Somerset Levels

From a birding perspective, the Somerset Levels concentrate mostly on the Avalon Marshes, which contains the following nature reserves : Catcott Complex, Shapwick Moor, Shapwick Heath and Ham Wall. A bit further to the north-east of the Avalon Marshes is Westhay Moor.

Since I suspect that I’ll be paying these sites a visit on more than one occasion, I thought I’d start recording what I’ve seen where and when. A first, otherwise undocumented, visit was on 10 March 2013, with a sighting of a pochard^B in Shapwick Heath and a mute swan^B in an undocumented location.

For fuller details of subsequent visits, see below :

• Visit of 10 & 11 October 2016.
• Visit of 17 May 2018.
• Visit of 23 February 2020.
• Visit of 1 & 2 April 2022.
• Visit of 18-20 April 2023

For more info on the various nature reserves, see the Avalon Marshes website.

Blackcap (NB) Black-headed Gull Black-tailed Godwit (B) Blue Tit (B) Canada Goose (B) Carrion Crow (B) Cattle Egret (B) Cetti’s Warbler (B) Chaffinch (B) Chiffchaff (B) Coot (B) Cormorant (B) Dunnock (B) Gadwall (B) Garganey (NB) Glossy Ibis (B) Goldfinch (B) Great Crested Grebe (B)

Great Tit (B) Great White Egret (B) Grey Heron (NB) Greylag Goose (B) Kestrel (B) Kingfisher (B) Lapwing (B) Lesser Black-backed Gull (NB) Little Egret (B) Little Grebe (B) Long-tailed Tit (NB) Mallard Marsh Harrier (B) Moorhen (NB) Mute Swan (B) Pheasant (B) Pied Wagtail (NB)

Pochard (B) Red Kite (NB) Redshank (NB) Reed Bunting (B) Reed Warbler (B) Sedge Warbler (B) Robin (NB) Shoveler (B) Snipe (NB) Sparrowhawk (B) Stonechat (NB) Tawny Owl (B) Teal (NB) Tufted Duck (B) Whitethroat (NB) Wigeon (B) Willow Warbler (NB) Wren (B)

Note: (B) part of an existing blog – (NB) not part of an existing blog

 

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Blackcap^NB

	Sightings: 20 April 2023 (Ham Wall)
	No blog entries

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Black-headed Gull

	Sightings: 11 October 2016 (Ham Wall)
	No blog entries

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Black-tailed Godwit^B

	Sightings: 17 May 2018 (Shapwick Heath)
	Blog entries: 22 March 2021

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Blue Tit^B

	Sightings: 11 October 2016 (Shapwick Moor) 23 February 2020 (Ham Wall)
	Blog entries: 3 November 2017

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Canada Goose^B

	Sightings: 17 May 2018 (Westhay Moor), 2 April 2022 (Catcott Lows), 18 April 2023 (Westhay Moor)
	Blog entries: 8 July 2018 8 May 2023

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Carrion Crow^B

	Sightings: 17 May 2018 (Westhay Moor), 2 April 2022 (Ham Wall), 19 April 2023 (Ham Wall)
	Blog entries: 7 April 2023

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Cattle Egret^B

	Sightings: 2 April 2022 (Godney)
	Blog entries: 23 May 2022

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Cetti’s Warbler^B

	Sightings: 17 May 2018 (Ham Wall), 18 April 2023 (Westhay Moor)
	Blog entries: 30 May 2018

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Chaffinch^B

	Sightings: 11 October 2016 (Shapwick Moor), 1 April 2022 (Ham Wall)
	Blog entries: 19 May 2020 28 July 2023

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Chiffchaff^B

	Sightings: 23 February 2020 (Shapwick Heath), 1 April 2022 (Shapwick Heath, Ham Wall), 19 April 2023 (Ham Wall)
	Blog entries: 4 May 2020 1 July 2022

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Coot^B

	Sightings: 11 October 2016 (Shapwick Moor, Shapwick Heath)
	Blog entries: 15 February 2018

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Cormorant^B

	Sightings: 11 October 2016 (Ham Wall), 17 May 2018 (Ham Wall, Westhay Moor), 2 April 2022 (Catcott Lows)
	Blog entries: 7 July 2022

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Dunnock^B

	Sightings: 23 February 2020 (Ham Wall), 2 April (Ham Wall), 20 April 2023 (Ham Wall)
	Blog entries: 19 July 2022

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Gadwall^B

	Sightings: 23 February 2020 (Ham Wall), 18 April 2023 (Westhay Moor)
	Blog entries: 24 March 2020

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Garganey^NB

	Sightings: 20 April 2023 (Ham Wall)
	No blog entries

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Glossy Ibis^B

	Sightings: 19 April 2023 (Ham Wall)
	Blog entries: 18 August 2023

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Goldfinch^B

	Sightings: 11 October 2016 (Shapwick Moor), 23 February 2020 (Ham Wall), 2 April (Ham Wall), 19 April 2023 (Ham Wall)
	Blog entries: 9 November 2017

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Great Crested Grebe^B

	Sightings: 10 October 2016 (Westhay Moor), 17 May 2018 (Ham Wall, Shapwick Heath, Westhay Moor), 23 February 2020 (Shapwick Heath), 1 April 2022 (Ham Wall), 18 April 2023 (Westhay Moor)
	Blog entries: 30 October 2018 4 May 2021 19 May 2022 29 September 2023

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Great Tit^B

	Sightings: 11 October 2016 (Shapwick Moor), 23 February 2020 (Ham Wall), 19 April 2023 (Ham Wall), 20 April 2023 (Ham Wall)
	Blog entries: 11 May 2023

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Great White Egret^B

	Sightings: 10 October 2016 (Westhay Moor), 11 October 2016 (Ham Wall, Shapwick Heath), 17 May 2018 (Ham Wall), 23 February 2020 (Shapwick Heath), 2 April 2022 (Catcott Lows), 18 April 2023 (Westhay Moor), 19 April 2023 (Ham Wall), 20 April 2023 (Ham Wall)
	Blog entries: 29 November 2016 24 January 2019 26 March 2021 24 April 2023

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Grey Heron^NB

	Sightings: 11 October 16 (Ham Wall), 23 February 2020 (Ham Wall), 2 April (Catcott Lows), 19 April 2023 (Ham Wall)
	No blog entries

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Greylag Goose^B

	Sightings: 2 April 2022 (Greylake RSPB)
	Blog entries: 5 March 2023

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Kestrel^B

	Sightings: 11 October 2016 (Shapwick Moor)
	Blog entries: 9 May 2017

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Kingfisher^B

	Sightings: 11 October 2016 (Shapwick Moor, Shapwick Heath)
	Blog entries: 28 November 2017

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Lapwing^B

	Sightings: 11 October 2016 (Shapwick Heath), 23 February 2020 (Ham Wall), 2 April 2022 (Greylake RSPB)
	Blog entries: 27 March 2020 21 March 2021 17 April 2023

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Lesser Black-backed Gull^NB

	Sightings: 1 April 2022 (Ham Wall)
	No blog entries

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Little Egret^B

	Sightings: 11 October 2016 (Shapwick Heath), 17 May 2018 (Ham Wall), 23 February 2020 (Ham Wall), 1 April 2022 (Ham Wall), 2 April (Greylake RSPB, Catcott Lows)
	Blog entries: 13 February 2023

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Little Grebe^B

	Sightings: 11 October 2016 (Ham Wall), 17 May 2018 (Ham Wall), 2 April 2022 (Catcott Lows)
	Blog entries: 11 March 2017

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Long-tailed Tit^NB

	Sightings: 2 April 2022 (Catcott Lows), 19 April 2023 (Ham Wall)
	No blog entries

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Mallard

	Sightings: 11 October 2016 (Ham Wall)
	No blog entries

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Marsh Harrier^B

	Sightings: 11 October 2016 (Shapwick Moor, Ham Wall), 23 February 2020 (Ham Wall, Shapwick Heath), 19 April 2023 (Ham Wall)
	Blog entries: 9 January 2018 25 January 2021 6 October 2023

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Moorhen^NB

	Sightings: 2 April 2022 (Greylake RSPB), 20 April 2023 (Ham Wall)
	No blog entries

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Mute Swan^B

	Sightings: 10 March 2013 (exact location unknown), 10 October 2016 (Westhay Moor), 17 May 2018 (Shapwick Heath, 17-May-18 Westhay Moor), 23 February 2020 (Ham Wall), 2 April 2022 (Greylake RSPB), 18 April 2023 (Westhay Moor)
	Blog entries: 12 January 2016 8 July 2018 13 April 2023 14 April 2023

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Pheasant^B

	Sightings: 11 October 2016 (Shapwick Moor)
	Blog entries: 22 October 2016

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Pied Wagtail^NB

	Sightings: 1 April 2022 (Ham Wall)
	No blog entries

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Pochard^B

	Sightings: 10 March 2013 (Shapwick Heath), 17 May 2018 (Ham Wall), 1 April 2022 (Ham Wall), 18 April 2023 (Westhay Moor), 19 April 2023 (Ham Wall)
	Blog entries: 4 February 2017 25 April 2019 10 August 2022

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Red Kite^NB

	Sightings: 1 April 2022 (Shapwick Heath), 20 April 2023 (Ham Wall)
	No blog entries

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Redshank^NB

	Sightings: 20 April 2023 (Ham Wall)
	No blog entries

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Reed Bunting^B

	Sightings: 17 May 2018 (Ham Wall), 23 February 2020 (Ham Wall)
	Blog entries: 17 July 2022

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Reed Warbler^B

	Sightings: 17 May 2018 (Westhay Moor)
	Blog entries: 3 June 2018

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Robin^NB

	Sightings: 20 April 2023 (Ham Wall)
	No blog entries

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Sedge Warbler^B

	Sightings: 20 April 2023 (Ham Wall)
	Blog entries: 24 July 2023

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Shoveler^B

	Sightings: 23 February 2020 (Ham Wall), 1 April 2022 (Ham Wall)
	Blog entries: 25 May 2020 12 May 2022

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Snipe^NB

	Sightings: 2 April 2022 (Catcott Lows)
	No blog entries

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Sparrowhawk^B

	Sightings: 2 April 2022 (Ham Wall)
	Blog entries: 29 May 2023

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Stonechat^NB

	Sightings: 23 February 2020 (Ham Wall)
	No blog entries

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Tawny Owl^B

	Sightings: 17 May 2018 (Ham Wall)
	Blog entries: 15 July 2018

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Teal^NB

	Sightings: 11 October 2016 (Shapwick Heath), 23 February 2020 (Ham Wall), 1 April 2022 (Ham Wall, Westhay Moor), 2 April 2022 (Greylake RSPB)
	No blog entries

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Tufted Duck^B

	Sightings: 11 October 2016 (Ham Wall), 17 May 2018 (Ham Wall)
	Blog entries: 29 January 2018 9 November 2020

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Whitethroat^NB

	Sightings: 20 April 2023 (Ham Wall)
	No blog entries

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Wigeon^B

	Sightings: 23 February 2020 (Ham Wall); 2 April 2022 (Catcott Lows)
	Blog entries: 4 December 2022

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Willow Warbler^NB

	Sightings: 19 April 2023 (Ham Wall)
	No blog entries

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Wren^B

	Sightings: 23 February 2020 (Ham Wall), 2 April 2022 (Catcott Lows)
	Blog entries: 30 July 2023

Note: (B) part of an existing blog – (NB) not part of an existing blog