Cranes hatch.
Crane pair 'Bart and Ruby' have hatched at least one chick. They were standing over the nest looking like something had appeared in the nest early this morning. The nest site can be seen from Hogarth Hide on the South Lake Duck Marsh. Our Guide in the Hide, Neil spotted at least one chick late morning.
Typical view of them today, very attentive.
Rushy Hide
One pair of Crane incubating eggs on the lower pond. Avocets are now increasing in number here with more pairs looking to nest, two broods have hatched, 2 and 4. A pair of Lapwing are still present here with 2 Black-tailed Godwit, 40 Black-headed Gull and small numbers of duck.
Tack Piece
The Lapwing family swam across the scrape this morning. Two of the three chicks are shown here. This trio hatched in the Rushy Pen and eventually walked out onto the Tack Piece floods, they've spent a week in the channel near the Goose House and may now settle near the Robbie Garnett Hide as water levels continue to drop. This will expose mud, coupled the fresh cattle 'manure' from the recently added herd, the chicks should find enough insects to keep growing well.
Also seen here a pair of Shoveler, female Teal, 117 Greylag Geese, 4 Barnacle Geese, 9 Canada Geese, 7 Gadwall, 2 Tufted Duck and 18 Avocet (+ two broods).
Holden Tower
All action on the Dumbles scrape, many of the Avocet clutches have hatched over the last five days and have been walking the young to the estuary, Dumbles, Top and Bottom New Piece and Tack Piece. A male Lapwing and pair of Oystercatcher are also in the vicinity.
Pill Box Pool
From the Knott Hide or Holden Tower- Little Grebe, Coot, Greylag with 10 goslings, Reed Warblers, Blackbird feeding young.
Middle Point/Severn estuary
Avocet pair with single chick, 2 Oystercatcher, 3 Grey Plover (one in breeding plumage, see below), 3 Curlew, 103 Shelduck, Kestrel and Reed Warbler.
Zeiss Hide/Top New Piece
16 Shelduck, drake Wigeon, 16 Avocet + broods of 2 and 3, Lapwing with young + incubating female, 5 Shoveler and singing Reed and Sedge Warblers.
Decoy Wood
Cuckoo singing. Typical view, hidden in the ash trees.
South Lake
115 Black-tailed Godwit, breeding pair of Mediterranean Gull among the Black-headed Gull colony, Lapwing incubating, 6 Gadwall, 2 Little Grebe, 15 Avocet, 2 broods of Oystercatcher and 10 Tufted Duck.
