The Somerset Levels

Today, this great, flat expanse of land, steeped in history, provides a haven for wildlife. In early times this was a land of marshes and meres which supplied the earliest, Neolithic, inhabitants with reeds for thatching and fish, wildfowl, deer and boar for food. Later, Iron Age people created small villages on islands in the shallow lakes. The mosaic of fields that we see today is largely a product of the enclosure of the moors between 1770 and 1883. Ditches, or rhynes (pronounced ‘reens’) were dug to create the field enclosures, then clay and silt from the rhynes was spread over the fields to improve the peat soils. Controlled flooding was encouraged to provide further rich silt for the fields. Many of these fields continue to provide summer grazing for cattle, just as they did 200 years ago.

More recently, mechanical peat excavation has resulted in large areas of open water and reed beds, to some extent recreating the watery landscape that disappeared with drainage in the 1700s. Today’s thriving willow industry on the Levels is a remnant of an ancient tradition. The sticks, or withies, are harvested in winter and used for weaving and charcoal. Willow products can be purchased at the Willow & Wetland Centre in Stoke St. Gregory, but the producers are reported to be working flat out to provide willow-hurdle panels for a major supermarket. The combination of traditional industries and tourism based on the area’s wildlife and historic interest bode well for the future.

Today large areas of the Levels are designated nature reserves, managed by Natural England, Somerset Wildlife Trust and the RSPB.

Winter is the time to see the spectacular flocks of birds, especially wildfowl and waders, not forgetting the Starling roost. At the height of the recent January monsoon season, three of us gingerly set off for a pre-booked visit to West Sedgemoor, where the RSPB manages almost 1500 acres of hay meadows and woodland. Not surprisingly, there was water everywhere! The view from the elevated hide was wonderful, not so much for views of individual birds, but for the spectacle of thousands of Lapwings and Golden Plovers, with Wigeon and other ducks. We also had good views of male and the much larger female Peregrine. All this was topped off with hot chocolate and biscuits!

By lunch time it was raining (again!) and we retreated to the hide at Catcott, looking out on a fine display of ducks. It was Ian Waite’s birthday and Rob produced the most wonderful individual sticky toffee puddings and cream. Gourmet bird watching could catch on!

Our final port of call was Ham Wall to watch the Starlings come in to roost. The sight of the massed Starling flocks in the setting sun with Glastonbury Tor in the background was truly memorable. Prior to this we had wandered along the track from Ashcott Corner on to the Shapwick Heath NNR. Here we had good views of a ‘ringtail’ Hen Harrier, hunting over the reed beds. Looking out over one of the lakes I was convinced that I had a glimpse of a Bittern moving in the distant reed bed, one wing to be precise! In searching for the remainder of the Bittern we witnessed the amazing sight of a Cormorant trying to swallow a large Pike as long as itself; perhaps 18 inches long. Several times the Cormorant engaged the head of the Pike but could not get it down. It then rested and dived again to catch the unfortunate fish and repeat the process. After some five minutes or so the bird gave up and the fish was released; did it survive, we wonder?