Warm for late December
A very mild and sunny late December day!
White-fronts
A roaming party of c30 White-fronted Geese were in the Bottom New Piece first thing this morning, thye had a single Egyptian Goose for company, this flock took flight, probably due to activity along the Gloucester to Sharpness Canal, flew upriver and then inland. Late morning the flock began to drop into the Ox Piece where a total of 113 were counted, the Egyptian Goose was with them so a genuine arrival of new birds may well have have happened overnight. 13 juveniles were counted among this flock with broods of 1, 2, 2, 4 and 4. The two Greenland White-fronted Geese were not present this morning but were seen this afternoon which could possibly mean that more 'White-fronts' are about. Late afternoon a party of c9 were on the Tack Piece.
Other highlights today included the following
Estuary Tower
Chiffchaff calling near the Pill Box early morning, also seen mid afternoon. A flock of 170 Wigeon, 4 Pintail,4 Shelduck and Redshank were on the Dumbles scrape but left for the estuary. 65 Canada, 59 Barnacle and 8 PINK-FOOTED GEESE were on the saltmarsh early morning but the latter moved to the North end of the Dumbles for much of the day. Both the Bar-headed Goose and Snow x Bar-headed Goose were with the 241 Barnacle Geese. 80 Pintail and 340 Wigeon were on the Severn over high tide, the Peregrine was on the cross fence first thing this morning. Mid afternoon 6 Cranes (2 on TP), female Marsh Harrier and 2 Buzzard were on view with the hunting Peregrine making a pass over.
A Great White Egret flew over NE at 12:36pm.
Tack Piece
117 Curlew arrived over the morning high tide on the Severn, many returned to feed on the mudflats. 390 Wigeon present on the NE section this morning but only 3 this afternoon. A flock of 47 Redshank, 2 Ruff, 100s of Dunlin and Lapwing on the flood + 38 Bewick's Swans, Pintail, Pochard, Shelduck on the scrape opposite Robbie Garnett Hide by 0900am.
Rushy Hide
75 Bewick's Swan at dawn (day total). The Pochard x Ferruginous Duck hybrid was among 90 Pochard.
South Lake
10 Cormorant, 86 Shoveler, 280+ Black-tailed Godwit, 200 + Lapwing, 22 Shelduck, 400+ Gulls, mostly Black-headed and Herring but Lesser Black-backed and Common Gulls also present.
Willow Hide
Great -spotted Woodpecker and Chiffchaff seen here today
Spinney Wood (near Zeiss Hide)
Treecreeper
