Thawing out
The milder air has rapidly thawed the reserve overnight, the birds wasted no time in returning to ice free floods and fields.
Rushy Hide
93 Shelduck present at dawn with 100+ Bewick's Swans and 100+ Pintail also present.
Martin Smith Hide
No sign of the Jack Snipe until 0900am but it may well appear later with patience. Check the @Slimbridge_wild Twitter account for updates.
Tack Piece
2050 Wigeon, 350 Teal, 6 Ruff, 170 Dunlin, 3 Black-tailed Godwit, 35 Golden Plover, 340 Lapwing, 8 Shelduck, 12 Shoveler, 20 Pintail and 27 Curlew by 0900am.
Willow Hide
Water Rail and Reed Bunting
Holden Tower
97 Wigeon, 32 Teal, Ruff, Redshank, 19 Skylark, 2 Meadow Pipit, 1 Linnet and 30+ Dunlin in the scrape. c55 Linnet feeding in dry saltmarsh hollows on the Dumbles with at least one Peregrine on the fence. Three Cranes and c150 Canada Geese also on the Dumbles with a single Barnacle Goose.
Oystercatcher feeding on the shore of the pill box pool.
South Lake
133 Shelduck roosted.
Great Crested Grebe, 7 Snipe, c20 Dunlin, c280 Lapwing, 34 Shoveler, 70 Teal, 8 Cormorant and 4 Wigeon.
Zeiss Hide
Drumming Great Spotted Woodpecker and 2 Treecreeper in the Spinney. Cetti's Warbler below the hide. 200+ Barnacle Geese and 240+ Canada Geese on the Bottom New Piece. 3 Curlew, 170 Wigeon, 14 Pochard, 130 Teal, 5 Snipe, 8 Shelduck and 4 Pintail.