A wet one
Its a rather wet start out on the reserve today, and it doesn't look like it'll get any better as the day goes on.
Holden Tower
Most of the Avocet were hunkered down on the scrape with 43 counted this morning. The Oystercatcher was also sat tight. Back on the Tack Piece were a single Redshank, Avocet, , 6 Lapwing (including 2 displaying males), 20 Shelduck, 6 Gadwall and 2 pairs of Shoveler. Nine Bar-tailed Godwit were seen on the river shortly before lunchtime along with 26 Dunlin and 39 Ringed Plover. A Little-ringed Plover was also seen on the Dumbles scrape mid morning but then flew off. Two Greenshank were also seen on the Tack Piece.
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South Lake Hides
One of the Cranes was sat tight on the nest near the Hogarth Hide. A single Oystercatcher was on the wader scrape along with 6 Avocet and 6 Shelduck. An adult Mediterranean Gull was displaying to Black-headed Gulls on the small island in the scrape, another first-winter bird was on the causeway and our pair (adult and second summer) were on the island on a potential nest. A Little Grebe was on the deep lake and a single Swallow was feeding low over the water.
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Zeiss Hide
A flock of 183 Black-tailed Godwit were busy feeding on the grassland as the rainfall is offering new feeding opportunities for them here, and on the scrape were 29 Avocet, 29 Shelduck and an Oystercatcher. Several small parties of Swallow and Sand Martin were working their way north through the weather. In the reedbed were singing Sedge Warbler and a pair of Reed Bunting.
