Latest sightings
Out in the sun
The mowing season is well and truly underway and the Reserve Team are hard at work opening up views from hides and selectively cutting small areas to improve habitat for our wildlife. Yesterday the team were working in front of the Martin Smith Hide and
27 June 2018
24-26 June sightings
Returning waders are appearing on the scrapes, some in stunning breeding plumage. A single Greenshank has been favouring the Dumbles scrape and Tack Piece scrape, a smashing Spotted Redshank was see yesterday (25th) on the Top New Piece and two male Ruff
26 June 2018
Spoonbill on the Tack Piece
Tack Piece 2 Spoonbill in front of the Robbie Garnett Hide along with 2 Little Egret, 2 Green Sandpiper, 7 Lapwing and 2 adult Avocet with 2 well grown young. Rushy 14 Black-tailed Godwit, 5 Oystercatcher, 3 families of Avocet, 2 Lapwing, a brood of 10 Sh
23 June 2018
Swift Awareness Week and Swifts at WWT Slimbridge
Swifts are a familiar species here at WWT Slimbridge, we expect to see large numbers migrating north in the Spring and often spot them from mid April. We usually have large feeding flocks over the reserve in the summer, presumably birds from local towns
19 June 2018
WeBS count
Totals from today's WeBS count were.. 26 L. Grebe, 6 G.Crested Grebe, 2 Cormorant, 8 Little Egret, 10 Grey Heron, 1 GW Egret, 76 Mute Swan, 60 Greylag, 5 Canada G, 40 Barnacle G, 196 Shelduck, 4 Wigeon, 69 Gadwall, 46 Teal, 709 Mallard, 23 Shoveler, 1 Poc
18 June 2018
Crane families doing well
South Lake Both adult Cranes present and apparently feeding young but difficult to see in tall vegetation, Please tweet in if you get sightings of the young. The Black Tailed Godwit flock (59) are feeding close to the hide. Avocet 57 in total and several
16 June 2018
Business end of the breeding season
The scrapes and pools are busy with young wetland birds. Lots of wader chicks and duck broods are bursting onto the scene. While it's encouraging to see so many hatching, it's all about productivity, the number of young fledged (as in can now fly and inde
11 June 2018
3 Crane Families
South Lake Med Gulls 2 full adults extra to the breeding birds which remain hidden in nettles on the island. Avocets 29 including several incubating birds. Blackwit just 1 on the main scrape at first but main flock moved in from Hogarth end later in morni
9 June 2018
Duckling day
Today the team have completed the first breeding duck survey of the season with lots of broods of several species now just starting to hatch, including Tufted Duck, Gadwall, Shelduck, Shoveler and a few new broods of Mallard. South Lake Hides A total of
8 June 2018
Today's sightings
Kingfisher Hide The Kingfisher activity has now dropped a little as we (hopefully) await a second brood in a few weeks time, but things are still busy down here with a pair of Little Grebe with four chicks. Out on the scrape in the Bottom New Piece were
6 June 2018
First Tufted Duck brood of 2018
The first Tufted Duck brood was recorded in the 100 Acre reed bed today, we should see dozens more hatching over the next few weeks. Additional Shelduck broods have appeared on the estuary and can be seen from Middle Point. See image below. A brood of Gad
4 June 2018
Today's rather wet sightings
Stop Press......... Great News Crane egg is hatching on the Rushy. One of the eggs is hatching the other still showing no sign of piping, at 32 to 33 days incubation this could well be the second egg. Also nice 2nd summer Med Gull At least 16 ad Avocet
1 June 2018
Bank holiday sightings
Middle Point/Severn Estuary Red-necked Phalarope on the mud S of the point on the ebb tide, no reports so far today of the Gull-billed Tern but it did appear here yesterday before flying inland and to the north. Waders today include a few Sanderling, Rin
28 May 2018
Little Gull
Rushy Crane still incubating. Avocet 12 at least 1 brood. Greenshank was here for most of the morning. Black Tailed Godwit 1 Oystercatcher 2 Red Kite over about 13.30 Holden and walkway Avocet 7 birds incubating + 3 broods on the Holden Flash and 1 from t
26 May 2018
Wet weather drop-ins
The colder start and drizzle has forced the hirundines and Swifts lower this morning with several hundred present across the Rushy, South Lake and out from the Zeiss Hide. Then shortly before lunchtime a Black Tern was seen over the Rushy, before moving
24 May 2018