Sunny Sunday
A break in the weather and a lovely sunny day for birding and keeping an eye out for the Otter - seen again at the Zeiss Hide
A break in the weather and a lovely sunny day for birding and keeping an eye out for the Otter - seen again at the Zeiss Hide! The photo above was taken by @kensphoto987
Zeiss Hide
The Otter was undoubtedly star of the show this morning, seen in the reedbed rides before being tracked swimming off towards the Kingfisher Hide. Out on the scrape were 6 Shoveler, 925 Teal, 5 Wigeon, a Grey Heron, an Avocet, 276 Black-tailed Godwit, 132 Dunlin, 4 Ringed Plover, 2 juvenile Little-ringed Plover, 15 Redshank, an a Curlew Sandpiper. A Water Rail was heard calling from the South Finger Reedbed. A flock of 32 Knot dropped in mid-morning and a Little Grebe was on the fleet towards the Van de Bovenkamp Hide. Two Cetti's Warbler were singing in the reedbed below the hide and at least 17 Snipe were counted across the Top New Piece.
Cranes later increased to 12 birds on the Dumbles (Wendy & Albert, Ruby and an unringed adult, Sedge, Excalibird, Kia & Chocolo, Cooke & Pepe, Oakie & Sherbert) with another 2 birds visible out on the mudflats towards Purton. One other pair are unaccounted for this morning but should bring us to at least 16 birds on the reserve at present, although a surprise appearance of the bird yesterday would bring us up to 17, Christmas Shoes (we didn't name the birds!) so far as we know a bird never recorded at Slimbridge before.
Summer Walkway / Middle Point
The hedgerow along the walkway produced one of the biggest surprises this morning, three Yellowhammer. Whilst common elsewhere this is the first record since 2017 for the reserve. The hedgerow was also alive with Chiffchaff, many flycatching in the morning sun. Small groups of Swallows are still passing through south over the Dumbles whilst birds on Dumbles first thing included 588 Greylag Geese, a Marsh Harrier, two Cranes, 19 Ruff, 3 Grey Heron, a Peregrine and 4 Yellow Wagtail. Out on the river were at least 81 Shelduck, 4 Grey Plover and 4 Ringed Plover.
South Lake
The juvenile Black Tern was still hawking over deep lake this morning and at least 126 Black-tailed Godwit were on the wader scrape.
Rushy Hide
Counts this morning included 13 Tufted Duck, a Grey Heron, 2 Wigeon, 116 Mallard, 4 Pintail, 3 Shoveler, 351 Teal and a Grey Wagtail.
