Somerset Wild Walks: Somerset Hares 25/3/15 Shapwick and Ham Wall

An early arrival to Ham Wall to the greeting of bird song, frost and sunny blue skies. It seemed every bird was singing even the booming Bittern!

No sign of any Sand Martins but we did see and hear the lovely song of a Willow Warbler at Ham Wall. The Great Crested Grebes are still displaying but mostly the head flick game not the dance. Cettis Warbler and Chiffchaffs are singing from their perches everywhere. There are still some fine looking Redwings feeding up on the ivy berries I guess before their journey north.

2 Bitterns were seen both from Ham Wall and Shapwick but as usual it was a quick fly past but brilliant to see them. Male and female Marsh Harriers were seen on both sides of the reserves the males in stunning colours now. There a still a few Wigeon on Noah's lake but numbers are dwindling. Other birds of note are Great White Egret, Little Egret, Shoveler, Teal, Little Grebe, Water Rail, Kingfisher, Treecreeper and Great Spotted Woodpecker.

Only a couple of Small Tortoiseshells out in the sun but a few more flowers out now Dandelion, Daisies, Lesser Celandines and the lovely Coltsfoot.

From Shapwick we travelled to the Canada Farm reserve parking up at the Hawk And Owl Trust car park. The walk to the 2 hides is a wonderful mixture of open field and woodland the fields being a great source of wild flowers later in the season.

Not a lot going on from the Canada Farm hide but good to see some Cormorants nesting. From the Barbara Hanley hide the feeders were being put to good use by Chaffinch, Blue and Great Tit, and Reed Buntings. An occasional Brown Rat made an appearance.

Whilst viewing from the hide, in the next field we spotted a beautiful Hare which we watched for some time. What a great end to a brilliant day.