Today's sightings
The morning hide round can be a little quieter for waders as the tides are now on a low cycle, they will be on the estuary longer. Also early mornings see a little disturbance from the daily farming stock checks and the many hungry raptors play a part. We have a programme of seasonal and habitat enhancement projects which we are only able to carry out in the autumn when it is dry enough. This time of year nothing is breeding and we are not disturbing the nationally and internationally important numbers of wintering birds. This next week or so should se us working in the Tack Piece/Rushy area. We will also need to bring water levels up again to avoid baked mud and wet up the scrape edges again in readiness for the next high tides later in the month. Most of the birds move to the next quiet scrape or even ignore the machinery so the birding is still very good particularly around high tide.
Holden Tower
Kestrel
Lapwing 180
Ruff 6
Gadwall 81 on the Long Ground Pool
South Lake
Tufted Duck 91
Curlew Sandpiper 2
Ruff 1
Black-tailed Godwit 15
Lapwing 200
Zeiss Hide/Top New Piece
Curlew Sandpiper 4
Dunlin 27
Redshank 40
Ruff 5
Snipe 1
Crane (GCP)
Wigeon 316
Yellow Wagtail 1
Rushy
Teal 104
Ruff 14 dropped in briefly- they tour all the scrapes
Tack Piece
Spotted Redshank 1
Green Sandpiper 2
Ruff 1
All flushed by Sparrowhawk.
Late news for yesterday- pair of adult Peregrine, 3 Hobby, Marsh Harrier were all seen over the Dumbles. An immature Redstart was along the Summer Walkway.