27 July 2007 Ham Wall/Shapwick NNR

At long last, a day with enough sun to warrant getting the camera out but things were very quiet on the bird front. Although I did manage to snap this Roe Deer just south of Ham Wall reserve...

 

15 July 2007 - Greylake RSPB Reserve

Nothing unusual here today, although I had good views of this reed warbler right outside the hide window...

...and plenty of singing sedge warblers...

The male mute swan wasn't so mute - he was displaying and hissing very aggressively to anyone walking along the boardwalk, swimming over from the other side of the pond to do so!!!

11 July 2007 - Canal at Maidenbrook, Taunton

I was lucky enough to meet the fox that I saw a couple of weeks ago...

I watched it for about 10 minutes as it lurked in the long grass, probably waiting for one of these...

I counted four singing song thrush within about 500 yds...

10 July 2007 - Taunton-Bridgwater Canal

This scruffy individual was one of a group of long-tailed tits that graced a beautiful evening walk at Lower Maunsel Lock, near North Newton...

8 July 2007 - Netherclay Community Wood, Bishop's Hull

Dodging the showers on Sunday afternoon, we took a walk in this pretty open space on the west side of Taunton which seems good for common warblers, mainly chiffchaff and whitethroat (below). This was the only shot I took of this bird so I am amazed it's in focus, even if it isn't very sharp!

There was also a small group of bullfinch but they stayed distant...

 

7 July 2007 - Quantock Hills

A morning trip to Crowcombe Park Gate was very quiet and found only the usual busy stonechats (male top, female lower)...

Good views of this Tree Pipit...

...and I was surpirsed by this willow warbler which came so close (and flitted around the bush) that it was difficult to get the whole bird in focus...

Lots of searching yielded no redstarts but there were plenty of whitethroats to avoid the camera by singing inside holly bushes. Not many skylarks - I counted only two in two hours. 

6 July 2007 - Bathpool Bridge, Hankridge Water Park

An evening walk found about 20-25 sand martins feeding low over the River Tone and railway line... difficult to photograph but here is the best I could manage in fading light...

The sand martin were the dominant species in a flock of mixed hirundines.

A vist by a pair of bullfinch was too quick to photograph, so I had to settle for this charming greenfinch...