Optics Days 1 November and 6 December 2026
Birding for Beginners 25 November
Guided Birdwatch Walk 26 November
Closing times changed on Sunday 25 October, details here https://www.wwt.org.uk/wetland...
Seasonal habitat work, essential maintenance and farming
*Please note that you may encounter farming activity, seasonal habitat management, infrastructure maintenance or survey work around the reserve. This can include the use of machinery. We typically work in one area at a time with a large team to get the job done quickly and safely. We manage the other wetland areas to offer a quiet place to feed and rest, short-term localised disturbance is possible. Our birds simply move to another spot for a time and return once we finish, the first phase of work in the Rushy led to outstanding views of waders on the Tack Piece.
It's important to allow quiet during the evenings and very early mornings when birds are roosting so most work is carried out when a full team is on site between 0800-1630hrs. This work is essential for biodiversity and the annual cycle of the reserve and also to keep the place operational, pumps, filter, pipes and much more need attention. This work also allows us to keep views open to our scrapes and lakes following the breeding season.
Greater Flamingo on the River Severn
A second calendar year greater flamingo has been sighted on the River Severn close to WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre. Identified by her green ring ‘LHH’, the young female flamingo belongs to Birdland Park and Gardens, in Bourton-on-the-Water, from where she has recently taken flight and become separated from her flock. Working closely with our colleagues at Birdland, we are monitoring her movements and keeping them updated. She currently appears healthy, coping well and not causing a disturbance to other birds.
Saturday 31 October
Friday 30 October
Rushy
20 Pintail, 3 Pochard, 8Tufted Duck, 15 Shelduck, 29 Lapwing, 87 Teal
South Lake
62 Lapwing, 111 Black-tailed Godwit, 4 Spotted Redshank, 26 Pintail, 71 Shoveler, 250 Teal, 41 Tufted Duck, 7 Pochard, 10 Gadwall. Single Great Black Back Gull and 35 Black Head Gull, Marsh Harrier
Top New Piece
2 Little Stint, 12 Ruff, 2 Dunlin, Redshank and Black-tailed Godit, 3 Snipe, 258 Lapwing and a Spotted Redshank, 152 Teal, 10 Wigeon, 3 Shoveler and a Male and Juvenile Marsh Harrier, Water Rail in cut ‘ride’
South Finger
Cettis and Chiffchaff calling
Kingfisher Hide
Water Rail and 2 Reed Buntings
Spinney
Large flock of Tits including Long Tailed Tit, Blue Tit, Tree Creeper and Chiffchaff
Dumbles
Peregrine, Ross’s goose, 105 Barnacles, 165 Canadas, 30 Greylags
Estuary
c100 Dunlin, 4 Little Egret, c200 Golden Plover, 85 Lapwing, 5 Curlew, Snipe
Tack Piece
32 White-fronted Goose, 5 unringed Crane, 150 Canada Geese, 176 Teal, 2 Redshank, 145 Wigeon, 19 Shoveler, 2 Pintail
Thursday 29 October
Dumbles/Severn
24 Russian White-fronted Goose, 34 Great Black-backed Gull, 147 Curlew, 10 Grey Plover, 2 Ruff, 300 Dunlin, 800+ Golden Plover, Peregrine, Pink-footed Goose, 6 Redwing, Linnet, Meadow Pipit, Skylark, 4 Little Egret, Great Egret and 2 Cattle Egret
Martin Smith Pool
12 Teal, 3 Wigeon, 5 Shoveler and a Snipe
Tack Piece
2 Spotted Redshank, 5 Redshank and flocks of Teal, Wigeon, Shoveler and Pintail
Carpark
3 Cetti’s Warbler, 2 Goldcrest, 2 Redwing and a Goosander flew over first thing
Rushy
22 Pintail, Wigeon, 36 Tufted Duck, Pochard, 7 Gadwall, 64 Teal, 8 Redshank and a Snipe
South Lake
114 Black-tailed Godwit, 133 Lapwing, Redshank, Pied Wagtail, 34 Shoveler, 201 Teal, 27 Pintail, 5 Pochard, 7 Gadwall, 39 Tufted Duck, Snipe, 2 Grey Heron, 83 Black-headed Gull and 2 Little Grebe
Top New Piece
16 Shoveler, 246 Teal, 25 Ruff, 3 Snipe, Redshank,
250 Dunlin, 2 Little Stint, 411 Lapwing, Stonechat, Skylark and a Marsh Harrier
Wednesday 28 October
South Lake
129 Black-tailed Godwit, 120 Lapwing, 35 Pintail, 207 Tufted Duck, 2 Little Grebe, 16 Pochard, 76 Shoveler, 8 Gadwall, 230 Teal, 80 Black-headed Gull
South Finger Extension
Jay , Little Grebe, 4 Shoveler, 2 Gadwall,
Top New Piece
6 Ruff, Spotted Redshank, Buzzard, 360 Dunlin, 3 Little Stint, Pintail and a Stonechat
Tack Piece
328 Teal, 135 Wigeon, 21 Shoveler, 2 Pintail, 3 Redshank, 23 Starling, 8 Russian White-fronted Geese , 23 Canada Geese, 12 Greylag Geese, 10 Redshank and Marsh Harrier
Pill Box Pool
10 Wigeon and 5 Teal
Long ground pool
63 Teal
Dumbles
Ross’s Goose, 2 Great Egret, 3 Little Egret, 14 Starling, Skylark, 13 Great Black-backed Gull, 204 Shelduck, 3 Pintail, 9 Wigeon, Redshank, Bar-tailed Godwit, 4 Grey Plover, 140 Curlew, 103 Avocets and c160 Dunlin being chased by a Peregrine
Tuesday 27 October
South Finger Extension
Jay, 8 Gadwall and 3 Shoveler.
Bottom New Piece
Four Ruff and a Fox.
Top New Piece
Cetti’s Warbler, 2 Tufted Duck, 172 Teal, 5 Greylag Geese, 2 Pied Wagtail, Stonechat, Marsh harrier and a Snipe.
South Lake
153 Black-tailed Godwit, 6 Cormorants, 37 Lapwing, 4 Common Gull, 3 Pintail, 2 Gadwall and 52 Shoveler.
Tack Piece
Nineteen Redshank, 2 Spotted Redshank and 8 Russian White-Fronted Geese.
Monday 26 October
Tack Piece
No sign of yesterday’s Grey Phalarope.
Unringed Crane, 3 Spotted Redshank, 18 Redshank and large numbers of Teal and Wigeon.
Dumbles
In the poor visibility; 400c Golden Plover, 100c Small waders, 30 Great Black-backed Gull, Great White Egret and 2 Little Stint and 5 Grey Plover.
Long Ground Pool
136 Teal.
Rushy
77 Lapwing, 2 Redshank, 12 Pintail, Gadwall, Mallard and Teal.
South Finger Reedbed
Little Grebe, Grey Heron and 2 Gadwall.
South Finger Extension
Thirty Gadwall, 4 Shoveler, Little Grebe and 4 Coot.
Bottom New Piece
Six Lapwing, 63 Greylag Geese, Marsh Harrier and 4 Roe Deer.
South Lake
154 Black-tailed Godwit, 29 Pintail, 47 Shoveler, 5 Pochard, 32 Tufted Duck, 256 Teal, 77 Black-headed Gull and 15 Herring Gull.
Top New Piece
Six Wigeon, 142 Teal, 2 Shoveler, 2 Gadwall, 2 Snipe, 180 Lapwing, c150 Golden Plover, 2 Ruff, Skylark, Wren, Cetti’s Warbler, Black-headed Gull and 2 Stonechat.
Sunday 25 October
* THE SOUTH FINGER AND ZIESS HIDE ARE CLOSED TODAY DUE TO ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS*
Dumbles
Sixteen Russian White-fronted Geese were visible with flocks of Canada, Greylag and Barnacle Geese, c300 Golden Plover, Peregrine, and a Sparrowhawk.
River Severn
On the high tide this morning a Storm Petrel was seen flying towards Awre, 13 Sanderling mixed with a flock of Dunlin, and a Bar-tailed Godwit.
Long Ground Pool
A Green Sandpiper.
Tack Piece
A Juvenile Grey Phalarope feeding directly in front of the Stephen Kirk Hide, 2 Cranes, a Redshank, 32 Linnet , 183 Teal, 117 Wigeon, 5 Shelduck, 18 Shoveler and a Pintail.
Rushy
Green Sandpiper, 16 Gadwall, 14 Shoveler, 3 Pintail, 21 Teal, 7 Shelduck, 4 Snipe and 101 Redshank which were flushed by a Sparrowhawk.
South Lake
Five Ruff, 5 Spotted Redshank, 3 Redshank, 127 Black-tailed Godwit, 17 Lapwing, 108 Teal, 43 Shoveler, 4 Pochard, 13 Tufted Duck, Common Gull and 6 Cormorants.
