118+ Avocet

Avocets

A wet grey day but activity everywhere from the Avocets. Rushy 30 adults and a newly hatched brood. Estuary Tower lots of activity on the Dumbles Scrape 12 here but all engaged in displaying, nest scraping and mating. Top New Piece had 37 adults including several apparently incubating birds. The South lake Hide will be open from Monday, there are 41 adults at least one newly hatched brood and at least 12 incubating birds there. Fingers crossed we are in for a bumper year.

Reed Warblers

Just everywhere and very active feeding and singing. Check out the Pillbox Pool through the holes in the walkway wall, the summer walk around the South Finger Reed Bed and the canoe trail area for great close up views.

Oystercatchers

Very confiding brood of 2 well grown young on Swan Lake (the first open water area next to the center). Please keep to the public paths whilst watching these birds. Another pair have at least 2 young on the South Lake Hide roof (view from outside).

Rushy

Besides the Avocet, Black Tailed Godwit 5, a close up male Garganey, a single Little Ringed Plover and lots of low flying Swallows.

Estuary Tower

Avocets (see above), a prospecting pair of Curlew chasing 3 Whimbrel around, a further 8 Curlew, a pair of Cranes and a very vocal pair of Redshank. A Cuckoo was calling to the south.

Summer Walkway

Two Grasshopper warblers were singing well and one showed nicely if briefly. Lots of Reed and Sedge Warblers but the only waders so far on the quickly rising tide was 7 Ringed Plover.

Top New Piece (Van de Bovenkamp viewing slot and Canoe Safari viewpoint)

Mostly the Avocet here but also a scattering of breeding Gadwall and Shoveler another very vocal pair of Redshank and lots of Swallows and House and Sand Martins.

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