A dusky redshank
Zeiss Hide/Top New Piece
The Teal flock numbered over 300 but they move back and forth from the Bottom New Piece and here, 60+ Shoveler and the Garganey is still with them. Some vegetation cutting work was undertaken here today in preparation for the Severn Wader Festival and the autumn passage period. Soon after finishing the Lapwing flock and ducks began to hop back over the hedge and onto the scrape. Water levels have been dropped in anticipation of the high tides this coming weekend, it's now ideal for waders from the estuary to use as a roost and feeding site. The call of a Spotted Redshank was heard high above the reserve, the bird eventually landed on the scrape to reveal that it was a dusky plumaged juvenile. This bird moved over into the Bottom New Piece soon after and is likely to turn up among the waders on other scrapes. A single Redshank and 5 Snipe were the only other waders of note this morning before the work was carried out.
South Lake
At least 11 Ruff (all adults in non-breeding plumage, various sizes), 99 Lapwing, 151 Black-tailed Godwit, 31 Redshank, 4 Snipe, 2 Green Sandpiper and a variety of duck species.
Rushy Hide
The juvenile Little-ringed Plover remains, one Green Sandpiper, 5 Black-tailed Godwit and 11 Snipe joined the 20 Tea, 2 Wigeon and adult and juvenile Little Grebe. We may have a work party in this area tomorrow.
Robbie Garnett Hide
At least one Green Sandpiper, 50 Tea, 3 Yellow Wagtail and 5 Pied Wagtails.
Holden Tower
Marsh Harrier, Peregrine and 2 Buzzard on the foreshore posts. 20 Little Egret and 3 Grey Heron roosted on the spartina island over the high tide.
Middle Point/Severn estuary
A mobile and flighty flock of 200 Dunlin, 100 Ringed Plover, 4 Sanderling, 2 juvenile Curlew Sandpiper and a Little Stint over the tide. 159 Curlew and 70 Shelduck were also counted with all these birds heading further upriver and onto the mudflats to feed as the tide dropped. A single Golden Plover and Greenshank flew past.
