Image- juvenile Ruff, Rushy Hide, MJM.
Upcoming Events
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.
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.
Sunday 6 September
A few Willow Emerald damselflies about the site.
Kingfisher Hide
Kingfishers showing well, also two Hobbies hunting along the channel.
South Lake
150+ Black-tailed Godwit, some hidden behind islands, 11 Ruff, 1 Snipe, 49 Lapwing, Snipe and Green Sandpiper, 14 Cormorant, flocks of Teal, Shoveler, Gadwall, Coot and Tufted Duck.
Top New Piece
Nine Wigeon, Spoonbill, juvenile Marsh Harrier, 1 Ruff and 1 Greenshank, 140+ Teal, 6 Shoveler, flock of Greylag Geese.
Middle Point
Little Tern on mud then flew upriver, 4 Ruff, Knot and 2 Greenshank+ Grey Herons, Little and Great Egrets, Curlews and Shelducks, distant Dunlin and Ringed Plover flocks on the Severn mud. In the reeds and on fences, 3 Sedge Warbler, 2 Yellow Wagtail, 2 Reed Bunting and 3 Stonechat. A juvenile Black Tern flew downriver.
Knott Hide
Water Rail
Rushy Hide/Peng Observatory
Garganey, Wigeon, 24 Gadwall, 8 Shoveler, 6 Greenshank, 4 adult Spotted Redshank, 6 Redshank, 9 Ruff plus Teal.
Martin Smith Hide
Two Garganey, 12 Gadwall, 3 Teal, 3 Shoveler, Reed and Sedge Warbler. The Garganey move between here and Rushy.
Tack Piece
Six Spotted Redshank (now 4 juveniles, at least 10 on site today), 6 Ruff including a breeding plumage reeve, 2 Green Sandpiper, 105 Teal, 1 Shoveler, Sedge Warbler, Water Rail from Robbie Garnett Hide, 2 Grey Heron.
Saturday 5 September
South lake (Discovery hide)
12 Ruff, 126 Godwit 19 Gadwall, 21 Shoveler, 69 Teal,1 Green Sandpiper,12 Cormorant, 19 Tufted, 4 Pochard
Dumbles (Estuary Tower)
21 Cranes, Hobby on cross fence, Yellow Wagtails in amongst cattle
Tack Piece (Robbie Garnet Hide)
6 Shoveler, 30 Teal, 2 Green Sandpiper, 2 Spotted Redshank, 1 Ruff, 1 Grey Heron, 70 Greylags
Top New Piece (Zeiss)
227 Greylags & 1 Barnacle, 90 Canadas, 1 Spoonbill, 236 Teal. 4 Ruff, Mute Swan family of 4, 17 Gadwall, 4 Shoveler
Rushy
2 Black-tailed Godwits, 9 Redshank, 3 Spotted Redshank, 2 Ruff, 3 Green Sandpiper, 2 Great Egret, 1 Little Egret.
Kingfisher Hide
66 Lapwing, 126 Barnacle geese plus the Ross’s and a hybrid on BNP, 9 Gadwall in the channel
Decoy Hide
11 Tufted Duck 1 pair Gadwall
Friday 4 September
Rushy Hide
11 Black-tailed Godwit, 12 Ruff, 3 Snipe, 2 Green Sandpiper, 4 Redshank, 6 Spotted Redshank, 5 Greenshank, 25 Lapwing, 4 Garganey, 41 Teal and 16 Gadwall.
Tack Piece
Black-tailed Godwit, 4 Green Sandpiper, 10 Ruff, 2 Spotted Redshank, 52 Teal and 81 Greylags.
Long Ground Pool
A Green Sandpiper, 20 Teal, Shoveler and a Grey Heron.
Dumbles
19 Cranes including Wendy with an unringed male and two juveniles.
Middle Point
More seabirds were seen on the flood tide, a Arctic Skua flew up river and could be seen harassing gulls at Saul Wharf. A Fulmar and Guillemot also headed upriver. Flocks including a variety of waders were visible including Ringed Plover, Whimbrel, Curlew, Dunlin, Knot, Avocet, Lapwing and Black-tailed Godwit.
South Finger Reedbed
Chiffchaff calling and one individual singing.
Top New Piece
One distant Cetti's Warbler calling, 6 Ruff, Avocet, 270 Teal, a few Gadwall and Shoveler, 2 Little Grebe.
and 2 Roe Deer.
South Lake
123 Black-tailed Godwit, 10 Snipe, 9 Ruff, 12 Cattle Egret, 25 Tufted, 4 Pochard and a Green Sandpiper.
Thursday 3 September
Martin Smith Hide
Garganey, 2 Wigeon 5 Gadwall and a Teal.
Tack Piece
Five Green Sandpiper, 88 Teal, 2 Spotted redshank, 3 Ruff, Redshank, 8 Black-tailed Godwit.
Middle Point
Greenshank, 22 Curlew, 4 Stonechat. A few seabirds today, a Fulmar, two Manx Shearwater and Arctic Skua both all seen heading upriver on the flood tide, the shearwaters drifted back down on the ebb.
Car Park
Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Willow Warbler and Sparrowhawk.
Rushy Hide
17 Ruff, 1 Snipe, 32 Lapwing, 11 Gadwall, 12 Teal, 5 Spotted Redshank, 12 Black-tailed Godwit, 6 Shoveler, 6 Redshank, 2 Greenshank.
Top New Piece
Three Curlew Sandpiper over high tide, Spoonbill, 10 Ruff also 2 Mute Swan, 22 Gadwall, 94 Teal, 7 Shoveler, 1 Little Grebe, 110 Greylag Geese, 2 Canada Geese, 8 Lapwing, 4 Ruff, Green Sandpiper, 2 Grey Heron, 2 Snipe.
Estuary Tower
The long-staying Pink-footed Goose that spends all it's time with the Canada Goose flock has returned from the Bristol park, it was on the mud briefly before flying south.
Wednesday 2 September
Rushy
5 Spotted Redshank, Green Sandpiper, 14 Ruff, 7 Black-tailed Godwit, 8 Redshank, 3 Snipe, 2 Kingfisher, Little Grebe, Garganey
South lake
126 Black-tailed Godwit, 5 Ruff, 40 Tufted Duck, 6 Pochard, 18 Shoveler
Top New Piece
17 Ruff, Spoonbill, Greenshank, Green Sandpiper, 14 lapwing, 3 Snipe, 18 Shoveler, 195 Teal, Little Grebe, Grey Heron, Black-tailed Godwit. Three Little Stint and eight Curlew Sandpipers over high tide.
River Severn
6 Arctic Tern, 2 Golden Plover, Little Stint, Sanderling, Curlew Sandpiper, 303 Ringed Plover, 222 Dunlin,
Middle Point
Wheatear, 5 Stonechat
Tuesday 1 September
Top New Piece
Spoonbill, Snipe, 16 Ruff, 150+ Teal, 6+ Shoveler, 120 Black-tailed Godwit, 12 Lapwing and Reed Warbler as well as Barnacle and Greylag Geese.
Rushy Hide/Peng Observatory
Early morning Green Sandpiper, 4 Spotted Redshank, 5 Redshank, 5 Black-tailed Godwit, 7 Snipe, 14 Ruff, 32 Lapwing, Little Grebe, Garganey among the Teal on top pond.
Bank Holiday Monday 31 August
Rushy Hide/Peng Observatory
Now nine Spotted Redshank (three juvenile and 6 non-breeding plumage), 5 Redshank, 8 Ruff, 4 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Greenshank, 10 Snipe, Green Sandpiper, 3 Little Grebe, 3 Garganey at closing time, flocks of Teal and Gadwall.
Tack Piece
Two Golden Plover, Wheatear and Skylark on the field + Greylags. 5 Black-tailed Godwit among the Teal on the scrape (filled up with the rain).
Martin Smith Hide
Two Wigeon and 22 Gadwall.
Pillbox Pool from Knott Hide
Green Sandpiper and 7 Teal.
Estuary Tower
Peregrine on the saltmarsh, 19+ Yellow Wagtails among the cattle, Wheatear and 3 Whinchats around the dry scrape flitting between thistles and grass, Reed Warbler and 5 Chiffchaff in the copse.
South Finger Viewing screen
Two Willow Warbler, 5 Chiffchaff, Reed Warbler, Hobby over towards Kingfisher Hide, probably feeding on dragonflies over the channel but one has been over Rushy mid-morning.
Long Ground Pool
Green Sandpiper.
Top New Piece
Five Spoonbill, 34 Ruff (18 juveniles) at closing time,101 Black-tailed Godwit including the yellow L darvic ring bird, haven't seen the other leg, it's always asleep on the same leg! Also 2 Snipe, Green and Common Sandpiper, Pintail among the Shoveler and Teal, Little Grebe, a few Reed Warblers.
A count mid-morning over the tide produced 28 Avocet, 149 Dunlin, 224 Ringed Plover, 101 Black-tailed Godwit, Whimbrel, 14 Curlew, 2 Turnstone, 2 Little Stint, 7 Curlew Sandpiper (one adult, six juvenile), ad and juvenile Sanderling, 14 Ruff, Common Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper, 7 Grey Heron.
Spinney Wood
Treecreeper, 20+ Chiffchaff and 4 Blackcap among the tit flock feeding on the edge of the wood.
North fields
18 Cattle Egret, 5 Whinchat, Wheatear.
