Sunday 28 January 2024
The wintering birds continue on site, highlights today as follows
Estuary Tower
The leucistic Lapwing with the roving Lapwing flock, Little Stint among the Dunlin, two Great Egrets in the fields and ditches to the North of the Tack Piece plus the Russian White-fronted Geese began moving over into the Tack Piece this afternoon. A male Peregrine was making regular hunting attempts at the waders, lots of low level flights and the whoosh of wings over the upper deck, the Lesser White-fronted Goose was with Canada Goose flock in the Top New Piece but best viewed the South from here. Two Oystercatcher and 275 Curlew on the Dumbles over high tide plus 217+ Pintail and few hundred Wigeon floating on the Severn. A Raven was on a Greylag corpse with a few Carrion Crows + Ross's Goose and the goose hybrids with the Barnacle Goose flock. The juvenile Dark-bellied Brent with the Canada Geese on the saltmarsh this morning and Dumbles this afternoon, 1000s Golden Plover, Lapwing and Dunlin settling at times, a Marsh Harrier flew through early morning.
Top New Piece from Zeiss Hide
72 Pintail, 300 Wigeon, 340 Teal, 235 Black-tailed Godwit, 260 Lapwing, Oystercatcher.
Tack Piece
At least 23 Ruff and 52 Redshank with 1000s Dunlin, Lapwing and Golden Plover settling when they can, 500 Wigeon, 198 Russian White-fronted Geese roosted with a single Barnacle and Snow Goose, they relocated to the Goose House Ground (just N of Tack Piece)
South Lake
Two Oystercatcher on the scrape islands and 3 Snipe from Hogarth Hide + flocks of Teal and Shoveler. Six Avocet on the scrape, Great Crested Grebe on the deep lake
Rushy Hide/Peng Observatory
Spotted Redshank on the lower pond and Oystercatcher at the back of the top pond. 88 Bewick's Swans at dawn and 17 on the Tack Piece (105 total) but it's likely a few more moved to the road fields prior to this count
Grounds
A pair of Goldeneye with the collection birds, at least 42 Siskin and 3 Lesser Redpoll with Goldfinches in the Loopway Alder trees.
Entrance road area
Two Whooper Swans with 31 Bewick's Swans at midday and a bathing Peregrine in the second field N of entrance road, best viewed from the tower or roadside gateways (with caution).
A Chiffchaff moved through the car park rhine to South Lake.
