PORLOCK MARSH contains a completely different habitat than it did a few years ago before the shingle bank was breached by heavy seas. In place of the lagoons surrounded by large areas of mudflat and reedbed, there are now channels of running water between muddy banks and areas salt marsh.

Nevertheless it can still provide some nice birding for those who are prepared to walk out from the car park at Bossington. Nineteen Taunton RSPB local group members did so recently and, despite a somewhat cloudy start, enjoyed a sunny and hot day with some good bird sightings.

From the car park, species seen included robin, coal tit, great spotted woodpecker, great tit and swallow, and the walk down the track towards the beach gave further sightings of chaffinch, house martin and several more of the smaller more common birds.

There was an absolutely flat calm sea and birds observed included several species of gull, some oystercatchers on the shingle and a little egret in the lagoon where the stream ends before seeping through to the sea.

A sparrow hawk paused briefly on a stone wall before quickly disappearing and many corvids were flying into the fields. Also seen were soaring buzzards, a distant kestrel perched on a dead tree, several active family parties of stonechats, meadow pipits, parties of linnets and greenfinches and two very vocal ravens circling high overhead.

Some of the best views of the day were of several wheatears, males, females and juveniles, that perched and ran among the small boulders beside the track before flying a short distance and showing off their distinctive white rumps.

Reaching the breach in the shingle bank the group found an excellent vantage point to scan the channels, mud areas and salt marsh and it wasn't long before pied wagtails, curlews, more little egrets and several herons were spotted.

Best birds however, were two greenshanks that were in a distant channel. Very handsome longish legged and billed waders with dark upper plumage. They remained in view long enough to be seen clearly before wandering off.

Another good spot was a kingfisher that came down one channel, made a sharp right turn and sped off along another.

To finish the day, a visit was made to the butterfly field above the car park. Sheep were grazing and had cropped a lot of the meadow plants, but several species of butterfly were seen, including meadow brown, small copper, skipper, speckled wood, several blues and a somewhat brief glimpse of a silver-washed fritillery.

Diary date: Tuesday, September 11. Brean Down and Berrow. Meet at car park, map ref ST297587, 10am. Led by Eric Luxton (Taunton 283033).