26-29 December 2020 update

Our hides remain closed due to Tier 3 rules, the grounds remain open.

It is such a frustrating time, we're not allowed to open the hides under the Tier 3 rules, the winter birds are here in numbers and water levels are good. Most of the grounds remain open so birding is restricted to what you are able to spot from the paths. We have moved the feeders from Kingfisher Hide to the Spinney and from Willow Hide to the Decoy/Pondzone area so that you can continue to see the commoner passerines and maybe a Water Rial. The Big Pen has the usual flock of wintering Mute Swans, Tufted Ducks, Mallards, Coots and Moorhens with Shelduck and singles of other species dropping in. Peregrine, Merlin (chased over grounds on 28th by the Peregrine), Kestrel and Buzzard have all been seen over the grounds in recent days and the sky is full of waders when they are hunting.

Song Thrushes are pretty obvious now, many are singing in the mornings with the odd blast of Cetti's Warbler song and commoner passerines appearing to see if you drop any crumbs. Siskins and Goldfinches are still feeding in the Alder trees. On the way in or out it's worth checking for the Cattle and Little Egrets, we have had up to 10 Cattle Egret and eight Little Egret roosting, they usually head to the canal in the morning and then to fields around the Tudor Arms or along the canal. Flocks of Greylag Geese feed in the entrance fields, well worth checking for other goose species.

We like to keep you informed as to what species are around so will continue to update the blog whenever possible. Many of these species are likely to spend the winter with us, hopefully it will become safe enough to move back to lower tier in the near future, we can only hope. We are sad to not be able to share and show off the winter spectacle at present.

Highlights since Christmas Day include the following.

Bewicks Swans

Increase to 69 by 28/29th, (3 cygnets).

Waders

Two Avocet on South Lake and a Red Knot on Tack Piece on 27th. Little Stint and Greenshank have been seen daily on the Tack Piece from 27-29th, 61 Redshank counted on 29th with a colour ringed bird also present, 483 Black-tailed Godwit on 28th with 21 Ruff. Good numbers of Dunlin, Golden Plover and Lapwing continue to fill the sky when disturbed. At least 246 Curlew have been counted.

Ducks

1900 Wigeon on the Severn with 780 on the Tack Piece on 29th, 139 Pintail on the Severn with 47 on the Rushy and 73 on Tack Piece on 28th. A Pochard count on 28th revealed 124 males and 27 females, a drake Pochard x Ferruginous Duck and Pochard x Ring-necked Duck hybrid remain. 183 Shoveler on South Lake on 29th.

Geese

A juvenile Tundra Bean Goose was with the Greylags on 27th, it was seen in the Rushy, flying over the grounds heading N and on the Tack piece and Ox Piece, a Pink-footed Goose was seen 27th and 28th and the Russian White-fronted Geese have increased to 150 by 29th.

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