Gone west

Thought I'd go and see some half-decent birds today so, leaving Gwent far behind, I proceeded to meander around Somerset for the day. First stop (as illustrated in video form below) was a Cattle Egret or two cowering behind a sheep's arse (insert Welsh joke here). Despite the intervening fences, armco barriers and bramble, I think I managed to obtain proof, as if it were needed, that: a. there was a Cattle Egret in that field; b. there are too many humans on this island, of which far too many spend their time bombing around it little tin cans; and c. it was a tad windy today. Job done.

A short tin can ride later and Shapwick Heath loomed into view; all the recent goodies were present, a short walk later and more looming, first up Great White Egret followed by White-fronted and Bar-headed Goose, and finally the 5000 year old Sweet Track (aaah, how sweet). Looming marvelous!


Next stop Cheddar Reservoir where everything behaved terribly well, apart from some snotty kid, who insisted on wandering across in front of my scope in an attempt to scare the birds. Unfortunately for him, everything on the reservoir appeared to have never seen a human before, the Red-necked Grebe just sat there gawping at the pudgy little brat. One of us, me or the grebe (can't remember which), asked him if ugly fat kids like him still get beaten up at school,... he left. Also parading about on the water were a Great Northern Diver and five Scaup (I ignored the fact that one of the males appeared to have the merest hint of a vestigial bump at the rear of the crown and an ever so slightly darker mantle [edit: perhaps it would be more accurate to say four Scaup and one 'mostly Scaup', the bird is back/left in the pic below]). Superb day all round methinks.