Sightings and news week ending 5 January 2025
3 January 2025
A lovely frosty, clear day gave great visibility with some great sightings across Slimbridge including a Green-winged Teal, Little Stint and a Kingfisher showing off in the grounds. There were three new Bewick's Swan arrivals overnight including a 2 year old called 'Bolscote' which was spotted stopping off on route in Oxfordshire.
Discovery Hide
On the South Lake there was 1 Spoonbill, 18 Cattle Egret roosting in trees, 400 Lapwing, 200 Dunlin, 33 Pochard, 161 Tufted Duck and 2 Siskin with Goldfinch in alders at the bridge to the hide. A Redpoll was seen nearby the Hide earlier too.
Hogarth Hide
Near the Hogarth hide there were multiple Siskin, Goldfinch, Chiffchaff, Long-tailed Tit and Treecreeper in the Alder trees. A Great Spotted Woodpecker was drumming as well.
Zeiss Hide
From the Zeiss Hide there were 37 Shelduck, c100 Dunlin, c300 Lapwing, 7 Avocet huddled on the ice, 180 Teal and 70 Wigeon on the water to the left.
South Finger
Down the South finger path there was a Water Rail calling, 54 White-fronted geese in the Tin Shed Ground from Van D Bovenkamp hide and the Green-winged teal too. At the Kingfisher hide there was a Coal Tit and 10 Gadwall on the unfrozen water.
Robbie Garnett Hide
On the Tack Piece there were 43 Pintail, 230 Wigeon, 100 Teal, 1 Buzzard, 3 Redshank, c300 Dunlin, c500 Golden Plover, c700 Lapwing, 22 Shoveler, 2 Peregrine and 1 Grey Heron.
Estuary Tower
From Estuary Tower there were 15 White-fronted Goose plus c300 Canada geese, 35 Great Black-backed Gull, 1 Peregrine, 6 Crane (including Evie, Wendy & Albert), 3 Shelduck, 220 Wigeon and 5 Pintail on frozen scrape. A Little Stint was flitting between the islands on the scrape too. On the Pillbox Pool there were 82 Wigeon and 8 Teal whilst there were 76 Teal, 32 Shoveler and 69 Greylag Goose on the Long Ground Pool.
There was also a probable Yellow-legged Gull on the Dumbles but it was hiding very well among some Great black-backed Gulls.
Rushy
On the Rushy Lake there was the 1 Whooper swan with the Bewick’s and numerous Lapwing over 40 White-fronted Geese flew over too heading South.
Others
There was a Kingfisher in the Willows at the back of the Eider Duck pool.
Behind the Otter enclosure there was a Long Tailed Tit flock with a couple of Chiffchaff.
And through the Spinney by the Zeiss Hide there was a Kestrel early in the day.
New Year’s Day and 2 January 2025
The overnight storm (31st Dec/1Jan) was still very active at daybreak, accompanied by heavy rain it did affect the movements and behaviour of some bird species, passerines were quite hard to find away from feeding stations. The storm moved through and rain eased to allow feeding opportunities for the small birds later in the day. Across the reserve a good list of species was assembled through the short winter day, read on for more details of what was recorded, note this is based on staff and those visitor sightings that were shared, it should help with locating your own birds during your own visit plans. Do remember that we have guides on site to help you locate the birds, just ask. Happy New Year.
A range of hybrid and escaped/released wildfowl species reside here this winter, note that none of them originate from our own collection, they include single Ross’s Goose, Pink-footed Goose, Swan Goose, Snow x Bar-headed Goose, Canada x Barnacle Goose, Barnacle x Greylag, Canada x Greylag (three) and a Black Swan.
On the 1 and 2 January we have recorded 89 species
Mute Swan- common on site, Bewick’s Swan – 60+ on site, Whooper Swan- single bird with the Bewick’s Swan, Rushy Hide and Peng Observatory best around the morning and afternoon feeds. Russian White-fronted Geese- 51 on site. Greylag Geese- common. Canada Goose – common. Barnacle Goose- 160+. Shelduck – 250+. Mandarin- drake on South Lake and Swan Lake, attending the feed. Mallard – 700+. Pintail – 200+. Gadwall – 60+ Shoveler- 200+
Wigeon – 1100+. Teal – 1000+ Pochard – 100 Tufted Duck, 500+ Goldeneye – male and female visiting collection birds and on South Lake. Pheasant – 10+, Little Grebe – 2 South Finger from Kingfisher Hide, Great Crested Grebe – single South Lake, Cormorant – South and Estuary Tower 20+, Cattle Egret – 20+ roosting, Estuary Tower morning/evening, South Lake afternoon or roads fields.
Little Egret- 18 roosting, a few about the lakes, Great Egret – 2 roosting, feeding about the site, Grey Heron- 15 about the reserve, Spoonbill – single usually South Lake or Tack Piece but also in the Rushy.
Marsh Harrier- two on site, Buzzard- common, 5+, Sparrowhawk- male visiting the feeding station and edge of Decoy Wood, Kestrel- 2 on site, often around the Decoy or over the seawall, Water Rail- Willow Hide is best but Martin Smith and South Finger hides also reliable spots, Moorhen- 100+, Coot- 100+, Crane- 14+ at least five un-ringed birds as well as the Crane project birds with juveniles,
Avocet- 39 on South Lake/Top New Piece, Ringed Plover- single wintering bird on the Dumbles scrape islands over high tide, Golden Plover- 1500+, Lapwing- 2000+, Dunlin-1000+, Little Stint- single feeding around the Dumbles scrape and Tack Piece daily. Redshank- 15+ Tack Piece with a few more Rushy and Top New Piece. Black-tailed Godwit- around 80 on the wet fields and South Lake.
Curlew- 200+, Snipe- Rushy, Tack Piece/Martin Smith Hide, South Lake all have ‘showy birds’, Ruff- 30+, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Herring Gull ,Lesser Black-backed Gull, Great Black-backed Gull- 50-60 on the Dumbles foreshore over high tide, Feral Pigeon, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, Kingfisher- fishing on South Lake, Grounds (where Goldeneye and Eiders reside) and around the car park
Great Spotted Woodpecker- two at the South Finger, Skylark- a few on the Dumbles, Meadow Pipit- Dumbles, Pied Wagtail-Dumbles/Tack Piece, Grey Wagtail- Rushy and grounds, Dunnock- estuary tower, Decoy and South Finger, Robin- everywhere, Stonechat- pair along Bottom New Piece/Top New Piece fence, Song Thrush, Redwing, Mistle Thrush- South Finger and Decoy, Cetti’s Warbler- 10+, Chiffchaff- 5+, Goldcrest- 10+, Firecrest- one favouring the Decoy/Withy Bed, Wren, Great Tit, Coal Tit- feeders at Kingfisher hide., Blue Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Treecreeper- South Finger Spinney, Decoy wood and anywhere with mature trees. Magpie
Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Linnet, Redpoll-6 in Alder trees in the grounds/entrance, Goldfinch, Greenfinch- dozen roosting in Mission Possible exhibit, Siskin- Alder trees around the entrance/grounds, Bullfinch- car park, Decoy and South Finger, Nuthatch reported at the Withy Bed on 2nd.
