A bit of birding

It's a quiet time of year for birding, and, as recent posts attest, butterflies have offered more interest in the warmer weeks of July than the slim pickings available on the avian front. Some birds are on the move though, including a Collared Pratincole, a rare visitor from Southern Europe which arrived on the wonderful Somerset Levels the week before last. With the light evenings there was time to pay a visit after work to look for it and the other good birds which can be found there - a calling Little Bittern and several Great White Egrets among the highlights.

Collared Pratincole shows rufous undwerwing coverts

The Pratincole was hawking insects over the pools

A poor photo but shows the diagnostic white trailing edge to the secondaries

Always distant, this was about as close as the Pratincole came

Glastonbury Tor

Great White Egret - easy to see at Ham Wall