Somerset Levels

Yesterday being such a glorious day we took time out from garden and kitchen to visit one of our favourite places, The Somerset Levels. (The link leads you to the Ham Wall area, where we were yesterday)

 In the past peat extraction was a major industry in this part of Somerset but now the area has been allowed to flood and is habititat for large numbers of birds, water and woodland. There is a large network of lakes and rhynes, the name particular to this area for the drainage ditches which cross the Levels.

One of the rhynes

 Yesterday there were dozens of brilliant dragonflies, we managed to indentify the Four Spotted Chaser, and the colourful Emperor, but watch as I might there was no chance to get a photgraph.

One of the ditches was being dredged, and we were lucky enough to be able to talk to the operator as he was walking back along the silt he had pulled out to rescue any creatures that had been bought up to the bank.  We did see one small dead fish on our side of the bank, and a few fresh water mussels.  We didn't even know until we were talking to him then that there was a fresh water mussel. I took a photo of Chris holding a shell just to show how big they are.

A grey heron was working his way along the bank, and from the hole in the mussel shell I imagine this one provided a snack earlier.  Plenty of swans in evidence and the ever present resting cormorants that you see on some of the lakes but nothing more unusual about at this time of the year.

It is here about that the starlings roost in the late autumn and early winter months, a magical sight and sound, the thousands of wing beats coming in over your head. Winter also brings large numbers of waders,  spoonbill last winter, and lapwings move into the fields if they start to flood.  Where there are large flocks of birds there are always the raptors, and we've seen Hen Harriers and Peregrines in some parts of the Levels.

Looked like a group of volunteers busy yesterday.