Discovery Hide work plan and latest sightings
Discovery Hide at South Lake
Work begins from tomorrow Tuesday 30 January 2024 to remove and replace the large picture windows and frames due to extensive wood rot, this will cause some localised disturbance although some birds will remain and even return through the day after work commences. It has been timed to avoid the sensitive breeding season period from March to July when Avocets, Oystercatchers and Cranes are among the breeding birds. We carry out seasonal habitat management and general maintenance work on the occasional day here and there with a two or three day 'hit' at stages during the return passage period from June to November. Part of this work is to maintain views, manage the wildflower areas and ensure the water flows are working among other things so our regular birds are used to occasional disturbance. We are timing the task to allow the roosting birds back overnight, some screening may be erected during this task but we'll monitor the need for when we begin. Some habitat work around the deep lake is also likely to coincide with this work, willow coppicing and brash moving is also on the list of to-do here.
We have mild winter weather forecast for the next two weeks and the reserve is in good shape to offer numerous options for waders and wildfowl if they move to another part of the reserve during the daytime. Our Twitter feed is a good place to keep abreast of where the action is. Click on the link below.
https://twitter.com/slimbridge_wild
You can always check with staff and Guides in the Hides on site to find out where the birds are.
Sightings for today include
Estuary Tower
1040 Dunlin, the wintering 3 Ringed and single Grey Plover were among 1000s Lapwing (inc leucistic) and Golden Plover on the wet Dumbles over high tide, 440 Pintail and 780 Wigeon were on the Severn and 230 Wigeon on the scrape, juvenile Daark-bellied Brent Goose and the Lesser White-fronted Goose were on the Dumbles saltmarsh with the Canada Goose flock, the Ross's Goose, Snow x Bar-headed Goode and two Canada x Barnacle Goose hybrids also on the Dumbles. A Marsh Harrier was hunting over fields to the North and a Merlin was on the Dumbles mid morning at least.
Tack Piece
A dawn count of 223 Russian White-fronted Geese and the Snow Goose + 23 Bewick's Swans (114 in total today). Many waders alternating between here and the Dumbles subject to raptor disturbance.
Rushy Hide/Peng Observatory
Spotted Redshank feeding on the lower pond and top pond island scrapes, 42 Pintail and 2 Oystercatcher also among the Lapwing, Shelduck, Tufted Duck, Mallard and Pochard. 91 Bewick's Swans at dwn with one of the Whooper Swans to 0818hrs when it flew out to the fields North of the entrance road to join it's mate.
Top New Piece/Zeiss Hide
320 Wigeon, 53 Pintail, 210 Black-tailed Godwit, Oystercatcher, 400 Teal a few small groups of Shoveler and Shelduck, 30 Lapwing.
South Lake
Six Avocet, 2 Oystercatcher and 200 Lapwing about the waders scrape, 32 Pochard, 10+ Cormorant and Great Crested Grebe were on the deep lake, a couple of hundred Shoveler and Teal plus Shelduck on the wader scrape.
