Sightings and news to week ending 4 May
An ongoing record of what's been seen around the reserve
Summer Walkway opened on Thursday 1 May, for details on this and seeing the White-spotted Bluethroat see the link below.
https://www.wwt.org.uk/wetland-centres/slimbridge/...
Sunday 4 May
Another great day for birding rounding off a really good week for sightings.
Middle Point
Male WS Bluethroat still singing and showing, singing Sedge and Reed Warblers, singing Reed Buntings and a hunting Kestrel. Eight Cranes in ploughed/seeded field to NE (Severn Ground) and mating Hares in the adjacent field (Goose House Ground).
Top New Piece
Temminck's Stint, Glossy Ibis, 4 Garganey (one female), Wood Sandpiper, Spotted Redshank, Greenshank, male Ruff, 8 Redshank, 9 Lapwing among the birds noted here today. Some of the waders and ducks are moving between here an the Bottom New Piece flood. Nine male and 6 female Teal, 5 male and a female Gadwall and two drake Shoveler also.
South Lake
At least 98 Avocet with 34 occupied nests. Ten Black-tailed Godwit and three pairs of Oystercatcher.
Rushy Hide
34 Avocet and 11 Black-headed Gull nests.
Saturday 3 May
Zeiss Hide
Three Garganey, Wood Sandpiper, Spotted Redshank, Common Sandpiper, Ruff, Redshank, Glossy Ibis, Black-tailed Godwit and a Temminck's Stint. In the afternoon a Bittern was seen flying south away from the Hide.
Kingfisher Hide
Both Kingfishers were seen going into the nest bank, and 2 Hares were seen too
Discovery Hide
Among the nesting Avocet and Black-headed Gull there was 1 Little Ringed Plover seen in the afternoon.
Rushy
Bar-tailed Godwit still present
Shepherd's Hut
The Bluethroat was seen every now and again with the winds picking up in the afternoon, 6 Great Egret and 3 Goosander flew by in the morning and 2 Hares were seen too.
Tack Piece
19 Barnacle Geese, 1 Ross's Goose, 1 Spoonbill, 4 Shoveler, 6 Tufted Duck, 43 Shelduck, 7 Gadwall, 1 Teal, Reed, Sedge and Cetti's Warbler singing.
Friday 2 May
Shepherds hut
The White-spotted Bluethroat was visible for much of the day and a Short-eared owl was briefly seen in the morning before dropping into long grass.
Zeiss Hide
Glossy Ibis, 1 Leucistic Black-headed Gull, 2 male and 1 female Garganey and Wood Sandpiper
Rushy Hide
One Bar-tailed Godwit and Greenshank
Kingfisher Hide
Kingfishers were regularly feeding into the nest bank.
Elsewhere on site Large red Damselflies and a male Black-tailed Skimmer Dragonfly were also spotted.
Thursday 1 May
Car Park
Greenfinch, Goldfinch Blackcap, Chaffinch, Reed and Sedge Warbler and Lesser Whitethroat was singing.
Rushy
25 Avocet, 27 Tufted Duck, 3 Shoveler, 1 Gadwall, 1 Black-tailed Godwit
Middle Point
The male White-spotted Bluethroat was again singing on the sticks as well as Reed and Sedge Warblers and Reed Buntings. Five Ringed Plovers and a Sanderling were out on the estuary at high tide. Seven Cranes in the fields to the North.
Tack Piece
Spoonbill still present plus a pair of Teal among the birds on the scrape, 4 Shelduck, 9 Black-tailed Godwit, 3 Oystercatcher and 1 Little Egret.
Top New Piece
A smart Wood Sandpiper, three male and a female Garganey, the 2cy Glossy Ibis, a Ruff, a Snipe, two pairs of Redshank, two pairs of Lapwing and half a dozen Teal among the birds present (as seen from Estuary Tower).
South Lake
Stunning breeding plumage Spotted Redshank among 13 Black-tailed Godwits, two Cattle Egret, Common Sandpiper, 30+ Avocet nests, nesting Cranes.
Wednesday 30 April
Hobby feeding over the reedbeds to the north.
12pm
Stephen Kirk Hide
Nine Grey Plover on the Tack Piece and 25 Ringed Plover passed through
Morning sightings
South Lake
104 Avocet, 12 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Common Sandpiper, 16 Tufted Duck, 8 Gadwall, and a Kingfisher
Top New Piece
Glossy Ibis feeding on the scrape, 3 ale and 1 female Garganey, 8 Ruff with the Lapwing and 3 Redshank. 10 Avocet, 1 Little Egret, 18 Shelduck and singing Sedge and Reed Warblers.
Kingfisher Hide
Cuckoo, Kingfisher, Sedge Warbler and Kestrel.
Tack Piece
Spoonbill, two drake Garganey, two pairs of Teal.
Estuary Tower
Four Bar-tailed Godwit and a Grey Plover on the mud. A pair of Bullfinch were seen near the Willow Hide too.
Long Ground Pool
Two Cattle Egret and drake Garganey.
Tuesday 29 April
Middle Point
Male White-spotted Bluethroat back for it's fifth year! Singing from the sticks, viewable distantly from the Estuary Tower.
Highlights today include a number of new-in migrants.
Three Wood Sandpipers briefly. Two Little Gulls were identified from photos, not Little Terns.
Estuary Tower
11 Bar-tailed Godwit (three visited the Tack Piece, the rest on the foreshore with 5 Ruff, 6 Oystercatcher, 2 Whimbrel as well as a Wheatear on the dried up saltpan. Two Grey Plover and two Dunlin on the Dumbles scrape. A party of six Ringed Plover and c20 Dunlin were mobile but also called in on the Tack Piece.
Cuckoo singing and mobile.
Tack Piece
Three Bar-tailed Godwit, 6 Ringed Plover, 20 Dunlin, Little-ringed Plover, Redshank, 2cy Spoonbill, 2 drake Garganey, Teal, Shoveler, Gadwall, Shelduck and Ross's Goose.
South Finger Reedbed
Cuckoo, 15 Reed Warbler, 7 Sedge Warbler, Reed Bunting, 5 Cormorant, Bullfinch, Song Thrush, Cetti's Warbler. Male Hairy Dragonfly (picture- MJM) patrolling the large dragonfly pond at South Finger this morning.
Top New Piece
Glossy Ibis still feeding in the flood, drake Garganey (may have moved to TP), Great Egret, 3 Grey Heron, Greenshank flew off NE, Whimbrel among 8 Lapwing, 14 Avocet, 4 Crane, 4 Redshank, 6 Sedge Warbler, 12 Reed Warbler.
Monday 28 April
Our first Hairy Dragonfly of the year was patrolling the Goose House on thing following an emerged Broad-bodied Chaser at the Shepherds Huts from last week.
Cuckoos are singing on site but highly mobile, at least two males about.
Top New Piece
The 2cy Glossy Ibis was feeding again with territorial Redshanks, Avocet and Lapwings all defending against bothersome Jackdaws. Pair of Shoveler and a couple of pairs of Teal and Gadwall. Sedge and Reed Warblers singing.
Estuary Tower
A Whimbrel, 9 Bar-tailed Godwit, 12 Curlew and 5 Oystercatcher over the high tide. Around 50 gulls present, mostly immature Herring Gulls. A Peregrine hunted over with a Wheatear on the large dried up saltpan at the south end. Lesser Whitethroat singing and showed really well below the hide, it is mobile though.
South Lake
Around 30 pairs of nesting Avocets including birds using the new islands. Around 15 Black-tailed Godwits moving between here and Top New Piece. A few pairs of Teal and Gadwall, Cormorants, Tufted Ducks, Greylag, Canada Geese and a nesting pair of Cranes.
Tack Piece
The 2cy Spoonbill, two drake Garganey among the handful of Teal, two leftover Wigeon, couple of pairs each of Gadwall and Tufted Duck and three male Shoveler joined Shelducks, Greylag, Canada and Barnacle Geese. A single Ringed Plover was on the central flood briefly over the tide.
Car Park
Singing Lesser Whitethroat at the east end, singing and dispalying Greenfinches, two Red Kite over middle of the day.
