Wednesday 29th April
Skip H. did my old BBS squares at the lake this morning and saw a Hobby over the dam at 0700 hrs. He also saw two Grey Partridges in a field opposite the Lodge entrance gate – I saw two pairs today as well on a walk between Blagdon and Rickford. I guess they’ve been released recently.
Tuesday 28th April [Sunny, but the breeze was cool.]
I found time for an earlier start to my lakeside visit this evening and, as a result, connected with more species that were still active than usual. Although the northeasterly wind had been cool during the day, it died away before the sun went down and conditions were really quite pleasant and the salmon-pink sky was stunning. There were two Common Sandpipers on the dam wall, and as I walked from the Lodge to Top End and back I came a cross a dead Common Shrew, and saw 5+ Swifts, with small flocks of Swallows and House Martins over the lake and adjacent fields. I heard a singing Garden Warbler and two Cetti’s Warblers, plus the usual Blackcaps in virtually every group of trees and bushes. The first of the Southern Marsh Orchids are starting to appear in flower, and on the way back I saw one each of Great White and Little Egret flying to roost. 41 spp.
Monday 27th April [More warm sunshine]
Merv. P. sent me news of a visit he made to the lake today, during which he saw/heard two Common Sandpipers, two Grey Wagtails, and two Pied Wagtails on the dam, one each of Buzzard, Great White Egret, Little Egret, and Raven, three Garden Warblers, no hirundines, but loads of butterflies and Cowslips. Thanks Merv.
Saturday 25th April [Sunny]
This evening I spotted two Mute Swans on their nests, the first I’ve seen this year since I’ve been unwell. Of note, there was a Common Sandpiper on the dam, a single Great White Egret, two singing Cetti’s Warblers, a Garden Warbler, and best of all, an Otter. 33 spp. Tomorrow, there is a big boat angling competition on the lake, so I won’t be bothering to go there, but will be meeting Chris P. and getting on with our delayed conservation project.
Friday 24th April [Sunny]
There was a bit of a surprise this evening, with two Greylag Geese feeding among the small flock of Canada Geese. The six Common Sandpipers were still on the dam wall, and a couple of Great White Egrets flew to Rugmoor Point at dusk. While I was in my car I spotted a Fox trotting along the road towards me. I stopped and waited to see what happened. It stopped and sat down in the road to consider its options, then decided it was safe to walk up to my car and have alook around in the undergrowth nearby, before finally trotting off along the road behind me. A lovely few moments. 24 spp.
Thursday 23rd April [Sunny]
This evening there were six Common Sandpipers on the dam wall, and I saw three Snipe at Top End. There is an excellent show of Cowslips in the meadows at present. 25 spp.
I’m sorry news has been a bit thin in the last couple of weeks, but I’ve been slow to get over the bronchitis. However, a dose of Doxycycline has finally helped me shake it off, and I’m up and about again and straight back into our conservation project. Naomi J. and I spent yesterday afternoon with Yeo Valley Farms and are, hopefully, going to do some work with them. Following that, Naomi and I met John Branch of Taylor Plant, who has very kindly offered to help us with our project.
Monday 20th April [Sunny]
Rob H. and Skip H. did the WeBS count this morning in my continued absence. Thanks guys. Water level approx. 95%. Time: 0942-1325hrs
I have the numbers: Mute Swan 11, Canada Goose 37, Mallard 39 (inc. 1st brood of two ducklings), Tufted Duck 74, Great Crested Grebe 9, Moorhen 5, Coot 34, Common Sandpiper 4, Green Sandpiper 2, Black-headed Gull 1, Great Black-backed Gull 2, Lesser Black-backed Gull 5, Little Egret 2, Grey Heron 3, Red Kite 1, Buzzard 2, Reed Warbler 2, Cetti’s Warbler 1 and Grey Wagtail 2.
Other birds counted included 8 Chiffchaffs, 6 Blackcaps, 2 Garden Warblers, 7 Goldcrests, a Treecreeper, 3 Pied Wagtails, 5 Chaffinches and a Bullfinch.
Sunday 19th April [Sunny & warm]
The drake RING-NECKED DUCK was still at the lake this evening and Reed Warblers were singing in Pipe Bay reeds, as was a Cetti’s Warbler. The Common Sandpiper was on the dam wall. 26 spp. Tomorrow is WeBS day.
Saturday 18th April [Mainly sunny & warm]
Mark H. has kindly sent me some news from the lake. He was putting the boats to bed in the evening, and said he saw a Green Sandpiper at Green Lawn and heard a male Cuckoo singing on the north side of the lake in the North Shore/Butcombe Bay area.
Sunday 12th April [Sunshine & showers]
The drake RING-NECKED DUCK is reportedly still at the lake (Avon Birds), but Chris P., and Martin K., who had a look around today, didn’t spot anything new to add to the site year list. They both reported Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps everywhere though. Thanks for letting me know guys.
Friday 10th April [Breezy. Cloud clearing to sunshine.]
Life can be frustrating at times, and what I thought was just a head cold seems to be bronchitis, or similar, and I’m currently laid low having to stay at home trying to rest and recuperate. I would love to hear from those of you who manage to spend some time at the lake looking out for the arriving migrants at this exciting time of year.
While I’ve been side-lined at home, I’ve had time to catch up with a fascinating talk given by Dr. Tim Mackrill Spring Migration of Ospreys to the UK which has been posted on YouTube. You can watch it by clicking the link. It fits very nicely alongside the BBC Sounds podcast series Flight of the Ospreys which, for now at least, you can also listen to by clickiing on that link. It tells the story of a team who travelled from Scotland following Ospreys migrating south in Autumn, to learn more about their journey, and what hazards they face along the way to their wintering grounds in West Africa.
Thursday 9th April [Dry, but increasingly breezy.]
Our conservation work finished at lunchtime and after a bowl of soup at home I went to the lake. Due to the rising wind and cool conditions, I birded mainly from my car because I still felt pretty ropey. There was a Common Sandpiper on the dam wall, two Egyptian Geese on Green Lawn, three Little Egrets, and I found the drake RING-NECKED DUCK at Burmah Road. Most of the smaller birds were keeping their heads down in the blustery conditions by late afternoon. 36 spp.
Wednesday 8th April [Warm & sunny]
I finally got out of the house for a meeting (outdoor) at Yeo Valley HQ this afternoon, and took the opportunity for a quiet stroll back home along Luvers Lane and back through Fuller’s Hay (woodland). It was glorious! There was a Green Woodpecker yaffling in the wood, the bluebells were lit up by dappled sunlight and I found quite a lot of Toothwort in flower along the path growing at the base of some coppiced Hazels. It is a parasitic plant that I’ve seen growing there for many years, but there was an exceptionally fine show today, and it seemed to be much more abundant than I’ve seen previously. There are no records showing on the NBN Atlas for Fuller’s Hay, so I’ll get it sent in to BRERC.
Toothwort in a patch of Ramsons, Fuller’s Hay, Blagdon © Nigel Milbourne 2026
Toothwort flower poking up through leaf litter © Nigel Milbourne 2026
Tomorrow, I’m doing some conservation work with friends in the morning, and all being well, I hope to get to the lake for a couple of hours later. There must be plenty of new migrants that have arrived in my absence, judging by the records coming in from around the area. I’ve heard of nothing from the lake for yesterday or today, so it’s going to be exciting to get back to the waterside.
Monday 6th April [Sunny]
I had been planning to do a BBS-type survey at the lake today, but it didn’t happen – I’ve been struck down by the dreaded lurgy for the first time since before the covid-epidemic. Chris P. spent the morning at the lake and sent me some news, including a sighting of an Osprey at around 0700 hrs by an angler we both know. Chris saw Little Egret and four Egyptian Geese of note, and Nick P. reported the drake RING-NECKED DUCK at Top End.
Sunday 5th April [Showers early, turning sunny later. Cool.]
I haven’t been feeling well today, so haven’t been down to the lake. The drake RING-NECKED DUCK was reportedly present, but the drake Lesser Scaup had nipped back over the hill to Cheddar Res. A Common Sandpiper and two Willow Warblers were also reported at Blagdon.
Saturday 4th April [Sunshine & showers.Windy pm.]
I’d intended to do a Parkrun this morning, but thought I’d better check to see if the drake LESSER SCAUP was still present at the lake beforehand. When I got to the dam, there was barely a bird to be seen on the water. So, I drove along to Rainbow Point and saw the LS just off Holt Bay, where I was able to see it in better light through my telescope. No problem with the ID, but too far out to photograph, so I popped home with my camera before going to Congresbury to do some speed endurance training along the Strawberry Line. While I was at the lake, I heard my first Willow Warbler of the year singing around the Lodge area, and saw three Egyptian Geese on Holt Farm. I didn’t spend any time looking for the Ring-necked Duck beyond Burmah Road. 27 spp.
Friday 3rd April [Misty & damp early, then better later in the day]
I spent nearly all of yesterday from 1000-1900 hrs with a team doing some conservation work, which meant I didn’t get to the lake. However, today, after a trip to Ilminster, it was evening before I got to the lake. I walked from home with my binoculars around my neck, and when I got to the dam, one of the first birds I saw was a grey-backed Scaup sp. among some Tufted Ducks about 200 m off the dam wall. After a few minutes observation, I felt confident that it was a drake LESSER SCAUP, even though I hadn’t see the whole suite of features to clinch the identity – no doubt the bird I photographed on 28th March at Chew, and which had been at Cheddar Res. in the interim. I walked on to Holt Copse and back to the dam where I saw a bigger flock of Tufteds right by the dam wall, and the Lesser Scaup was among them. I walked along the dam until I was about 50 metres away, where I had better views even though the sun had gone down and the time was 2010 hrs. I hadn’t seen a wing flap, but the nail, head shape, vermiculations on the back and overall size were all consistent with my ID. A single Egyptian Goose was on Holt Farm. The RING-NECKED DUCK had been reported earlier in the day. 27 spp.
Wednesday 1st April [Cool & overcast]
This lunchtime I went to see if I could find the drake RING-NECKED DUCK and eventually found him when he swam out of the marginal vegetation with some Canada Geese, where he’d presumably been feeding, at Burmah Road. I drove closer to make sure it was him, and sure enough he was there in a flock of Tufted Duck, asleep. It is one of the places he likes to spend spring at the lake, and I suspect he’s been there since the sighting last Saturday. I also saw two Little Egrets and four Egyptian Geese.