Image- Buzzard
Upcoming Events
Dragonfly Festival - 18 July - 3 Sept
4x4 Photo Safari - Wednesday 16 September
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.
*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. 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 to keep the place operational. It also allows us to keep views open to our scrapes and lakes following the breeding season.
Sunday 16 August
Decoy
Kingfisher on far side of pool.
Martin Smith Hide
Kingfisher on the the fence.
Middle Point
To the south on rising tide- juvenile Whimbrel, 5 Dunlin, 30 Ringed Plover, 2 Sanderling 9 Little Egret, 6 GBB Gull, 2 Bar-tailed Godwit, 119 Curlew, 5 Grey Heron, 470 Black-headed Gull, 45 Shelduck, 35 Canada Geese, 2 Peregrine + Herring and Lesser Black-backed Gulls.
30+ Swallow, 3 Sand Martin and 2 House Martin feeding low over the grass, both Yellow and Pied Wagtails on the fence, 2 Kestrels, Wheatear along seawall. On the Severn to the north- Great Egret, 540 Black-headed Gull, 93 Curlew, 110 Shelduck, 4 Little Egret.
South Lake
17 Ruff, 166 Black-tailed Godwit, 3 Snipe, 4 Lapwing, 2 Green Sandpiper, Kingfisher, 22 Shoveler, 36 Coot, 7 Moorhen, 6 Pochard, 65 Gadwall,2 Little Grebe, 45 Tufted Duck, 8 Mallard, 125 Teal.
Rushy Hide
Three Spotted Redshank, 3 Greenshank, Ruff, 3 Redshank, 2 Snipe, 34 Teal, Pochard, 6 Shoveler, 22 Mallard, 63 Gadwall, 4 Little Grebe, Sand Martin, Grey Heron, 13 Moorhen, 12 Coot, Little Egret, 5 Lapwing.
Tack Piece
Four Reed Warbler, 2 Black-tailed Godwit, 3 Redshank, Grey Heron, 14 Lapwing, 3 Green Sandpiper, Garganey with 64 Teal, Yellow and Pied Wagtails, 36 Greylag and Grey Plover reported over the tide.
WeBS Count totals follow
| Canada Goose | 60 | ||
| Barnacle Goose | 78 | ||
| Greylag Goose | 117 | ||
| Mute Swan | 32 | ||
| Shelduck | 155 | ||
| Garganey | 2 | ||
| Shoveler | 56 | ||
| Gadwall | 172 | ||
| Mallard | 537 | ||
| Teal | 419 | ||
| Pochard | 7 | ||
| Tufted Duck | 31 | ||
| Little Grebe | 19 | ||
| Grey Heron | 15 | ||
| Little Egret | 14 | ||
| Cormorant | 15 | ||
| Water Rail | 1 | ||
| Moorhen | 78 | ||
| Coot | 79 | ||
| Avocet | 14 | ||
| Lapwing | 62 | ||
| Golden Plover | 2 | ||
| Grey Plover | 1 | ||
| Ringed Plover | 333 | ||
| Little Ringed Plover | 2 | ||
| Whimbrel | 1 | ||
| Curlew | 212 | ||
| Bar-tailed Godwit | 2 | ||
| Black-tailed Godwit | 192 | ||
| Ruff | 18 | ||
| Sanderling | 3 | ||
| Dunlin | 115 | ||
| Little Stint | 1 | ||
| Snipe | 13 | ||
| Green Sandpiper | 5 | ||
| Redshank | 8 | ||
| Wood Sandpiper | 1 | ||
| Spotted Redshank | 3 | ||
| Greenshank | 3 | ||
| Kingfisher | 4 | ||
| Black-headed Gull | 1018 | ||
| Common Gull | 8 | ||
| Great Black-backed Gull | 12 | ||
| Herring Gull | 19 | ||
| Lesser Black-backed Gull | 13 | ||
| Ross's Goose | 1 | ||
| Hybrid goose | 1 | The usual long-staying Bar-headed Goose x Snow Goose, being frequently reported as Blue Snow Goose. | |
| Black Swan | 1 | ||
| Hybrid duck | 3 | Muscovy hybrids x 2 Pintail x RCP? | |
| Greater Flamingo | 1 | Escaped from Birdland, Bourton on the Water, Gloucestershire, been 'at large' for a few weeks. Feeding on the Severn off Frampton on Severn and visiting scrapes over the higher tides. | |
| Spoonbill | 1 | ||
| Cattle Egret | 1 | ||
| Great White Egret | 1 | ||
| Crane | 9 |
Saturday 15 August
Top New Piece
300 Ringed Plover c70 Dunlin, 1 Spoonbill , 3 Grey Heron, Green Sandpiper, 3 Black-tailed Godwits, 2 Avocet, 77 Barnacle Geese,
South Finger
Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Long-tailed tits
Spinney
Tree creeper
Decoy hide
5 Mandarin ducks, 2 Tufted, 1 Gadwall, 2 Shoveler, 2 Mallard
South Lake
1 Green Sandpiper, 146 Black-tailed Godwits, 29 Lapwing, 3 Snipe, 2 Ruff, 73 Gadwall, 8 Shoveler, 42 Teal, 1 Pochard, 50 Tufted ducks, 1 Black Swan, 1 Common Gull, 3 Herring Gull, 1 Lesser Black Back gulls
Estuary Tower
250+ Starling, 8+ Yellow Wagtail, 160+ Dunlin on river, 3 Great Black Back Gull, 6+ Curlew, 2 Crane sat down on Dumbles, feeding flocks of House Martin and Swallow.
Tack Piece
59+ Teal, 3 Green Sandpiper, 3 Lapwing, 6 Shelduck, 2 Reed Warbler, 3 Black-tailed Godwit and 1 Garganey.
Rushy hide
7 Redshank, 2 Spotted Redshank,1 Little Grebe, 1 Greenshank, 20+ Black-tailed Godwit, 4 Ruff and 20+ Lapwing
Kingfisher Hide
Buzzard sat on one of the hay bales in Four score,8 Gadwall, Brown Hawker.
Severn Bore Safari
cranes Wendy 2 youngsters plus another bird, 3 Roe Deer, 5 Cormorant, Shelduck, kestrel, Great Black Back gull, Grey Heron, Swallow, Little Egret, Lapwing, Curlew, 1 Hare, 1 Great Egret
Friday 14 August
Severn Bore Safari
2 Hobbies, Marsh Harrier, 9 Cranes, at least 50 Curlew, ~ 100 Ringed Plover, ~100 Dunlin, 3 Greenshank, hundreds of Black-headed Gulls, ~100 Shelduck, Yellow Wagtail, Merganser and a Buzzard
Top New Piece
329 Ringed Plover, 110 Dunlin, Little Stint, 2 Turnstone, Wood Sandpiper, Greenshank, 7 Snipe, 2 Golden Plover, Spoonbill, 15 Avocet, 4 unringed Crane, 82 Teal, 11 Gadwall, 3 Great Egret, 1 Cattle Egret seen from Zeiss
South Lake
117 Black-tailed Godwit, 74 Gadwall, 7 Ruff, 53 Teal, 6 Shoveler, 2 Pochard, 1 Green Sandpiper, 2 Stock Dove, Kingfisher flyby.
Middle Point
At least 207 Ringed Plover & 90 Dunlin (96 & 21 at high tide), 221 Curlew, 3 Oystercatcher, 2 Bar-tailed Godwit, Black-tailed Godwit, 3 Turnstone, 6 Common Sandpiper, Little Egret, 2 Heron, 3 Yellow Wagtail over. Ross’s Goose with the Barnacle Geese flock
Kingfisher Hide
6 Gadwall, Reed Bunting heard
Bottom New Piece
35 Greylag, 75 Barnacle geese also Ross’s and hybrids, 28 Lapwing.
Decoy Hide
Female Mandarin
Thursday 13 August
Middle Point/Severn
Spoonbill, 9 Little and 2 Great Egrets, 6 Grey Heron, 2 Little Stint, 4 juvenile Turnstone, adult Red Knot, 3 Sanderling, c120 Dunlin, 288 Ringed Plover, 2 Oystercatcher, 2 Common Sandpiper, 203 Curlew + 2 Bar-tailed Godwit on a rising tide and 21 Avocet, 6 Black-tailed Godwit and another 3 Ringed Plover in the distance to the north.
Tack Piece
Kingfisher, 4 Green Sandpiper, 2 Black-tailed Godwit, Golden Plover, juvenile Little-ringed Plover, 6 Lapwing, Sedge Warbler, 2 Reed Warbler, 2 Pied Wagtail and a flock of Yellow Wagtail.
Rushy Hide
2 Pochard, 4 Greenshank, Little Grebe, 13 Black-tailed Godwits, 3 Spotted Redshank, Ruff, Redshank Plus flocks of Gadwall, Teal and Shoveler.
South Lake
South Lake- 144 Black-tailed Godwit, 3 Ruff, 43 Lapwing, Green Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Willow Warbler, 2 Pied Wagtail, 6 Shoveler, 40 Tufted Duck, 21 Gadwall, Little Grebe with a juvenile, 35 Greylag Geese, 5 Cormorant and 41 Black-headed Gull.
Top New Piece
Juvenile Wood Sandpiper, 1 Sedge Warbler, 1 Buzzard, 1 Spoonbill, 35 Lapwing, 11 Black-tailed Godwit, 10 Dunlin, 16 Little Ringed Plover, 2 Grey Heron, 1 Little Grebe, 1 Bar-headed Goose amongst a small flock of Barnacle Geese.
Car Park
Family of 4 Greenfinch, 3 Blackcap, 3 Chiffchaff and Buzzard.
Wednesday 12 August
Middle Point
Single adult Little Stint, a Sanderling + an adult Red Knot, 4 juvenile Turnstone, 200+ Ringed Plover, 100+ Dunlin, 3 Oystercatcher, 40 Curlew, 4 Common Sandpiper + an adult non-breeding plumage Mediterranean Gull among Black-headed Gulls, a Common Tern and three juvenile Egyptian Geese with Barnacle Geese on the Dumbles.
South Lake
57 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Green Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, 22 Gadwall, 12 Shoveler, 45 Tufted Duck, 3 Ruff, Little-ringed Plover.
Top New Piece
Adult breeding plumage Golden Plover, juvenile Wood Sandpiper, 3 Avocet, 4 Snipe, 57 Teal, 6 Lapwing, Kestrel and over high tide 21 Ringed Plover and 12 Dunlin.
Kingfisher Hide
Buzzard and Stock Dove.
Rushy Hide
Garganey, 123 Black-tailed Godwit, 3 Ruff, 4 Spotted Redshank, 9 Redshank, 2 Little Grebe, Little Egret.
Tack Piece
Garganey, two Greenshank, Yellow and Piece Wagtails.
Monday 10 August
Middle Point/Severn
Great Egret, 15 Grey Heron, Red Knot, Common Sandpiper, 3 Turnstone, 91 Dunlin, 2 Sanderling, 191 Ringed Plover,52 Shelduck, 18 GBB Gull, 14 Herring, 5 LBB and 400+ Black-headed Gulls, 53 Curlew.
To the NE, the Crane flock,(at least 17), has been gathering in the Severn Ground and nearby fields. Yesterday at least 13 were on the Dumbles in the afternoon. Best views are often via the Wild Safari at 1130 and 1400hrs.
Rushy Hide
Garganey on lower pond with juvenile Little Grebe, 28 Teal, 4 adult Spotted Redshank, 3 Redshank, 7 Lapwing. Ruff, Little Egret, 40+ Gadwall on top pond.
Tack Piece
Garganey with 35 Teal, 2 Green Sandpiper, 3 Redshank, 2 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Avocet, 5 Pied and 2 Yellow Wagtails
Top New Piece
Juvenile Wood Sandpiper, 2 Snipe, 18 Lapwing, 157 Teal, fully grown brood of Gadwall, 38 Shoveler, 4 Green Sandpiper, 4 Little Grebe.
Dumbles
40+ Yellow Wagtails with a few Pied Wagtail for company.
Middle Point
Five Stonechat, Wheatear, Sedge Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat and a few Common Whitethroat (one pictured) on the Summer Walkway.
