TAUNTON’S nearest and longest established RSPB reserve, West Sedgemoor, always provides the venue for the last field meeting of the year for the local group, and this year was no exception and the 21 members who gathered there recently knowing they would be in for a special occasion.

On a calm, sunny but cold morning they assembled at the car park at Swell Wood and spent time collecting a list of the birds in the woodland there.

The nut feeders were empty, but with a lot of natural food available it wasn’t long before birds noted included blue tit, coal tit, great tit, long-tailed tit, treecreeper, nuthatch, great spotted woodpecker, chaffinch, woodpigeon, jackdaw, crow, rook, robin, goldcrest and blackbird.

The party moved down to the society HQ at Red Hill Farm before being conducted by several volunteers through the droves and out to the observation barn on the edge of the flooded moor.

Along the tracks, further species noted included buzzard, stonechat, dunnock, lapwing, fieldfare, redwing, magpie and goldfinch.

The magnificent panoramic view from the first floor of the observation barn is well-known among birders and offers a wonderful spectacle at this time of year – an horizon to horizon vista of wet meadows thronging with huge congregations of wildfowl gathered to pass the bitter weathers of winter before they head north once more to take up the challenge of another breeding cycle.

First and most outstanding sight was of a vast number of wigeon, whistling and constantly on the move as they bustled, jostled and moved to and fro in many separate groups.

It didn’t take long to set up scopes, and wildfowl species soon identified included greylag geese, several thousand wigeon, shoveler, teal, pintail and mallard.

Great excitement came at regular intervals as a peregrine falcon flew through, scattering everything in its path and occasionally climbing steeply to stoop at groups of wildfowl.

A buzzard did its bit to keep things moving, but among some of the other memorable sights were a brilliant view of beautifully coloured kingfisher, several snipe, pied wagtail, starlings, wren, meadow pipit, little egret and what were deemed to be the birds of the day, two female hen harriers.

Over recent years the once common hen harrier has become very scarce. The female, or ring tail, was regularly seen quartering large reed beds in its search for prey, but of late any sighting has been an occasion to remember. It was thought that one of the two could have been a juvenile.

Entertainment was provided when a fox crossed the splashy grass areas and then, unexpectedly, seemed to walk on to the water, spending a considerable time gingerly edging along what must have been an ice patch.

The time at the barn was nicely rounded off with mince pies provided by the RSPB.

The final walk back to the cars added mistle thrush, house sparrow, heron, raven, blackbird and possible brambling to an impressive list of birds on another successful day at West Sedgemoor.

I would like to extend sincere best wishes to all readers, especially those who enjoy RSPB Notes, for a very happy Christmas and a succesful year of birding in 2009.

  • DIARY DATE: Sunday, January 11, Cheddar Reservoir, meet at car park, map ref ST446535, 10am, led by John Connolly (Taunton 274272).