All day rain and highlights from 20 to 23 September
A very wet weekend has been topped off with a Monday of relentless precipitation, thankfully our hide network offers us plenty of dry cover and shelter, the weekend of Birdwatching events was very productive with plenty of great birds noted. As I type a flock of at least 60 House Martin are feeding over the car park, most, if not all will be passage migrants help up by the weather.
The heavy rain has caused the water levels to rise, many of the waders are now feeding in the wet grass as the mud disappears for a time.
23 September
Two juvenile Little ringed Plover were feeding with 43 Dunlin on the mud off Middle Point, clearly flooded out from the scrapes.
Severn Ground (viewed from Shepherds Hut Hide on seawall)
19 Cranes feeding on barley stubble with 100 Greylag and the Swan Goose.
General
The partially leucistic juvenile Marsh Harrier is still on site with at least three other Marsh Harriers about.
---------------------
22 September
Rushy Hide
Greenshank, two Spotted Redshank, Ruff and 13 Redshank were joined by 5 Snipe, 12 Lapwing and 167 Teal.
Tack Piece
Fifty Wigeon among the Teal.
Martin Smith Hide
The Garganey still, it was on the Rushy early morning.
Top New Piece
The partially leucistic juvenile Marsh Harrier.
The Dumbles
Red Kite hunting over mid-morning.
South Lake
A flock of 45 Avocet gathered on the wader scrape among the Black-tailed Godwits and 177 Lapwing. A flock of seven Cattle Egret were resting on the north causeway, the Great Crested Grebe and 10 Pochard on deep lake. 65 Shoveler and180 Teal were also of note.
WeBS Count
| Canada Goose | 231 | ||
| Barnacle Goose | 81 | ||
| Greylag Goose | 342 | ||
| Mute Swan | 71 | ||
| Shelduck | 145 | ||
| Mandarin Duck | 6 | ||
| Garganey | 1 | ||
| Shoveler | 80 | ||
| Gadwall | 22 | ||
| Wigeon | 59 | ||
| Mallard | 450 | ||
| Pintail | 25 | ||
| Pochard | 11 | ||
| Tufted Duck | 119 | ||
| Little Grebe | 4 | ||
| Great Crested Grebe | 1 | ||
| Bittern | 1 | ||
| Grey Heron | 9 | ||
| Little Egret | 17 | ||
| Cormorant | 11 | ||
| Water Rail | 6 | ||
| Moorhen | 76 | ||
| Coot | 64 | ||
| Avocet | 47 | ||
| Lapwing | 339 | ||
| Golden Plover | 3 | ||
| Ringed Plover | 35 | ||
| Little Ringed Plover | 1 | ||
| Curlew | 143 | ||
| Black-tailed Godwit | 125 | ||
| Ruff | 32 | ||
| Dunlin | 71 | ||
| Snipe | 27 | ||
| Green Sandpiper | 2 | ||
| Redshank | 16 | ||
| Spotted Redshank | 4 | ||
| Greenshank | 1 | ||
| Kingfisher | 2 | ||
| Black-headed Gull | 67 | ||
| Common Gull | 16 | ||
| Great Black-backed Gull | 13 | ||
| Herring Gull | 72 | ||
| Lesser Black-backed Gull | 10 | ||
| Ross's Goose | 1 | ||
| Hybrid goose | 5 | Barnacle x Greylag, Canada x Greylag x3, Snow x Bar-headed Goose | |
| Cattle Egret | 7 | ||
| Great White Egret | 3 | ||
| Crane | 19 |
----------------------
21 September
100s of Swallows were flying into the NE wind along the foreshore and Severn, the passage continued to around 1130am when the weather improved a little.
Top New Piece
A juvenile Turnstone, 12 Ringed Plover, 25 Ruff and 73 Dunlin over high tide.
Estuary Tower
Groups of Ruff feeding with Teal in the flooded pools.
----------------------
20 September
The Pectoral Sandpiper was last seen on the Top New Piece today it appears to have moved on.
