2023 off to a good start, roundup of sightings
The New Year began with some great winter weather, the recent rains and winds dropped for the 1st and 2nd of January which allowed for some very calm birding
The New Year began with some great winter weather, the recent rains and winds dropped for the 1st and 2nd of January which allowed for some very calm birding. The windy and wet weather systems have returned today (3rd) but these conditions actually encourage the amazing Slimbridge winter spectacle. 15,000+ wetland birds can be seen around the hides at the moment with many species roving about the site following attention from raptors.
The very cold weather before Christmas has moved a few species on for now at least so the Cattle Egrets, Little and Great Crested Grebes, Spotted Redshanks and one or two more were forced to seek out milder areas presumable in the SW on the UK.
A list of the species noted so far this year follow with some information on where to find them if you are visiting in the near future to look for them.
1. Mute Swan - a large herd in the Big Pen with territorial pairs around the site.
2 .Bewick's Swan - highest count so far has been 115 but around 128 have been recorded here so far this winter season. The Rushy, Tack Piece and Dumbles are all favoured feeding/roosting spots but they can drop in to feed on any field or flood and may also cross the canal to feed.
3. Russian White-fronted Geese - highest count of the winter season (107) made yesterday on the Tack Piece, they can be tricky to find at times, the flock can disappear in fields between the centre and canal or be tucked in under a hedge out of the wind, at the moment the fields Nort of the Tack Piece seem to be the best place to find them, look over the cut hedges from the estuary tower or keep an eye on the Twitter news feed to see where they might be. They typically head out the Severn to find grit early morning and appear on floods and scrapes for a drink and wash around midday.
4. Greylag Geese - can be seen anywhere on the reserve with 300-400+ grazing the fields.
5. Canada Geese - 300+ grazing the fields adjacent to the hides.
6. Barnacle Geese - 200+ of what we assume are all from the UK resident naturalised population typically grazing the Dumbles, Tack Piece and Bottom New Piece.
7. Lesser Snow Goose - white phase bird of unknown usually with the Greylag, sometimes roosts in the Rushy. Probably from the naturalised population in Oxfordshire.
8. Ross's Goose - an adult that has adopted the Barnacle, it's been around for a few seasons now, was caught and ringed during a Barnacle Goose round up at Frampton on Severn in 2021. Not considered to be of wild origin but we've included it for fun.
Hybrid and escaped or released geese
A Bar-headed Goose has been visiting the fields and South Lake with Greylag, we have two Canada x Barnacle Goose hybrids usually with the Barnacle flock, these look a little like the small race Canada Geese, the long staying Snow x Bar-headed Goose with the Barnacle Geese, two Greylag x Barnacle Geese, these as small and dark with a white head, one follows the Canada Geese, the other is often with the Barnacle Geese. There are a few leucistic Canada Geese which have a white or spotted face, head an neck and a white farmyard x Canada Goose has also bee present daily. None of these birds or the Ross's Goose are from WWT Slimbridge, they originate from other breeding sites or have escaped from poorly managed private collections.
9. Mandarin - so far the regular drake has been in the Rushy at feed times, it seems to spend it's time over in the West ditch out of view at other times.
10. Eurasian Shelduck - 300+ roosting, a common sight here, the Rushy is a good place to see them or look over the floods and Severn estuary from Estuary Tower.
South African Shelduck x Australian Shelduck - a female daily int eh Rushy with a male also seen at times. often mistaken for Ruddy Shelduck.
11. Eurasian Wigeon - 1200+ in the area but can be very mobile as they avoid the Peregrines, close views at Knott and Martin Smith Hide.
Chiloe Wigeon x Wigeon sp - the long staying drake is usually in the Rushy but does wander, can be mistaken for an American Wigeon.
12. Gadwall - South Lake, Duck Decoy, Long Ground Pool and Kingfisher Hide are best but pairs can be seen anywhere.
13. Eurasian Teal - some great counts of 1700+ on the Top New Piece and Tack Piece, can be seen on every scrape/flood.
14. Mallard - with 600+ about the site they are easily found.
15. Northern Shoveler - South Lake and Tack Piece the best places to see them with Duck Decoy and Top New Piece hosting a few.
16. Northern Pintail - the Rushy especially at feed times or just before are a good place to see them with flocks using the floods on Tack Piece and Top New Piece and on the Severn estuary. 300+ seen most days.
17. Common Pochard - the Rushy and South Lake are favoured with around 100 present this week, small numbers on the fleet on Top New and Tack Piece and the Long Ground Pool.
18. Tufted Duck - 400+ on site, Big Pen, South Lake, Rushy and Tack Piece best for flocks.
19. Goldeneye - at least four individuals on site, usually with the collection birds in the Big Pen area (look for no rings and two wings) or on South Lake, three females, two dark-billed and one with pale bill tip and a drake.
20. Pheasant - birds originating from local releases for shooting about the reserve.
21. Cormorant - South Lake and the estuary are best, 10+ on the rails at South Lake.
22. Little Egret - a few roosting and feeding in the ditches.
23. Great Egret - one or two roosting in the Duck Decoy and one feeding in the ditches to the North of Tack Piece, view from Estuary Tower.
24. Grey Heron - 3-4 about the scrapes with 6+ on the estuary at low tide.
25. Marsh Harrier - two at least seen hunting the reserve especially the north end as viewed from Estuary Tower.
26. Common Buzzard - 5+ about the site, best looked for from Estuary Tower.
27. Sparrowhawk - seen at the South Finger these last few days but can appear anywhere.
28. Common Kestrel - two feeding regularly over the north end of the reserve and the length of the seawall to the Bottom New Piece.
29. Peregrine Falcon - a pair and a spare hunting the reserve, moving the ducks and waders about. Estuary Tower best.
30. Water Rail - seen at the Martin Smith Hide marsh, Willow Hide feeders, below Estuary Tower on Tack Piece, South Finger reed/filter beds, Kingfisher Hide and even in the grounds this last few days.
31. Moorhen - can be seen anywhere on site.
32. Coot - can be seen on most waters.
33. Crane - at least 14 birds including un-ringed 'non- Crane project' and 2021 fledged juveniles.
34 Avocet - up to 16 on South Lake but also visit Top New Piece.
35. Golden Plover - 2000+ day roosting in the Tack Piece and surrounding fields.
36. Northern Lapwing - 4000+ day roosting around the wet fields and scrapes.
37. Dunlin - 1000+ feeding on the flooded fields and estuary.
38. Common Redshank - 20-30 feeding on the flooded Tack Piece daily.
39. Black-tailed Godwit - 600+ favouring South Lake, Tack Piece and Top New Piece.
40. Curlew - 100+ feeding in the wet fields and on the Severn. Tack Piece seems to be best spot at the moment.
41. Snipe - some large gatherings on the Tack Piece, Martin Smith Hide and Top New Piece (mud slubbiings near Zeiss Hide and Kingfisher Hides).
42. Ruff- at least 21 feeding among the Lapwing, favouring Top and Bottom New Piece and Tack Piece, roosting on South Lake.
43. Black-headed Gull - 200+ about.
44. Common Gull - small numbers on South Lake or flying to roost at dusk.
45. Mediterranean Gull - a second winter on South Lake on 2nd.
46. Herring Gull - seen daily on South Lake.
47. Lesser Black-backed Gull - a few on South Lake and from Estuary Tower.
48. Great Black-backed Gull - on the estuary or Dumbles over high tide, one visiting South Lake.
49. Feral Pigeon.
50. Stock Dove - inspecting the pollarded willows North of the Tack Piece for nest sites.
51. Woodpigeon - common, overflying and 100s around.
52. Collared Dove - a few around the centre and top hut.
53. Kingfisher - individuals seen on South Lake and in the grounds near Arctic Adventure.
54. Great Spotted Woodpecker - one or two seen at the feeders or in the Spinney/tall trees in the grounds.
55. Skylark - small flocks feeding on the Dumbles and Tack Piece.
56. Meadow Pipit - a few from Estuary Tower.
57. Pied Wagtail - 3-4 seen about the grounds and reserve.
58. Grey Wagtail - at least one about the centre/grounds/Rushy.
59. Dunnock - common but easily overlooked, Willow Hide and Decoy best.
59. Robin - dozens about the sites.
60. Stonechat - a male at Kingfisher Hide on New Years Day.
61. Song Thrush - many about the site.
62. Redwing - dozens about the reserve.
63. Mistle Thrush - one in the Big Pen on 1st.
64. Fieldfare - a few in the trees around the Tack Piece with small flocks over the Estuary Tower on 2nd.
65. Blackbird - fairly common about the site.
66. Cetti's Warbler - calling birds in the Duck Decoy, Matrix (grounds), South Finger and Tack Piece hides.
67. Chiffchaff - calling birds in the grounds, two in the Decoy boardwalk area on 3rd, one near Robbie Garnett Hide on 2nd.
68. Goldcrest - a few scattered about the scrubby and wooded paths.
69. Wren - plenty about.
70. Great Tit - regular sightings at the feeders.
71. Blue Tit- regular sightings at the feeders.
72. Long-tailed Tit - several roaming flocks about.
73. Treecreeper - seen in the Spinney Wood near Zeiss Hide and South Finger.
74. Magpie- plenty about.
75. Jackdaw- common and 1300 roosting each evening.
76. Rook - plenty of them about the reserve.
77. Carrion Crow - 100+ scattered about especially on the estuary.
78. Starling - 2000+ feeding among the waders on the flooded fields.
79. House Sparrow- 20+ at the Willow Hide feeders and around the buildings.
80. Chaffinch - 15+ around the grounds.
81. Linnet - small numbers around the car park (15) and TackPiece/Dumbles (10).
82. Redpoll - three in the Duck Decoy on 2nd. Look in Alder and Birch trees.
83. Siskin - one in the Duck Decoy on 2nd with Redpolls and Goldfinches.
84. Goldfinch - 20+ around the grounds.
85. Greenfinch - four in early to roost in the bamboos at Mission Possible on 2nd.
86. Bullfinch - one flew over from Rushy to Decoy on 1st, a few heard in the Duck Decoy on 2nd, this is a good place to look for them.
87. Reed Bunting - one or two from estuary tower in the hedge below the hide on 1st and 2nd.
A good list of species noted so far this year, one or two common species that we haven't spotted so far but this list demonstrates what a good place the reserve is to see a range of birds. If you are recording a list this year, good luck, enjoy it and don't forget that the WWT Slimbridge reserve has logged over 200 species in a single year, birding through the seasons will be very rewarding with arriving Spring migrants and breeding birds not far away.
Keep an eye on out Twitter feed for news, do ask reserve staff and Guides in the Hides for help with locating birds and remember that we have a range of seasonal birdwatch events to help you make the most of your visit.
Link to Twitter feed below.
https://twitter.com/slimbridge_wild
