Recent Site Updates:
- The Natterer’s Bat page has been published, with a link to the ringing data we have, which shows a large number of recaptures, with one individual recorded over a period of eleven years. While putting that together, I realised I hadn’t published my bat diary information for 2013, so I’ve added that too – see the Bat Diary link in the Nathusius’ Pipistrelle page.
- I’ve added a Plant Galls & Causers page listing those that I know about.
- You will see I’ve started to share the water storage level from the Bristol Water website in the monthly header. At some point I’ll try and produce a graph to show this from year to year.
- I’m gradually getting on with re-installing photographs into the diary since the new website came into being, and have completed the years back to 2011 so far.
- I’ve been making some improvements to navigation around the Diary on the site by adding footers to get to previous/next months directly, rather than having to go through the main drop down menu. This is ongoing and working backwards in time.
Last update: 28th August 2026
Diary: Click on the Main Menu to bring up this page, which will show news and sightings for the current month below. To see archived news, click on the year from the Main Menu Diary drop down to access news month by month. News is archived back to 2011 currently. I hope it provides a valuable resource to those of you interested in the birds and wildlife of the lake. Have fun exploring, there are over 500 pages and 3000 photos.
September 2026
Blagdon Lake storage level was 53% on the 1st September, Bristol Water; cf. 38% in 2025.
The storage level was 53% on 8th September, Bristol Water; cf. 38% in 2025.
Friday 18th September [Mainly dry, with some sun & occasional light showers.]
I spent an hour and a half at the lake during the late afternoon and counted the following species: Canada Goose 2, Egyptian Goose 12, Pintail 3, Pochard 1, Tufted Duck 59, Little Grebe 21, Ruff 2, Little Egret 4, Great White Egret 4 (inc. the red-ringed bird again), Kestrel 1, and Hobby 1. It was nice to see a few more Tufted Duck have arrived, as well as the two Ruff. I couldn’t spot the Garganey, but the light wasn’t great for looking at ducks up to 500 metres away. 42 spp.
Thursday 17th September [Early rain gave way to a changeable & breezy day]
A late night, and a visit to the optician this morning, gave me little spare time to get down to the lake today, although someone sent a decent report to Avon Birds, which included a few counts and a rare Marsh Tit record.
For my part, this evening, I’ve been looking at a couple of my BTO News magazines and the latest Waterbirds in the UK report for 2024/25 which I and a regular team of volunteers contribute monthly Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS) counts to all year round, as Blagdon Lake is one of 3,435 Core Sites included. Headlines highlighted a record low index for Bewick’s Swan, since monitoring began in 1966/67, with a 25-year trend of -96%, but the non-native Egyptian Goose had a record high index with a 10-year trend of +120%. Shoveler numbers have almost doubled in England, which has driven a 25-year trend of +82%, with most other duck species stabilising, although the 10-year trends for Mallard at -16%, Goldeneye at -20%, Tufted Duck at -22% and Pochard at -33% continue to decline. Unsurprisingly, Cattle and Great White Egrets saw record high indices, and LIttle Egret showed a strong increase, with a 10-year trend of +44%. I will dig deeper into some of the detail in future diary entries. If you wish to take a look at the report online it can be found at: www.bto.org/webs-reporting.
Wednesday 16th September [Mainly dry with sunny spells]
I managed an hour and a half at the lake this morning, before going back in the evening to join Daniel H. and Mark H. with a few of our regular volunteers in a few hours of bat trapping until approx 0100 hrs, just as the drizzle set in. I counted eight Egyptian Geese, five Great White and one Little Egret, saw no waders and noted a handful of Tufted Duck. It seems likely that the Great White Egret that I saw last Friday with an orange ring has come from Latvia! There was another today with a red ring which, I think, means it is a local bird ringed on the Somerset Levels. Unfortunately, once again, I was unable to read the ring details. 29 spp. The bats were a bit more cooperative, although we didn’t catch any of our target species, the Nathusius’ Pipistrelle, that we were hoping to tag. In five Harp Traps with lures run from dusk until we packed up, we caught:
- Soprano Pipistrelle;
- Whiskered 1f;
- Daubenton’s;
- Serotine 1;
- Brown Long-eared 1.
/more details to follow.
Monday 14th September [Some early drizzle & dry with sunny spells for the rest of the day]
Phil D. and I did the WeBS count this morning between 1005 & 1300 hrs after chats with Mark, Jeff and Leyla while we were standing at the south end of the dam. Anyway, the water level was probably still on 53% despite some recent rain. I did the dabbling ducks (mostly still in moult) and Phil did all the rest! We saw a tern from our start point which we concluded was a, probable adult, Common Tern going into winter plumage, but it quickly flew off up the lake and out of view. We also saw a Kingfisher there which flew into and out of the trees at Cheddar Water, hovering over the water without diving in on this occasion. We didn’t see a single wader during the count, but I did refind the Garganey among the Teal at Burmah Road. The, probable adult female, Peregrine was still present today and made a pass over the teal on at least one occasion, and we also had a Red Kite go over. Count details as follows: Canada Goose 2, Mute Swan 42 (inc. 9 juvs.), Egyptian Goose 16, Garganey 1, Shoveler 21, Gadwall 102, Mallard 391, Domestic Mallard 1, Pintail 3, Teal 245, Tufted Duck 15, Moorhen 19, Coot 225, Little Grebe 28, Great Crested Grebe 13, Common Tern 1, Black-headed Gull 140+, Herring Gull 25+, Great Black-backed Gull 6, Lesser Black-backed Gull 11, Cormorant 4, Little Egret 5, Great White Egret 6, Grey Heron 7, Red Kite 1, Buzzard 1, Kingfisher 1, Peregrine 1, Grey Wagtail 2. I also counted at least 7 Clouded Yellows. 43 spp.
Sunday 13th September [A dank & dismal autumnal day]
The birding at Blagdon continues to be absolutely dire. Chris P. saw a Common Sandpiper on the dam this morning, and I didn’t even see that! The Egyptian Goose count had gone down to ten, and there were six each of Grey Heron and Great White Egret. I only noted one Little Egret. However, an adult Peregrine in the pines at Indian Country was a bit of a ‘Brucie’ bonus. 32 spp. We’ll do the WeBS count tomorrow.
Friday 11th September [Dry & sunny]
I had just over an hour at the lake, late this afternoon, as things turned out. Unfortunately, there wasn’t any real change in the birdlife to be seen. I picked out a Common Sandpiper, eleven Egyptian Geese, two each of Little and Cattle Egrets, plus eight Great White Egrets, one of which had an orange ring on its left leg, but I was unable to read it. There were very few birds at Top End, and even more polythene spread about the place, so I guess it was mainly down to continued disturbance. 29 spp.
Thursday 10th September [Increasingly cloudy, but dry until late evening.]
We were supposed to be bat trappping this evening, but the weather forecast forced a cancellation. Just as well, because when I arrived at around 1910 hrs the drizzle swept in and it quickly got wet with visibility suffering as a result. I didn’t see the Greenshank, or any other waders, but counted eleven Egyptian Geese and four Great White Egrets. The expanse of polythene sheeting at Top End has increased significantly since my last visit on Tuesday, so I guess the disturbance to waterfowl hasn’t diminished in the intervening period. Maybe, I’ll spend some more time tomorrow looking for plant galls and invertebrates until things settle down a bit. 26 spp.
Tuesday 8th September [Sunshine & showers]
I had a somewhat disappointing swing by the lake at lunchtime. Anglers were in front of the Lodge, and workers in hi-viz orange jackets were laying plastic sheeting at Top End (more about that another day). Consequently there were very few birds, and those that had stayed on the lake were gathered at Burmah Road – a long way from the hide. I could see THE Greenshank was there, but I saw no other waders, and lots of the wildfowl had moved on leaving a few bits and pieces, mainly Teal, but not the number we’d expect at this time of year with the low water level – one of the reasons for the the site SSSI designation. The rain wasn’t exactly helping my mood by this point either! I’ll admit to feeling pretty fed up with the situation, so made my way back home, only to realise I’d left my glasses in the Top End hide. Back I went, and while I was opening the Lodge entrance gate I leaned down to unhook and shut it behind me, and saw a great congregation of what I thought were wasps at first. Closer inspection, revealed that they were bees, and some appeared to be coming out of holes in bank. There were possibly as many as a hundred flying too and fro over the almost bare ground, but what were they up to? I had my camera but only a 300mm lens with 2x converter on it; hardly ideal for photographing them, but I wanted to try and record what I was witnessing nevertheless, so spent about half an hour watching and pressing the shutter to get some behavioural and ID shots. It turns out (thanks to Steven Falks’ Field Guide to Bees of GB & Ireland) that there was an emergence of female Ivy Bees Colletes hederae taking place, now that the sun had come out. This was accompanied by dozens of smaller males zig-zagging around over the area trying to mate with the females as they appeared. It was quite an extraordinary sight! I’ve seen the species at the lake previously, but feeding at Ivy flowers rather than emerging as adults. This species is a newcomer to Britain, being discovered in Dorset during 2001, but is spreading rapidly north and west. 33 spp.
Newly emerged female Ivy Bee, Blagdon Lake © Nigel Milbourne 2026
Recently emerged Ivy Bee, Blagdon Lake © Nigel Milbourne 2026
Emerging female Ivy Bees with a smaller male hovering above them, which gives a fair impression of the overall scene that was spread over a square metre or so of ground behind the open gate. Many of my pictures of the emerging females were ‘photo-bombed’ by out of focus, hovering, males – a problem compounded by the shallow depth of field afforded by a long lens compared to lenses that I would otherwise have chosen for the job.
Blagdon Lake © Nigel Milbourne 2026
Monday 7th September [Breezy, with sunny spells.]
The Lodge, dam and Butcombe Bay areas were absolutely rammed, a film crew was on site, something to do with Dawn French I was told. A Greenshank was still at Top End with a solitary sandpiper – a Green Sandpiper, ho ho! I saw three Cattle Egrets at Wood Bay, and five Tufted Duck in front of the Lodge, one of which looked interesting, but I feel sure it was a Tufted Duck. I spent some time chatting with angler Jeff H. talking about the lack of Tufted Duck, and he came up with an interesting theory about the seeming lack of Lesser Waterboatmen Corixa punctata, a favourite food item of Tufteds, in the shallow margins of the lake; he thinks the water may have got too warm for them during the hot weather, and that they may have moved out en masse, which is quite plausible given how shallow the lake is. Another posssibility is that breeding failed. 35 spp.
Sunday 6th September [Sunny]
There were still plenty of anglers at the dam end of the lake, nevertheless Top End was very quiet due to two juvenile Marsh Harriers that spent a while this afternoon roaming around the lake. I last saw them go down at the dam end, perhaps into one of the two small reed beds, while watching from Rainbow Point with Nick W-B. We also saw a juvenile Hobby hunting insects over the lake from Top End towards the dam. At Top End there was a lone Greenshank and two Cattle Egrets at Wood Bay. 33 spp.
Saturday 5th September [A fine, sunny, day.]
I went to Bridgwater this morning bright and early to do the Parkrun, a new one for me. I didn’t get down to the lake to look at the birds during the afternoon before going down to meet Daniel H. and Mark H. for an evening of bat trapping at Butcombe Bay. I ran a trap at the Spillway and caught:
- Soprano Pipistrelle 3m, 2f
- Daubenton’s Bat 1m
- Whiskered Bat 1m, 1f.
Several other traps and nets were run by a mix of Vincent Wildlife Trust and Avon Bat Group members. As I packed up at 0100 hrs, helped by Daniel, he got a call to say the others had caught a Nathusius’ Pipistrelle at long last – just as it started to rain. The aim of the evening was to try and catch as many Nathusius’ as we could to fit a new type of tracker that weighs just 0.3 g and potentially gives about a months worth of data – the latest ongoing project into the migration of bats into and out of the UK. Daniel informed me later that he fitted a tracker to the Nathusius’ Pipistrelle. Hopefully, we’ll have some data to share in due course.
Friday 4th September [Cloudy & windy, but remaining dry.]
I had a birding walk from home to Top End hide and back this afternoon. The most surprising bird was a late Swift at Green Lawn. I had a good look at it, because the possibility of a Pallid Swift crossed my mind, and was convinced it was a Common when it flew directly overhead. There were 11 Egyptian Geese today, and with the water coloured and a little bit up at Top End, I only picked out three Pintail and three Greenshank through my binoculars, although there may have been another ‘shank up towards Burmah Road that I saw on the way past but couldn’t see from the hide. There were lots of angling boats out at the dam end practising for a match, I believe, to be held tomorrow. Other than that, I saw plenty of hirundines of all three familiar species, and the usual Great White and Little Egrets. I recorded and photographed a plant gall on Field Maple at Cheddar Water hedge, that friend Una Garland recorded in 2015, that is caused by the mite Aceria macrochela and called Solitary Maple Leaf Gall by some authorities. 32 spp.
Wednesday 2nd September [Rain all morning]
I stopped off at the lake on the way back from the dentist around midday but it was a bit of a waste of time; there were men in bright orange suits wandering around at Top End. It took me a while to work out what was causing the disturbance until they walked out onto the lake bed from the trees. I saw four Greenshank, but gave up with the ducks as they were all over the place. I counted five Egyptian Geese in Holt Bay on the way through to the dam end, but didn’t bother spending too much time there either as there was quite a lot of angling activitiy.
I went back again mid-afternoon and recorded ten Egyptian Geese, at least 240 Herring Gulls on Tiny’s Shallow (Point), three of which I managed to read the rings as Yellow B=A, Orange L=X, and White A=H (all adults) and slightly fewer, but nevertheless impressive number of Lesser Black-backed Gulls, one of which was also ringed as Black A=N (subadult). I’ll get all of these off to Pete Rock, but I suspect they’re going to be local breeders. 32 spp.
Tuesday 1st September [Early rain followed by sunny spells & showers.]
I walked from Blagdon to Compton Martin with friends across the fields this morning, then went down to the lake late this afternoon. Among the increasing number of waterbirds, there were just three Greenshank to see from the Top End hide, and I counted 13 Egyptian Geese and nine Pintail, but I couldn’t spot the Garganey in the time I had available. On the way back home, I checked a few bushes for new galls and found Violet Bramble Rust, Hawthorn Button-top Gall, and Alder Vein Angle Gall that I took some (phone) pictures of to add to the Plant Galls & Causers gallery. 35 spp.
August 2026
Blagdon Lake storage level was 53% on the 11th August, Bristol Water; cf. 42% in 2025.
The storage level was 53% on 18th August, Bristol Water; cf. 40% in 2025.
The storage level was 53% on 24th August, Bristol Water; cf. 39% in 2025.
Cattle Egret, Holt Farm © Nigel Milbourne 2026
Monday 31st August [Dry with sunny spells]
Early this evening I found an hour to look at the lake before doing an intervals session at the dam. There were 16 Egyptian Geese (seven at the Lodge, five at Holt Bay & four at Wood Bay), the Garganey, five Greenshank, and eleven Pintail at Top End, plus three Common Sandpipers at the dam while I was there. I heard a Green Sandpiper calling at Cheddar Water, as darkness fell, while I was recovering from the running session.
Sunday 30th August [Sunshine & showers]
I spent the afternoon at the lake with Chris P., and Andy M. joined us in the Top End hide for a while too. The Garganey was still at Top End, and Chris and I both counted ten Greenshank scattered about the shoreline from the hide. Today’s best effort with the Egyptian Geese was also ten, but I could only find nine of the Pintail and a single Wigeon. A Red Kite put in an appearance over the north side of the lake, but by the time we walked back to the Lodge from Top End the hedgerows and woodlands were very quiet. We had a look at some of the plant galls I’d found recently, and added Ram’s-horn Gall which we found on an Oak at Green Lawn. There were a couple more candidates for me to look up as well. An excellent few hours, even if the birding remains a bit slow. Looking at the nationwide bird news, migration is gathering pace, with lots of reports from up t’north and along the east coast, so the next few weeks should be more interesting.
Saturday 29th August [Thundery Showers]
I was at the lake for nearly two hours this afternoon. As has been the case for much of the summer so far, there were no waders on TIny’s Shallow, or the dam, but I did see a Red Kite drift over quite low. In Lodge Copse I watched some birds in the Elderberry bushes, among which was a Great Tit plucking berries and holding them between its feet on a branch to eat them. I don’t remember seeing Great Tits eating berries before, but that might just be down to my memory these days… At Top End hide, the light was perfect for going through the increasing number of wildfowl, and I duly spotted an adult female Garganey; perhaps the same one seen at the lake a few weeks ago, that may have moved to Chew and back? I counted the same eleven Pintail that flew in on Thursday, the Greenshank count had also gone up to eleven today and, by curious coincidence, I picked out eleven Egyyptian Geese scattered around at various points, though there may have been more of those hidden from sight. Finally, before I left the hide, two Cattle Egrets flew in to Top End, an adult and juvenile. There were the usual Great White and Little Egrets present, but I didn’t count them. 37 spp.
Friday 28th August [Showers]
I spent the morning on the conservation project I’m working on, so didn’t get to the lake until late afternoon. I only saw one of the two groups of eight Egyptian Geese, but saw a Cuckoo in flight at Green Lawn, and when I got to the Top End hide I eventually spotted seven Greenshank and a Snipe, but could only see ten Pintail. Otherwise, it was the usual birds one sees at the lake, with Teal and Shoveler numbers building, by the looks of it. 34 spp.
Thursday 27th August [Overnight thunder& rain. Dry & sunny by day]
After the overnight thunderstorm had passed and the mist lifted I drove down to the lake in the hope of finding something new. There were eleven Pintail at Top End, along with the usual seven Greenshank, and the same flock of eight Egyptian Geese along Burmah Road (I didn’t see the other group of eight at Cheddar Water today). I counted eight Little Egrets and four Great White Egrets, as well as 14 Great Black-backed Gulls (including Yellow D:EL) and the single Snipe still on Tiny’s Shallow. Sadly, that was about it. 36 spp.
I went back down to the lake this evening to do some runningat the dam, and while I was recovering from my efforts, I heard a Green Sandpiper and Tawny Owl calling at the south end.
Wednesday 26th August [Warm & sunny in the afternoon & evening]
I spent the last hour of daylight at the lake on a pleasant evening and saw 16 Egyptian Geese, 38 Little Grebes, three Snipe, six Greenshank, an adult Yellow-legged Gull, eight Little Egrets, five Great White Egrets, ten Grey Herons, and a Hobby, of note. At Top End, just before I left at dusk, there was an apparent family of four Buzzards running around in the vegetation growing on the dry lake bed catching food items. While I acknowledge they can often be seen in fields hunting for worms and other invertebrates uncovered by the plough, I’ve not really seen a number of them engaged in this behaviour so late in the day. Perhaps it’s a reflection of the difficulty in finding food in these drought conditions? 34 spp.
Tuesday 25th August [Mainly overcast. Warm.]
I spent an hour and a half at the lake this afternoon, and there didn’t seem to be too much new since my last visit. I saw seven Greenshank, and a Snipe, and, just possibly, two Green Sandpipers in Butcombe Bay, but couldn’t find them again after my initial sighting while scanning the shoreline. Seven Egyptian Geese were still present, and I totted up 31 Great Black-backed Gulls (including Yellow D:BK & Yellow D:EK), seven Great White and seven Little Egrets and two drake Tufted Duck. There were lots of Pied Wagtails around the lake, and six Grey Wagtails on the dam. 33 spp. It looks like an algal bloom has started with odorous scum washing up against the dam. Nick P. had a look around in the morning and reported seeing two Greenshank, 34 Little Grebes, 28 Great Black-backed Gulls, a Wigeon and 35+ Shoveler.
Saturday 22nd August [Warm & sunny]
I had the privilege of leading a group from BOC at the lake today over late morning into early afternoon. We birded from the Lodge to Top End hide and back. The passerines were certainly keeping their heads down and there were very few birds on the water, although significant numbers of Mallard were loafing along the North Shore during their moult. I kept a list of the sightings we made, the most surprising of which were 16 Egyptian Geese. Otherwise it was business as usual with very few waterfowl at Top End, and five or more Greenshank feeding at various points along the shoreline. I made it 41 spp. in total, without even recording e.g. Song Thrush or Wren, so it wasn’t too bad. We counted Clouded Yellow butterflies for a while, I got up to 14 before giving up, as they seemed to be on nearly all the meadows and patches of Water Mint. However, of particular excitement for me was a Clouded Yellow f. helice at Bell’s Bush, only the second I’ve seen at the lake – the first being on 6th August 2006. We recorded eight species of butterfly and three dragonfly species, and I showed the group several plant galls along the way too. It was an enjoyable walk in good company thanks to the participants. Nick P. was at the Lodge when we got back, and he texted me later to say he’d seen a Wood Sandpiper in Rugmoor Bay. Cheers Nick and nice to see you.
Friday 21st August [Sunshine & showers]
After putting an images page up on the website for Plant Galls & Causers this morning, I spent some of the afternoon at the lake. I saw seven Greenshanks, and a Common Sandpiper, plus the three usual Egret spp. and the juvenile Common Buzzard that I saw on Tuesday loosely associating with the the adult female Marsh Harrier. Andy Davis had a look at Top End this morning and reported two juvenile Marsh Harriers and a Whinchat, none of which I saw this afternoon, unfortunately. I noted 35 bird spp. As I was birding, I kept a look out for some of the plant galls that have been the subject of my attention over the last couple of days, and found Ash Key Gall, Oak Knopper Gall, Oak Marble Gall, Silk Button Gall, Common Spangle Gall, Willow Redgall, Rose Bedeguar Gall, Smooth Pea Gall & Alder Leaf Gall very readily.
Tomorrow, I have a Bristol Ornithological Club field meeting to host at the lake, so we’ll be hoping for some more migrants to drop in overnight – although it looks like a clear sky through until midday. Fingers crossed.
Thursday 20th August [Heavy rain showers at last!]
I’ve been busy and completed the Plant Galls & Causers page. It can be accessed from the Wildlife > Plants page. There are just 41 listed, so there’s plenty of scope to add to it. Let me know if you find any please. I will add a gallery to it in due course to illustrate as many of those listed as I can. There’s been no news from the lake in the last couple of days and I’ve been busy. I look forward to a visit in the morning and reporting back.
Wednesday 19th August [Damp overnight]
I realised this morning that having photographed plant galls caused by the Willow Redgall sawfly Euura proxima yesterday, I haven’t added the list of plant galls that I’ve recorded at the lake yet. So, that’s another little job to do!
Tuesday 18th August [Mainly overcast with some short sunny spells. Breezy.]
I enjoyed a chill-out afternoon at the lake today. There were a number of highlights, chief among which was a prolonged spell watching an adult female Marsh Harrier from the Top End hide. Rich M. texted me earlier in the day to say he’d seen two Wigeon there, which reminded me I’d seen them in Pipe Bay from Butcombe Bank during the WeBS count, but forgot to add them to my list! Anyway, that’s remedied, but there was no sign of them, or any ducks to speak of at Top End this afternoon, doubtless due to the harrier. I went through the few Teal I could see at Burmah Road, but couldn’t pick out a Garganey, even though the viewing was far better this afternoon than during the count yesterday, with its heat haze. Also noted from the hide were three Greenshank, a Swift and a Hobby. Yesterday’s, juvenile Little Ringed Plover had moved on, and I only saw a single Common Sandpiper on Tiny’s Shallow. The gulls were loafing there as usual, and today I spotted a ringed Lesser Black-backed Gull, Black A=N and Great Black-backed Gull, Yellow D:JA (first noted at BL in Sept. 2024). The adult Yellow-legged Gull was also present. Having written about the lack of diving ducks yesterday, what should appear today but a single drake Tufted Duck – you can’t make it up! On the way back to the Lodge I saw that two herds of cattle were back out in the fields at Holt Farm, and yes they had attracted at least 21 Cattle Egrets. Also counted today were six Little Egrets, fived Great White Egrets and six Grey Herons. My main reason for going to the lake was to spend some time checking the Little Grebe count for yesterday, because they were so hard to count then. Luckily, it was a good deal easier today, and I reckoned on there being at least 34 still on the lake. Three Clouded Yellows rounded off a very pleasant two and a half hours.
PS. Sean D. contacted me later and told me he’d had a record count of 535 Tufted Duck at Barrow Tanks today – so that’s where they are.
Monday 17th August [Sunny spells. A bit cooler than of late.]
Apologies for the lack of news, I’ve been away in the Midlands watching the European Athletics Championships, and did a Parkrun at Walsall Arboretum while I was there. After too little sleep, I did the WeBS count with Dave P. and Skip H. from 0940-1350 hrs. The water level was 53% on the 11th August. and probably a point or two lower today. A juvenile Little Ringed Plover on TIny’s Shallow was new in. The count details were as follows: Canada Goose 189, Mute Swan 58 (inc. 13 juvs.), Egyptian Goose 11, Shoveler 47, Gadwall 199, Wigeon 2, Mallard 441, Domestic Mallard 1, Teal 99, Moorhen 38, Coot 569, Little Grebe 18+, Great Crested Grebe 7, LRP 1, Lapwing 1, Common Sandpiper 2, Greenshank 4, Black-headed Gull c. 40, Herring Gull c. 5, Yellow-legged Gull 1, Great Black-backed Gull 11 (inc. Yellow D:EK), Lesser Black-backed Gull c. 25 (inc. Black A=C), Cormorant 5, Little Egret 17, Great White Egret 4, Cattle Egret 2 (adult & juv.), Grey Heron 8, Red Kite 1, Buzzard 1, Kingfisher 1, Hobby 1, Grey Wagtail 4+. Also noted were Clouded Yellow 7, Common Blue 5. It remains a mystery as to why there were no diving ducks present. Looking back at the count 20 years ago, on 12th Aug. 2006, there were 1131 Tufted Ducks and 150 Pochard present. Ten years ago, on 22nd August 2016, we counted 456 Tufteds and 47 Pochard, and in both years cited the July Tufted count was also high, as birds arrived to moult.
Sunday 16th August
Andy M. posted news of four Redshank, two Greenshank, an adult Yellow-legged Gull and juvenile Cuckoo at Blagdon Lake today. Thanks Andy.
Thursday 13th August [Hot]
Rich M. reported four Greenshanks and a Wood Sandpiper at Top End today. Thanks Rich.
Wednesday 12th August [Hot]
I spent the day with Naomi J. and Chris P. working on a conservation project. We worked from 0930-1700 hrs, then after a sandwich and the arrival of Ann and Trevor, I headed up onto Beacon Batch to watch the solar eclipse with a good few others at the highest point on Mendip. A group very kindly gave us a couple of pairs of glasses to watch it through – so we shared them with a few others around us who were struggling with home made pinhole viewing boxes and the like. We were surprised at how light it stayed even with 93-94% of the sun obscured by the moon. It did get cooler for a while, but quickly warmed up again afterwards as the sun reappeared.
Tuesday 11th August [Warm with a pleasant breeze until lunchtime, when it got a bit too hot]
This morning I met up with nine good folks from the Mendip Society for a birding walk at the lake. We met at the dam where we saw two Common Sandpipers and two Grey Wagtails. Moving on to the Lodge we looked through and identified the gulls, saw our first Great White Egret and Cormorants, then, as I was talking about Ospreys, what should happen but all the gulls went up and one flew almost overhead heading south towards the Mendips. Amazing! We made our way along the south side of the lake towards the Top End hide, looking at dragonflies (Common and Ruddy Darter, Emperor and Lesser Emperor, Migrant Hawker), butterflies, including three Clouded Yellows, and of course new birds. It was no surprise to find that the passerines were keeping their heads down in the sweltering conditions, but we looked at egrets and found our first Greenshank, discussed the bat work done at the lake over the last couple of decades, and were impressed by the hedge-laying (but worrying about how the lack of rain might have a serious impact on the new planting). When we got to Top End, I explained that up until the recent heavy showers there were probably 200-400 Gadwall there, but they seemed to have moved on leaving the Teal and Mallards behind. I also explained how, twenty years ago, I’d have expected to have seen a large flock of, mainly male, Tufted Duck gathering for their moult – today there were none. The waterfowl, in general, were pretty sparse for what in the past would be the month with the highest counts of the year. While we saw a moult flock of Little Grebes, a couple more Greenshanks and poor views of a Wood Sandpiper in the heat haze, Leyla came into the hide. She’s the new Bristol Water Conservation Ranger and I introduced her to the group. She showed us some video footage taken from camera traps of an Otter, and discussed some of the other sightings she’s captured since joining the company. Thanks Leyla. By the time we got back to the Fishing Lodge car park, I think we were all feeling the heat and glad to get back to some shade and, dare I say it, the air conditioning of our cars. It was a lovely walk in some very pleasant company, so thanks to you all. I made it 38 spp. seen – with the full list on BirdTrack.
Monday 10th August [Hot]
I didn’t visit the lake today, but Rich M. did and he saw the three Greenshanks and Wood Sandpiper. Thanks Rich.
Sunday 9th August
A report of a Whitethroat and female Marsh Harrier (M. Hunt per Avon Birds).
Saturday 8th August [Sunny all day]
I had a look around in the evening and saw nine Egyptian Geese, three Greenshanks, a Common Sandpiper, a Wood Sandpiper and two Lapwings, of note. I didn’t manage to pick out the Garganey in the evening light, but there was the usual scattering of Great White and Little Egrets. 29 spp.
Friday 7th August [Sunny & warm]
I spent an hour and a half at the lake late this afternoon and saw seven Egyptian Geese from the Fishing Lodge, three Greenshanks, a Clouded Yellow and at least three pristine-looking White Wagtails towards Top End. 30 spp. Nick P. reported a Cuckoo in flight at Green Lawn and Rich M. saw the Garganey.
In the evening, a small group of us ran a bat trap on Butcombe Bank, hoping to catch a Nathusius’ Pipistrelle or two, but they eluded us. We caught:
- Soprano Pipistrelle 7m 3f
- Brandt’s 1f
- Brandt’s/Whiskered 2f (forearm lengths suggest Brandt’s, but ID probably best left as either of this difficult pair – dentition not checked.)
- Natterer’s 1f
While we were there, we also saw a Glow-worm, and the other group, trapping around the Fishing Lodge, reported catching two Nathusius’ Pipistrelles.
Thursday 6th August [A little cooler & breezy]
I went walking with friends Ann and Trevor this morning, and decided to leave my lakeside visit until after tea, rather than try and squeeze it in beforehand. To be fair there was very little new to be seen, apart from a Common Sandpiper on the dam pipework, and many more Sand Martins at Top End than yesterday. The egret numbers were about the same as they have been for the last few days. 26 spp. Andy D. reported a Greenshank, a male Yellow Wagtail, 85 Cormorants, four Great White Egrets and four Swifts this morning.
Wednesday 5th August [Warm & breezy]
There were seven Egyptian Geese in front of the Fishing Lodge and a Hobby hunting over the lake this evening. I counted 32 Little Grebes, and saw the two juvenile Wood Sandpipers and a Redshank from Top End hide. It appears that the Sand Martins are already on their reverse migration with a few to be seen from the Lodge while I was there. 24 spp. A Snipe and four Lapwings were also reported per Avon Birds.
Tuesday 4th August [Warm, mainly sunny, with heavy showers late afternoon & overnight.]
A quick note that I saw the Garganey, a Curlew (thanks Rich M.), two juvenile Wood Sandpipers and three Lapwings at Top End this morning, and when two visiting birders joined me at the hide they told me they’d see a Whitethroat and Spotted Flycatcher in the copse as they walked towards the hide from the road. I saw the ‘spoffle’ but missed the Whitethroat, unfortunately. When I went back in the evening I saw seven Egyptian Geese at the Lodge, and counted 20 Little Egrets and 13 Great White Egrets. 41 spp. in the morning and 21 spp. in the evening.
Monday 3rd August [Warm & sunny]
Nick P. reported two Wood Sandpipers at Top End, but Andy D. didn’t see them this morning and, sadly, I didn’t see them this evening. I got home from Scotland in the wee small hours and didn’t get to the lake until the evening, but the only thing I picked out of special interest was the adult female Garganey at Flower Corner – it looks like the one I saw at the Lodge on the 14th July. There has been a large influx of Gadwall since I did the WeBS count, and I counted three Egyptian Geese, 24 Little Egrets, six Great White Egrets, eight Cattle Egrets and five Grey Herons in a list of 30 spp.
Avon Birds reported: Two Wood Sandpipers, 32 Little Egrets, 20 Cattle Egrets (inc. 3+ juv), eight Great White Egrets, a Common Gull, and a Red Kite
While I was away in East Lothian, I went to see the Scoter flock off Musselburgh Lagoons on three occasions. My word, they are so frustrating! I tried different heights of the tide, but the wind was either blowing too hard, the sun too intense and causing a haze, or, they were just too far away. I saw a close group of Common Scoter drakes, a few close-ish views of some of the 250+ Velvet Scoters, and even managed to pick out one of three drake Surf Scoters, but just didn’t get lucky enough to get unequivocal views of any of the three White-winged Scoters – again. I even tried leaving my camera behind on one occasion.
Sunday 2nd August
Nick P. reported the Garganey at Bell’s Bush, as well as singles of Wood and Green Sandpiper, three Black-tailed Godwits, four Dunlin, at least ten Great White Egrets, and a Hobby at the dam end.
Saturday 1st August
Nick P. reported two redhead Goosanders flying down the lake, and also saw a Wood Sandpiper and Garganey at Top End. Later, Andy M. saw the GLOSSY IBIS and Garganey, but not the Wood Sandpiper. Thanks guys. Also reported on Avon Birds were: nine Egyptian Geese, nine Black-tailed Godwits, and singles of Redshank and Green Sandpiper.