Dipped out...but not disappointed.

"Yes - she saw an otter".  "Oh yes - the bittern tapped me on the shoulder and asked for a light".  That is how the day felt - I dipped out on the stars of the show, but still it was a great day in the sunshine anyway.

Three common terns and the tor

The Somerset Levels spoil you - you expect too much sometimes.  The bitterns were booming, but I didn't see any inspite of a long vigil.  However I had a fantastic view of a marsh harrier and watched some great hobby aerial acrobatics.

The hobbies are back and that is a sure sign that summer is almost upon us.  One hobby grabbed a butterfly whilst it was busy chasing another.  It made short work of it, ripping off its wings, which fell to the ground, while the bird feasted mid-flight.

A cuckoo was heard for the first time this year also, and could be seen perching a long way off in a willow tree.

Some parents already had young such as the great-crested grebe and the graylag geese.

Proud and protective parents

Another sign of the new season was the warblers: chiff-chaff, willow, reed and Cetti's warblers and whitethroats singing their various songs all day long.

  White-throat showing where its name comes from...

Who's shell is this...?