Sightings and news week ending 25 August
A round up of sightings from throughout the week.
Image- Spoonbill from Rushy Hide (MJM)
Sunday 24 August
Middle Point
On the tide- 6 juvenile Knot, c180 Ringed Plover and Dunlin, Great Egret, 7 Grey Heron, 140+ Curlew, a flock of c30 Avocet flew past SW along shore.
Decoy Hide
Cattle Egret and 3 Mandarin Ducks
Top New Piece
At least 4 Garganey along the fleet with reedy island, c70 Black-tailed Godwit, 3 Spoonbill, 100+ Teal. At least 14 Cranes. Kestrel, 2 Hobby and Sparrowhawk.
Pill Box Pool from Knott Hide and Estuary Tower
Juvenile Spotted Redshank, 7 juvenile Black-tailed Godwit and a Green Sandpiper.
Rushy Hide
Juvenile Wood Sandpiper with two Green Sandpipers but probably flew off, one over Estuary Tower towards Dumbles a little later. Singles Snipe, Two Ruff and 7 Redshank also present.
Tack Piece
A juvenile Greenshank, Snipe and a few Lapwing plus flock of Teal and Yellow Wagtails among the cattle.
South Lake
Busy with lots of birds inc 14+ Ruff, 3 Avocet, 100+ Black-tailed Godwit, c15 Redshank, a few Lapwing, Tundra Bean Goose with Greylags.
Friday 22 August
*No further sightings of the Black-winged Kite that was seen on site yesterday*
South Lake
Marsh harrier, Buzzard, Spotted Redshank, 6 Common Redshanks, 3 Little Grebe, (2 adults and 1 Immature), 65 Shoveler, 3 Pochards, Common gull, 60 Herring Gull, 2 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 26 Coot, 11 Ruff, 3 Cormorant and 1 Heron
Middle Point
2 Knot, 85+ Ringed plover, 3 Sanderling, 27+ Dunlin, 33 Curlews, 14 Black-tailed Godwit, 47+ Shelduck, Peregrine, Common sandpiper, Kestrel, Teal, 16+ Little egret, 9 Grey heron, Marsh harrier, 2 Buzzard, 105 Black headed Gull, 14 Great Black-backed Gull, Great White Egret, 2 Common Gull
South Lake
Bean Goose from Hogarth Hide, 182 Black-tailed Godwit, 6 Ruff, 14 Redshank, 5 Snipe, 2 Green Sandpiper and one juvenile Avocet. On the deep lake there were Little grebe and 10 Sand Martin and 2 Common Gull
Zeiss Hide
3 Spoonbill, Great White Egret, 2 Grey Heron and a Bittern to left side, 9 Ruff, 1 Black-tailed Godwit, Sedge and Cetti’s warbler. Amongst the Teal and Gadwall was a Wigeon. In the Afternoon there were a few Cranes including Oakie & Sherbert, 7 unringed birds, 1 with muddy rings, 5 heads visible over the reeds
South Finger Walkway
Calling Cetti’s, Chiffchaff and Blackcap. A Juvenile Marsh Harrier was visible from Van de Bovenkamp on the hedgerow. Reed Warbler in pond reeds too
Dumbles
99 Barnacle Geese plus Ross’s and hybrid, Cranes Ruby and her unringed mate first thing
Robbie Garnett Hide
5 Little Egret, 6 Green Sandpiper.
Pillbox Pool
Spotted Redshank
Long Ground pool
8 Black-tailed Godwit, 20 Teal, 2 Green Sandpiper, 8 Shoveler
Rushy
10 Snipe, 5 Ruff, 1 Grey Wagtail, 1 Spotted Redshank, 1 Black-tailed Godwit, flock of Teal and Gadwall
Morning Safari
4 Cranes including ER & Phelps, 2 Hobby, Small Copper butterfly, 1 Grass Snake, 2 Marsh Harrier, Kestrel, 16 Cattle Egret, Brown Hawker and Common Darter dragonflies, Sparrowhawk, Swallow, House Martin and Sand Martin, 7 Buzzard, Grey Heron, Bar Tailed Godwit and Little Egret on the estuary.
Thursday 21 August
Black-winged Kite!
What constitutes only the second record for the UK and a first for WWT Slimbridge and Gloucestershire has been on the reserve yesterday evening and again this morning. Best viewed from the Shepherds Hut Hide on the seawall at Middle Point. The bird has been perching on dead branches and hedge tops but also hunting (hovers like a Kestrel) over fields. Views generally distant so far, a telescope is useful.
Rushy Hide/Peng Observatory
A newly arrived juvenile Spotted Redshank plus the two adults in non-breeding plumage, 19 Ruff including a juvenile and reeve in breeding plumage, 12 Lapwing, 21 Redshank, 12 Black-tailed Godwit, 53 Gadwall, 6+ Snipe as well as other species.
Estuary Tower
17 Cranes visible at one point today.
Middle Point
11 GBB Gulls, Turnstone, 3 Sanderlings, 61 Dunlin, Little-ringed Plover with 138 Ringed Plover, 6 Grey Heron and 5 Little Egrets among the species noted.
Top New Piece
Three Spoonbills.
Monday 18 August
Tack Piece
Three Green Sandpiper, 30 Teal, 5 Shoveler.
South Lake
Forty Herring Gulls, 2 Avocet, 3 Green Sandpiper, 2 juvenile Ruff, 100+ Black-tailed Godwit, 60 Gadwall, 4 Cormorant.
Pill Box Pool
Two Snipe, Little Egret, 7 juvenile Black-tailed Godwit. Common Whitethroat and Blackcap from Knott Hide.
Dumbles
Ross's and Snow x Bar-headed Goose with 103 Barnacle Geese + adult Peregrine on the foreshore.
Top New Piece
Two Spoonbill (one flew off), 2 Avocet, juvenile Wood Sandpiper, 2 Green Sandpiper, c20 Lapwing, 100+ Teal, 37 Gadwall, 2 Little Grebe.
Decoy Hide
Two Mandarin, 20 Gadwall, 5 Shoveler.
Rushy Hide
Two Spotted Redshank, 10 Ruff, 15 Redshank, 1 Snipe, Great Egret, 12 Black-tailed Godwit, Green Sandpiper, 4 Shoveler, 11 Sand Martin among the House Martins and Swallows + 73 Gadwall.
