Short-eared Owl and a Wood Sandpiper
A lovely sunny day at Slimbridge today, with Ruby and her mate hatching at least one chick on the South Lake, a Wood Sandpiper on the Tack Piece, and some great views of a Short-eared Owl as well as the White-spotted Bluethroat visible from the Shepherds hut.
Image - Cranes
Kingfisher hide
After a quiet morning, both adult Kingfishers were seen taking fish into their burrow, 4 Roe Deer were in the fields and Reed and Sedge Warblers, Chiffchaff, and Reed Bunting were all singing.
Top New Piece
Four Egyptian geese.
Tack Piece
From the Robbie Garnett Hide, one Wood Sandpiper.
South Lake
From the Discovery hide, 17 Avocet, 1 Black-tailed Godwit, 12 Tufted Duck, 12 Gadwall, 1 Shoveller, 14 Shelduck, 5 Cormorants, around 300 black-headed gulls some with chicks, 2 Mediterranean gull, and several greylag families. After being seen sitting on the nest in the morning Ruby and her mate were seen together feeding at least one hatched chick in the afternoon.
Zeiss Hide
From Zeiss Hide, 43 Avocet, 80 Black-tailed Godwit, 26 Shelduck, and the two Cranes seen feeding both of their young in the sunshine.
Middle Point
The Short-eared Owl made an early appearance and the White-spotted Bluethroat showed himself periodically. Three hares were running around in front of the Shepard’s Hut, even going onto the Summer Walkway where there were Reed, Sedge and Cetti’s Warblers, Lesser Whitethroat Chiffchaff and Skylarks all calling. Three Whimbrel were also seen.
Estuary Tower
Four Spoonbills landed and were feeding on the Scrape and 7 Dark-bellied Brent Geese were on the Dumbles.
