylag, moorhen, house martin, kingfisher, shoveller, cormorant, magpie, mute swan, tufted duck and great crested grebe. Birds heard were Cettis warbler, water rail and chiffchaff.
Back on the main track we walk towards Viewing Platform 2. A mute swan flies past followed by a small skein of canada geese.
My final image is of a bush cricket as a token representation of the huge variety of insects that makes RSPB Ham Wall their home.
By 11 am the wind picked up to Beaufort 5 and it was becoming less likely that bearded tits would show themselves. Other people had good sightings of them today and as we have had several very good sightings over the last few days our thoughts turned to coffee, flapjacks and the opportunity of catching up with friends back at the Welcome Building.
A perfect way to end another great day at RSPB Ham Wall.
