Sightings and news to week ending 26 April
Image- singing Sedge Warbler-MJM.
Upcoming events
Kingfisher update, all quiet for now!
All three pairs of Kingfishers are incubating eggs, incubation lasts 19-21 days and they prefer to hide away in the hole or away from the nest site to avoid attracting attention by predators. All being well, once they hatch the activity resumes with the male bringing in small fish initially eventually joined by the female as the young grow. Over the next few weeks they are busy until they fledge, the young may be around for a day or two post-fledging but disperse rapidly, a quieter period then follows but usually the pair begin the nesting cycle again after a short break, up to three broods have been fledged at a nest site in a season. Keep an eye on the blog posts here for updates or follow us on Bluesky here https://bsky.app/profile/wwtsi... for regular updates.
News for Sunday 26 April!
The male Kingfisher at the South Finger nest bank, opposite Kingfisher Hide has visited with fish a number of times today, we think the chicks have hatched, we will monitor over the next couple of days.
Sunday 26 April
A Mediterranean Gull or to have been seen/heard flying over the reserve today.
Pill Box Pool
Pair of Little Grebe on territory.
Rushy Hide
Spotted Redshank, Redshank, 10 pairs Avocet, drake Pochard.
Tack Piece
Spoonbill, Common Sandpiper, 9 Teal a few pairs or groups of male Gadwall and Shoveler, flocks of Shelduck and Barnacle Geese.
Estuary Tower
Pair of Little-ringed Plover on the Dumbles scrape, 8+ Lapwing and 10+ Skylark.
Top New Piece
Male breeding plumage Ruff with white "ruff", joined by a reeve later, Greenshank, 3 pairs Redshank, Lapwing, 2 Black-tailed Godwit, 7 Teal, 24 Shelduck.
South Lake
60 Black-tailed Godwit, 56 Avocet, 4 Oystercatcher, 4 Teal, pair of Shoveler, busy Black-headed Gull colony, 6 Gadwall, 2 pairs of Little Grebe. The Spotted Redshank also called in here.
South Finger
Both Willow Warbler and Treecreeper seen and heard here today.
Bottom New Piece
Cuckoo calling again this morning. A few Redshank on the flood.
Saturday 25 April
Rushy
16 Avocet, 1 Pochard, 6 Shelduck, 4 Tufted duck, Many Black headed Gull
Long Ground Pool
1 Tundra Bean goose, 4 Tufted duck
Dumbles
seen from Estuary tower; 2 Reed Bunting, 1 Blackcap, 1 Whitethroat, 1 Red Kite, 2 Oystercatcher, 1 Skylark, 1 Peregrine, 2 Swallow, 2 Redshank, 4 Lapwing, 1 Song Thrush
1 Cettis warbler, 2 Sedge warbler, 1 Reed warbler, 4 Lapwing, 3 Oystercatcher, 2 Redshank, 6 Shoveler, 17 Barnacle geese, 20 Shelduck
South lake
58 Black-tailed godwit, 40 avocet, 2 oystercatchers, Spotted Redshank, Blackcap singing at the entrance to Hogarth Hide
Top New Piece
Booming Bittern, 4 Canada goose, 2 Greylag, 14 Shelduck, 18 teal, 2 Oystercatchers, 2 Redshank, 1 Greenshank, 56 Black-Headed Gulls
Kingfisher Hide
male kingfisher was sat outside the nest hole at 9.15am
Friday 24 April
Rushy Pen
Osprey, 4 Avocets, 2 Oystercatchers, 2 Mediterranean Gulls, 2 Swifts
Tack Piece
2 Mute Swan, 22 Shelduc, 61 Shoveler, 2 Oystercatchers, 1 Common Sandpiper, Spoonbill, Pied Wagtail and Reed and Sedge Warblers singing in the reeds. 5 Roe Deer.
Dumbles
Dark-bellied Brent Goose, Tundra Bean Goose, 2 Gadwall, 2 Oystercatchers, 2 Lapwing, Skylarks
Estuary walkway
Sedge and Reed Warblers, Blackcaps singing
Top New Piece
10 Bar-tailed Godwit, 42 Black-tailed Godwit, 7 Greenshank,
Thursday 23 April
Rushy Hide/Peng Observatory
18 Arctic Terns flew through heading North at approx 1040hrs. A few Swifts and a Hobby also seen today.
Tack Piece
Two Little-ringed Plover, Greenshank and Spoonbill with Teal, Shoveler, Gadwall and Shelducks. Hobby seen in the afternoon.
Estuary Tower
Male Stonechat on the Top New Piece/Dumbles hedge. Groups of 11 (included a 2cy) and adult 13 Little Gull through North up the Severn, some lingered further upriver before moving on, a further four and two were seen later in the day. Also 12 Dunlin, 3 Swift, 3 single Yellow Wagtail, Redpoll, 2 Goldfinch, House Martin, a few Swallows all through N/NE in 20 minutes, Dark-bellied Brent Goose with Canada Geese.
Top New Piece
Greenshank, Redshank, 3 Lapwing. An Osprey arrived and caught a fish, it was mobbed by a Red Kite so flew across the estuary.
Wednesday 22 April
South Lake
Common Sandpiper (picture below), 51 Black Tailed Godwit, 5 Oystercatchers, 1 Common Sandpiper, 4 Lesser Black back Gull, 1 Redshank.
Duck Decoy/Decoy Wood
Cuckoo calling.
Willow Hide
Willow Warbler singing on withy bed side.
Tack Piece
Spoonbill plus a good selection of duck species, mostly Shoveler but Teal, Wigeon, Gadwall and Shelduck also present.
Estuary Tower
Female Wheatear on the foreshore and 10 Lapwing on territory across the Dumbles/Lower Dumbles, 2cy Peregrine on tidal driftwood. 34 Canada Geese, 8 Greylag Geese, 1 Tundra Bean Goose, 1 Dark-bellied Brent Goose, 11 Shelduck, 1 Gadwall, 120 Rook, 8 Jackdaw.
Top New Piece
1 Marsh Harrier, 2 Greenshank, 1 Spotted Redshank.
Bottom New Piece
1 Redshank, Sedge & Reed Warblers singing.
Two Red Kite around the reserve also.
Tuesday 21 April
Top New Piece
Marsh Harrier, Lapwing, pair of Redshank, 2 Greenshank (pictured above) but may have moved as I heard some calling over grounds, 34 Shelduck, 3 Teal, singing Reed and Sedge Warbler.
South Finger Reed bed viewing screen- Willow Warbler singing along the rhine pollardsMarsh Harrier, Lapwing, pair of Redshank, 2 Greenshank but may have moved as I heard some calling over grounds, 34 Shelduck, 3 Teal, singing Reed and Sedge Warbler.
South Finger Reed bed viewing screen- Willow Warbler singing along the rhine pollards.
South Lake
34 Black-tailed Godwit, 30 Avocet, Common Sandpiper, 2cy Mediterranean Gull among 370 Black-headed Gulls, 18 Teal, 3 pairs of Tufted Duck, 40 Sand Martin feeding overSouth Lake- 34 Black-tailed Godwit, 30 Avocet, Common Sandpiper, 2cy Mediterranean Gull among 370 Black-headed Gulls, 18 Teal, 3 pairs of Tufted Duck, 40 Sand Martin feeding over.
Estuary Tower
Dark-bellied Brent Goose still associating with Canada Geese plus 12 Greylag and 8 Barnacle Geese on the Dumbles, pair of Avocet on the scrape, a few Swallows moving throughEstuary Tower- Dark-bellied Brent Goose still associating with Canada Geese plus 12 Greylag and 8 Barnacle Geese on the Dumbles, pair of Avocet on the scrape, a few Swallows moving through.
Tack Piece
Two breeding plumage male Bar-tailed Godwit on central flood, Spoonbill, 60 Shoveler, 10 Teal, 2 pairs of Pintail, 8 Gadwall, 3 Pied Wagtail and a few Tufted Duck Tack Piece- 2 breeding plumage male Bar-tailed Godwit on central flood (pictured below), Spoonbill, 60 Shoveler, 10 Teal, 2 pairs of Pintail, 8 Gadwall, 3 Pied Wagtail and a few Tufted Duck.
Monday 20 April
Estuary Tower
Red Kite, adult breeding plumage Mediterranean Gull through, Whinchat on summer walkway hedge, flocks of c14 and c29 Bar-tailed Godwit, 39 and 2 Dunlin, Ringed Plover and Whimbrel on foreshore, DB Brent Goose at the scrape with 2 pairs Avocet
Other sightings this morning include afew Swallows moving through, 10+ Skylarks, 3 Little-ringed Plover that called in to the scrape + pair of Teal and Oystercatcher, 19 Bar-tailed Godwit that settled on the Dumbles at high tide, 2 Brown HarE.
Tack Piece
Single Crane, Tundra Bean Goose and flocks of Teal, Shoveler, Gadwall and a few Pintail and Wigeon.
South Finger Reedbed
23 singing Reed, 2 Cetti's and 6 Sedge Warbler also Reed Bunting, 2 singing Whitethroats, pair of Tufted Duck, 2 drake Mallard, drake Gadwall. Along the pathway 5 Blackcap, Chiffchaff, 2 pairs of Blue Tit. Wren, Robin.
Rushy Hide
Spotted Redshank asleep on the island at the back of the lower pond, m Pochard, 2 pairs of Tufted Duck, pair of Avocets
