Our Crane chicks have hatched
Great news today that Cranes Oakie & Sherbert have hatched two chicks on the Top New Piece - and now the real work begins!
Great news today that Cranes Oakie & Sherbert have hatched two chicks on the Top New Piece, viewed from the Zeiss Hide. Now the real work begins for the parents to raise the chicks to fledging in around 70 days time.
South Lake
A Red Kite flew over the South Lake being mobbed by Oystercatcher at lunchtime. This morning's counts included 44 Avocet on the wader scrape, with a female Teal, a pair of Great Crested Grebe, 17 Tufted Duck, nine Cormorant and 14 Gadwall on deep lake.
This afternoon a Mediterranean Gull and the Little Gull were on the causeway.
Grounds
Six Buzzards (three pairs) were displaying and interacting over the grounds this morning, and a Siskin flew over heading north-east over the restaurant patio. The breeding House Martins are visiting nest cups about the centre buildings.
South Finger
A Cuckoo was singing this morning between the South Finger and South Lake.
Kingfisher Hide
The Kingfisher pair were attending the nest this morning to feed their chicks, and remove pellets from the nest. A pair of Garganey were on the Bottom New Piece, with the male earlier on the Top New Piece. At least three Redshank were also noted.
Zeiss Hide
The immature Spoonbill arrived here from the estuary mid-morning. Also on the Top New Piece were six Shoveler, two Gadwall, a flock of 74 Black-tailed Godwit, five Tufted Duck and 21 Avocet. Around mid-morning the first Crane chick was seen on the nest island, with the second seen this afternoon. Fingers crossed now that the pair can raise the young and keep them safe until the fledge in around 14 weeks' time!
Summer Walkway / Middle Point
Two male Wheatear were on cross fence. A small flock of 24 Ringed Plover were on the mudflats south of Middle Point, with two Little Egret also noted. The immature Spoonbill was present first thing before moving to the Top New Piece. To the north on the mudflats more waders were noted including a single Avocet, 19 Bar-tailed Godwit, 79 Dunlin, nine Curlew, 72 Ringed Plover, two Whimbrel, one Greenshank, four Oystercatcher and a Grey Plover. The second-calendar year Little Gull was also seen flying around.
Estuary Tower
The Dumbles scrape held at least 27 Avocet and a pair Oystercatcher on the islands. A pair of Crane Monty & Evie were on the Dumbles before flying inland, an off-duty bird from the Top New Piece nest was also to the south, and our unpaired bird Sedge was over the cross fence on the Lower Dumbles. A Peregrine was sat on driftwood on the river.
Rushy Hide
The pair of Little Ringed Plover were on the nest. Also noted were 25 Avocet, three Teal, 15 Tufted Duck and a drake Shoveler.
