Tuesday 2nd September 2025 - Chew Valley Lalke

 

Our birding trip this week was another visit to Chew Valley Lake but just Bryan and Tony as David is on holiday. Chew was chosen because 2 waders scare at this location had been seen and it would be silly not to take advantage and see if we could find them. As usual we started the day at Herriotts noting Magpie, Collared Dove and Woodpigeon as we drove through Bishops Sutton. On arrival at Herriotts it was noticeable the amount of hirundines flying over the pool with Swallow and both House and Sand Martins in quite large numbers, while looking at these 2 Common Sandpipers flew over the water landing out of sight on the wall. The water level had risen a little since last week but the now overgrown mud was still above water with double figure count of Lapwings seen along with lots of Black Headed Gulls also seen were Mallard, Teal, Gadwall and Mute Swan. On the far side of the pool were at least 2 Garganey and close by a Grey Heron. A Green Sandpiper and a single Snipe were also found. Next find was a fishing Cormorant and 3 Canada Geese, A Pied Wagtail was on the overflow and a Grey Wagtail was on the wall and Bryan found a sleeping Shoveler and looking more closely we found a few more. Moorhen, Great White Egret and Coot were also seen. While searching through the gull flock we found both Herring and Lesser Black Back Gulls. We then crossed the road to search the main lake a Black Tailed Godwit a fly past Kingfisher plus both Little and Great Crested Grebe were added. Bryan then found a few more waders, a Greenshank at least 2 Dunlin but also 2 more waders that we were unable to put a name to as we were a long way away from them so we decided to move on to Stratford as the birds would be a little closer from there. On the way to Stratford, we added many Jackdaws that seemed to be on any place they could land. Once parked in the car park I noticed a lot of bird movement in the lane towards Moreton so we decided to have a look a Robin was seen 1^st but the majority of birds were Chiffchaffs and Willow Warblers at least a dozen of each, and with them we found Chaffinch, Wren, Dunnock and Blue Tit. Once in the hide we were able to locate the waders that we had been viewing from Herriotts and 2 of them were one of the special and fairly rare waders Curlew Sandpipers a year tick for me but not Bryan. The other even rarer wader we were told was a Nunnery so along with other birding palls we drove to Nunnery where some other people were already looking and confirmed the bird was still present and you needed a telescope to see it but try as I might I could not find it until it moved by a very recognisable tree stump and bingo there it was a Buff-Breasted Sandpiper just the 3^rd time I have seen this species in almost 50 years, so a very special sighting and as you may guess a year tick. Here we also found a Ruff, Ringed Plover and a Great Black Back Gull. It was also remarkable that we had seen 10 different species of wader, it’s been many years since we have had such a count. Rumbling stomachs told us it was lunch time so we drove to Herons Green where we could lunch and bird spot at the same time, here we added 3 Glossy Ibis another bird you don’t see every day at Chew. 

Glossy Ibis - Herons Green (Bath Birdwatcher)

Also seen were Little Egret and 2 White Wagtails, the European version of our British Pied Wagtail yet another species that isn’t seen here every year. In the field behind the pool was a flock of Stock Doves, and while watching a Raven flew over. We then moved on to Moreton and while in the hide a Pheasant flew down beyond the reeds and out of sight and on the lake was a Pochard in a flock of Tufted Ducks. While we were at Herons Green we were told that unidentified Terns had been seen flying towards the top end of the lake so decided when we had finished at Moreton we would go back to Stratford for a look. Driving out of Moreton we disturbed a Buzzard. Back in Stratford hide we searched in vain for any Terns until Bryan found a juvenile sat on a sand bar joined shortly after by an adult and closely examining both birds we were sure they were both Common Terns black tips to the bill was a factor had they been Arctic Terns their bills are plain red. 

Common Tern - CVL
(Bath Birdwatcher)

Our final new sighting of the day were Long Tailed Tits part of a mixed flock.