First breeding record for Teal on the reserve
Image - A female Teal with one of her four ducklings, a first breeding record for Slimbridge!
Rushy
This morning on the Rushy Lake there was the first breeding record for Teal on the Reserve, the female had 4 almost half-grown ducklings with her. There was also 4 Godwit, 1 Oystercatcher adult with 2 chicks, 5 Avocet adults and 6 juveniles looking well grown, 2 Lapwing and a Green sandpiper.
Tack Piece
On the Tack piece there were 4 Snipe, 2 Redshank, 1 Spotted Redshank and 2 Lapwing on the scrape. On the field behind there was a substantial flock of Greylag and Canada Geese and a vocal Jay between the Tack Piece 'hides and bank' and the Decoy Wood.
Middle Point
Out from Middle point there were 3 adult Turnstone, also visible from the Estuary Tower, 34 Dunlin, 1 Sanderling, 2 Oystercatcher, around 25 Curlew including unreadable flagged bird, 1 Great Egret and 5 Little Egrets, a Peregrine was on the Dumbles foreshore posts and there were hundreds of Black-headed Gulls feeding on the Severn mud.
South Lake
From Hogarth Hide 2 Adult and 2 juvenile cranes did a lovely flight across the lake, there were also 7 Green sandpipers, 10 Ruff, 8 Redshank, 2 Little Egret, 1 Grey heron, 45 Lapwing and a large flock of Godwit towards the Discovery Hide. Others included coot, teal, Gadwall, Moorhen, and a Kestrel.
Zeiss Hide
From Zeiss Hide there were 40 Dunlin that probably flew in from the estuary, 2 Green sandpiper, 10 Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Redshank and 7 Lapwing. On arrival, 1 of the adult Cranes chased of another Crane pair off leaving the juvenile in the Top New Piece, the juvenile then flew at least 50m across the ditch to join its other parent in the Bottom New Piece.
South Finger Gate
By the South Finger gate towards the Kingfisher Hide there was a Kingfisher fishing in the ditch to the left.
Kingfisher Hide
From the Kingfisher Hide there was one buck Roe Deer, 2 Mute swan, 1 adult Tufted duck with 1 duckling, 1 Little grebe with 1 chick, 1 Grey heron, a Marsh harrier over the field and the Crane family were reunited in the Bottom New Piece field.
Decoy Hide
From the Decoy Hide there was a Kingfisher that flew across and towards the back of the pool, 1 Little grebe, 6 Tufted duck and 7 Coot.
