A warbler day
The hedgerows are full of warblers this morning, so looks like we've had a bit of an arrival overnight. The South Finger Walkway down to the Kingfisher Hide was alive with Willow Warblers - loads of them! A few Blackcap and Chiffchaff were also present. A flock of Blackcap were making their way along the Holden Walkway, and a few more Sedge Warbler and Reed Warbler have arrived too.
South Lake Hides
Rather quiet here this morning, if a Black-headed Gull colony can be quiet? Many of the gulls including the Mediterranean Gulls had left mid-morning, presumably to feed in nearby fields with the ground conditions being nice and soggy. The Avocet and Black-tailed Godwit flock had also left for the Top New Piece leaving just 4 Avocet behind and a pair of Oystercatcher. A Common Sandpiper dropped in to the causeway just before lunch. The pair of Great Crested Grebe were on the deep lake and a few Sand Martin and Swallow were feeding low over the water.
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Holden Tower
A single Crane was on the Dumbles in the murk, our chick from 2015 'Slim'. A Peregrine was sat on the river edge to the south where a Raven also flew over. Several Skylark were singing, Lapwing displaying and a small party of Meadow Pipit dropped in. On the scrape were 27 Avocet and a pair of Oystercatcher. A flock of 30 Curlew were feeding close to the seawall to the south. Out on the Tack Piece were 28 Curlew with the last of the wintering Wigeon flock and several Shoveler.
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Zeiss Hide
Majority of the birds were here this morning including best count of the season so far for Black-tailed Godwits at 481 birds. Also here were 51 Avocet, with another 2 on the Bottom New Piece from the Kingfisher Hide and a single Ruff associating with a small group of 5 Pintail. An Osprey was seen flying down river around lunchtime.
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Kingfisher Hide
The male was seen outside the nest hole this morning, with the female seen towards lunchtime and the pair mating. Out on the Bottom New Piece scrape were a pair of Avocet, single Redshank, single drake Wigeon and 3 pairs of Gadwall.
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