Another magic May day

A day of superb visible migration

1000+ Swallows passed through the site today, everywhere we went on the reserve they were flying N or NE, all day long. The day started with 230 feeding over the Dumbles, many resting in dried up pools or chossing the driftwood sticks and fencelines to take a break. Sand martins also featured and to a lesser extent House Martins, only one or two Swift were noted.

Other highlights included

5 Whinchats (two males).
Four Wheatears (three males).
Arctic Skua through (upriver) NE at 3pm.
Five Turnstone with 186 small waders on the Severn.
Three Yellow Wagtail over NE.
Grasshopper Warbler at Middle Point.
Greenshank on the Tack Piece.
Spoonbill on the estuary and scrapes.

South Lake

Second calendar year Little Gull, an influx of 7 Mediterranean Gull (adult ringed bird and x6 2cy), drake Goldeneye but flew to join to captive Goldeneye in the grounds + drake Pochard here, 52 Avocet, 2 male and 4 female Teal

Top New Piece/Zeiss Hide

36 Bar-tailed Godwit (six breeding plumage males) have joined 85 Black-tailed Godwit, 29 Avocet, at least two drake Garganey, immature Spoonbill and 11 Shoveler, Sedge and Reed Warblers singing, a pair of Crane, two Peregrine on the Dumbles.

Middle Point/Dumbles foreshore

55 Ringed Plovers, 60 Dunlin, 6 Curlew, 34 Bar-tailed Godwit, 4 Avocet on the low tide mudflats but the birds are now moved to TNP and Dumbles over high tide.

Rushy Hide/Peng Observatory

A drake Garganey, pair Gadwall, 22 Avocet, 2 Little-ringed Plover, 2 Crane.


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