WeBS Count for Sunday 23 April and migrant and breeding bird update
A busy passage period
Last week's rush of Little Gulls and Bar-tailed Godwits has ended for now but Sunday 23rd and Monday 24th saw many new arrivals, the weather was very poor so many of the small birds were keeping a low profile until today (Tuesday 25th April) when the Lesser and Common Whitethroats began singing in earnest. Our first Lesser and Common Whitethroat was on the 24th with another of latter near to the Rushy hide on 25th, both species could be hear in song between the South Lake hides.
Sand Martins have been present every day, House Martins are back on the buildings and Swallows are pairing up and looking at nesting sites. Willow Warblers have also been hear daily with up to nine singing on 23rd. A very marked Sedge Warbler arrival on 23rd, 20+ singing birds noted and Reed Warblers were not far behind, all suitable habitat seems to have them now and they are even showing on the calm days.
WeBS count
10 Cormorant
6 Little Egret
1 Great Egret
7 Grey Heron
13 Crane
98 Mute Swan
98 Greylag
40 Canada Goose
32 Barnacle Goose
1 Mandarin
140 Shelduck
9 Wigeon
43 Gadwall
91 Teal
148 Mallard
93 Shoveler
4 Pochard
1 Garganey
92 Tufted Duck
3 Goldeneye (adult male and second calendar year male on the South Lake to 25th and a female in flight with 8 Tufted Ducks on 23rd)
3 Water Rail
33 Moorhen
52 Coot
133 Avocet
17 Oystercatcher
20 Lapwing
1 Little-ringed Plover (visits to the Tack Piece and Rushy on 24th)
60 Ringed Plover
2 Whimbrel (high tide on the Dumbles)
33 Curlew
274 Black-tailed Godwit
23 Bar-tailed Godwit (high tide on the Dumbles)
9 Ruff (also on 24th with a possible 12 on 25th)
4 Sanderling (estuary at high tide the best bet but one did come into the Tack Piece on 24th.
109 Dunlin (estuary and Tack Piece has been favoured)
9 Common Sandpiper (three still present today)
1 Spotted Redshank (very mobile, still here on 25th)
15 Redshank
3 Greenshank (still present on the Tack Piece on 25th)
3 Kingfisher
10 Little Grebe
1 Great Crested Grebe (first returning bird on South Lake?)
219 Black-headed Gull (South Lake colony mostly)
24 Lesser Black-backed Gull
18 Great Black-backed Gull
84 Herring Gull
3 Mediterranean Gull (two 2cy birds on 24th and the 3cy remains on South Lake to 25th at least)
Highlights included
Nesting Cranes on South Lake and Top New Piece.
Kingfishers fishing at Martin Smith Hide and even hovering to fish over the Rushy ponds.
Two Hobby back on 23rd with three seen on 25th.
Yellow Wagtails have been seen daily albeit in small numbers.
Insects
Our first odonata of the season was a Large Red Damselfly along the main ditch on 20th April, it's certainly worth looking closely at the ponds and ditches for this species or any that emerge early. Most of the common butterfly species are on the wing with the delightful Orange Tips fluttering about.
Mammals
Two Brown Hares have been spotted around the South Finger, the Roe Deer have been showing well from Estuary Tower with animals on the Dumbles and Tack Piece especially, mornings are better for seeing them.
