Sightings and news to week ending 28 June 2026
Image- juvenile Bittern, Pillbox Pool from Estuary Tower (Midsummers Day)
Upcoming Events
BSL Support Day - Sunday 28 June
Wild History Walk - Saturday 4 July
4x4 Photo Safari - Thursday 16 July
The Urban Birder's 20th Anniversary: Guided Birding Walk - Tuesday 21 July
Guided Birdwatch Walk - Tuesday 4 August
Birding for Beginners - Wednesday 5 August
*Early closure on Wednesday 24 and Thursday 25 June.
Due to the extreme temperatures the site will close down at 3pm, last entry at 2pm and the hides will begin closing from 2pm. Back to normal from Friday. Full details will be on the main WWT Slimbridge page later today. See the link for details https://www.wwt.org.uk/wetland...
Summer Walkway
Following a very hot work party session this week, we are pleased to announce that the summer walkway will open for the 2026 season on Saturday 27 June. The path will be checked for roosting flightless Cranes beforehand.
Cattle now on the Dumbles
Although they were held back later this year, the Cattle are being moved onto the Dumbles on Tuesday 23 June. A daily farmer stock check will take place on a quad bike or 4wd as with other areas of the reserve with stock. The cattle will at times be around the Estuary Tower to drink from the trough.
Sunday 28 June
Rushy Hide
Adult and juvenile Redshank, 2 Lapwing, 7 broods of Avocet, broods of Gadwall, 7 broods of Tufted Duck, lots of Black-headed Gulls with lots of juveniles.
Tack Piece
Ten Green Sandpiper, 9 Teal, 6 Lapwing and 2 Little-ringed Plover.
Estuary Tower
45 Sand Martins feeding over Dumbles with Swallows and House Martins, 2 Cranes. 7 Little Egret on the Long Ground Pool
South Lake
Two Spotted Redshank, 4 Ruff (3 males), 53 Redshank including a juvenile, 2 Oystercatcher, 159 Gadwall, 6 Little Grebe, 49 Black-tailed Godwit, Green Sandpiper and at least 20 Teal.
Kingfisher Hide
Barn Owl looking out of the nest box again this morning, Kingfisher along the channel, Crane in the Bottom New Piece.
Top New Piece
Broods of 2 and 8 (new) Gadwall, 29 Teal, 5 Shelduck, 2 Green Sandpiper
Middle Point
23 Curlew to the south including three colour ringed- White flag L 28, blue R, yellow darvic L (couldn't read, muddy ring), + Red right above.
In the distance to the North- 61 Curlew, 48 Avocet, 19 Oystercatcher, 225 Black-headed Gull, 1 2cy Bar-tailed Godwit.
Saturday 27 June
Middle Point
5 Marsh Harriers (3 Juveniles) seen flying around North end of reserve, 3 Stonechats, Hobby, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel 4 Buzzards, Red Kite, Great Egret, 90+ Waders (including Curlew, Black Tailed Godwits) and 10 Ringed Plover
Safari Highlights
Marsh Harrier, Corn Bunting, 50+ Curlew, 2 pairs of Cranes (Wendy & Albert and ER & Phelps) as well as their chicks!
Bottom New Piece
Grey Heron, brief Crane
Top New Piece
Garganey still with the 4 Teal, 9 Shelduck, 20 Mallard, 26 Lapwing, 3 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Redshank, Grey Heron, 3 Swallows and at least 20 House Martins feeding, Sedge Warbler with 2 juveniles in the reeds in front of Zeiss Hide
South Lake
Red Veined Darter, Spotted Redshank, 27 Redshank.
Grounds
Male Red-veined Darter near the duck hut.
Friday 26 June
Decoy
2 Kingfishers
Martin Smith hide
Sparrowhawk caught a vole in front of the hide, 1 Great Egret, 1 Little Egret
Tack Piece
3 Pied Wagtail, 4 Grey Heron, 2 Little Egret, Redshank, 3 Green Sandpipers, 12 Lapwing, 4 Teal, 70 Gadwall, 55 Barnacle Geese and the Ross' Goose
Long Ground Pool
Bittern has been sighted multiple times flying back and too from in front of Zeiss Hide. 1 Gadwall, 2 Tufted Ducks and a Coot
Dumbles
2 Shelduck, 5 Black-headed Gulls, 1 Barnacle Goose, lots of Swift, Swallows, Skylarks singing and a Goshawk.
River Severn
7 Shelduck, 2 Oystercatcher, 31 Curlew, 11 Black-headed Gulls, 8 Herring Gull, 9 Great Black Backed Gulls, 7 Lesser Black Backed Gulls, 2 Little Egrets, 2 Great Egrets, and 12 Grey Heron
Kingfisher Hide
Reed Bunting, Reed Warbler, Grey heron cooling off on the dead tree, Jay, and Mute Swan family.
Top New Piece
Roaming male Marsh Harrier, 3 Redshank, 1 Avocet, Bittern spotted twice flying through the area and landing in the reedbed opposite Zeiss hide, 2 Reed Warbler, 7 House Martin, 1 Swallow, 1 Oystercatcher, 2 Little Egret and a Grey Heron.
South Lake
One Spotted Redshank, 23 Black-tailed Godwit, 3 Lapwing, 3 Ruff, 25 Avocet, 2 Oystercatcher, Crane family with their well grown chick, 18 Redshank, 1 Pochard and 2 Little Grebe with 2 chicks.
Thursday 25 June
South Lake
One Spotted Redshank, 4 Ruff, 28 Redshank, 46 Avocet with 1 chick visible, 2 Little Grebe with 2 chicks and 3 Oystercatcher.
Decoy
Three Kingfishers, 2 of which where juveniles.
Kingfisher hide
Mute Swan, Mallard with 2 ducklings, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker as well as a family of Whitethroat and a Sedge warbler.
Bottom New Piece
Two Cranes, Oakie and Sherbert, the chick wasn't seen due to the long grass.
Top New piece
One Gargeney, 2 Cattle Egret, Grey Heron, 10 Gadwall, 11 Mallard, 6 Teal, 4 Tufted Duck, 1 Oystercatcher, 2 Redshank, 3 Lapwing and a Marsh Harrier hunting.
Tack Piece
Eight Curlew, 11 Lapwing, 2 Green Sandpiper, 20 Gadwall, 2 Great and Little Egret.
An adult Yellow-legged Gull on the Severn mudflats plus 51 Lapwing including the partially leucistic bird, a few Curlew. The Garganey was on Dumbles scrape with 15 Teal, 3 Green Sandpiper, 4 Lapwing and 2 Shelduck but flipped over the seawall when the farmer passed by, later found on the Tack piece.
Wednesday 24 June
Estuary Tower
Garganey on the Dumbles scrape (poorly pictured below) with 8 Teal, 3 Green Sandpipers, Oystercatcher and pair of Tufted Duck. Five Cranes on the Dumbles, three of which are flightless in moult. Two Great Egret on the Severn, male and at least two juvenile Stonechat with 6 Reed Buntings and a brood of 4 Swallows with parents on the Middle Point fence.
On the Top New Piece there were a Redshank with two chicks, 35 Lapwing included the partially leucistic bird.
Tack Piece
Six Teal, Little Egret, 6 Lapwing, 6 Curlew, Skylarks and two Green Sandpiper.
Tuesday 23 June
Great Egret on the Tack Piece (MJM).
Estuary Tower
Two (possibly three) juvenile Bittern in the Pillbox pool reeds. One flew to Top New Piece. Five Stonechats (male and 4 juveniles), 11 Reed Bunting (9 juveniles), 6 Swallows on the fence line.
South Lake
Two breeding plumage male Ruff and Reeve, Spotted Redshank, 21 Redshank, 4 Oystercatcher, 4 Lapwing 50 Avocet, flocks of Teal, Gadwall and Shoveler.
Tack Piece
Three each of Little and Great Egret early morning, a juvenile Little Grebe (pictured) two Green Sandpiper, 7 Teal, 15 Gadwall, 13 Lapwing and 3 Curlew.
Monday 22 June
South Lake
Three Black-tailed Godwit, 156 Gadwall, 2 Pochard, 8 Cormorant, 52 Avocet-two broods of 4 each, 28 Teal, 12 Shoveler, broods of 3 and 6 Tufted Duck, 40 Coot, Black-tailed Skimmers and Emperor dragonflies, 5 Little Grebes, singing Whitethroat near Sanderson bridge. A Green Sandpiper and Ruff were feeding here at lunchtime.
Top New Piece
Two breeding plumage male Ruff (the glossy black has begun moult and is scruffy, the cream-ginger has full 'ruff'). Breeding plumage Spotted Redshank, 35 Redshank plus 2 chicks, 4 Lapwing, Avocet, two female Gadwall with broods of 2 and 3, 12 Teal, juvenile Little Grebe on the main fleet.
Estuary Tower
Three juvenile Stonechats and Swallows with brood on the Middle Point fence. Both juvenile Bitterns showing in the open at the Pillbox end of the pool, one in the grass and juncus, the other on the reeds. Also 8 Cranes on the Dumbles.
Tack Piece scrape
Five Green Sandpiper, two Teal, pair of Tufted Duck,
Rushy Hide
Broods of Avocets, Black-headed Gulls, 51 Gadwall, broods of Tufted Duck and Shelducks.
