Summer Walkway and the White-spotted Bluethroat
Image- W.S Bluethroat from a previous year.
Summer Walkway
The wintering birds have all but departed. The reserve team have been busy preparing the Summer Walkway for the 2024 season. Repairs to the path, trimming back vegetation, cleaning the Goose House Hut, cleaning and towing the Shepherds Hut Hide to the seawall and setting it up level and we've added another bench seat among other tasks.
We plan to open up on Saturday 27 April, but with a restriction (for now).
The high tides have flooded the Middle Point area, it's still very wet with extensive silt deposits so the seaward (estuary side of the seawall) will remain closed off until it dries up, once dry it will allow us to mow the path, move driftwood and set up the roped areas and key signage.
The main reason for keeping this area closed however is to benefit our breeding birds, the cold weather and high tides have somewhat supressed the reed and grass growth, the cover that the birds need to feel safe isn't quite there, we need some warm days to get the reeds growing. To ensure they settle in and establish territories we will keep this closed for now.
Access to the roped off area of seawall, the wheelchair user viewing area, Goose House Hut and Shepherds Hut Hide will be open.
Open to WWT members from around 08:30am through the Estuary Tower (Members Gate open at 08:15am). Closes at 4:00pm.
Please have membership cards available for checking, thank you.
The Middle Point area offers another couple of spots to view the Dumbles, a great vista of the estuary and up to the North and North East of the reserve.
Latest Bird News for Middle Point
The male White-spotted Bluethroat has returned for a fourth season! It's singing but only very occasionally in sub-song, it's extremely elusive and wary, for the best chance of seeing it, please use the hide, either view from inside or as a back drop, talk in a whisper or low voice, turn phones down and camera shutters off, avoid sky-lining on the bank and keep movements to a minimum.
Other breeding/singing birds include Grasshopper Warbler, two or three Reed Warblers, two singing male Sedge Warbler, three pairs of Meadow Pipit and singing Lesser Whitethroat, Blackcap and Chiffchaff and nesting Linnet in the hedge. Wheatears have been using the fence line as a lookout. A migrant Woodlark dropped onto the path briefly during the week.
We hope you enjoy another summer season by the Severn. Good luck.
