All on the move

Lots of evidence of migration today with our first Sand Martins through, Avocet numbers increasing and its looks as though the last of the Bewick's Swans have gone!

Lots of evidence of migration today with the first Sand Martins through, heading north over the Rushy mid-morning. Our flock of Avocet have been incresaing daily on the South Lake, and today passed the 100 mark with 109 birds present - including three colour-ringed birds! And after aborting their start yesterday, the last 17 Bewick's Swans appear to have finally left with no birds on the reserve or estuary today.

One bird that doesn't seem inclined to move much is the Glossy Ibis, who was again the roadside field near the cattle barn next to the canal this morning.

Yesterday's update on our Bewick's Swans
On Thursday morning a local birder saw a flock of 41 Bewick's Swans flying north over Splatt Bridge near Frampton-on-Severn just up the estuary, with the Black Swan in tow! A short while later 14 birds were seen heading back south towards the reserve having decided it wasn't the day to start their migration, and the Black Swan was following them back too. Check out the tweet and photos here.

Estuary Tower
Two Stonechat were on the Middle Point cross fence this morning. Out on the estuary a Peregrine had made a kill and was fending off a couple of Carrion Crows. Across the mudflats were 161 Shelduck and 24 Curlew, with another four Curlew on the Dumbles feeding in the wet hollows. A pair of Peregrine were to the south, sat on the riverbank at the Lower Dumbles (beyond the southern cross fence). Yesterday this pair were seen mating. Later by mid-morning a flock of 117 White-fronted Geese were on the mudflats out on the estuary.

Grounds
A flock of 40 Goldfinch were near the Living Wetland Theatre with 10 Siskin and 10 Redpoll. Yesterday a Chiffchaff was singing near the Discovery Hide at the South Lake, and two Cetti's Warblers were singing along the boardwalk near the Decoy. A Green Woodpecker was also seen on the grass near the Discovery Hide.

Zeiss Hide
A single Avocet was on the Top New Piece with 15 Dunlin, 79 Teal, 40 Lapwing and 22 Black-tailed Godwit. A total of 315 Wigeon were grazing near the hide and a Water Rail was seen in the reedbed below the hide.

Knott Hide
A flock of 152 Wigeon were grazing around the Pillbox Pool this morning.

South Lake
A total of 109 Avocet were on the wader scrape this morning including three colour-ringed birds. The first colour-ringed bird was ringed as a chick in 2016 near Middlesbrough in North Yorkshire, and has also been seen at our WWT centre at Welney, and appears to winter on the south coast of England. The second colou-ringed bird is a regular on the reserve, breeding here at WWT Slimbridge for several years now. The bird itself was ringed as a chick in 2011 in Cambridgeshire, and after breeding on the reserve here appears to head back to the east coast of the UK to North Lincolnshire in the autumn before possibly heading to The Netherlands for the winter, where it has been seen. The third colour-ringed bird is a new arrival today and is from a project colour-ringing birds in The Netherlands, but we await further details.

Also on the wader scrape were 146 Black-tailed Godwit. A Great Crested Grebe was on the deep lake with 36 Shoveler, 40 Pochard, 54 Tufted Duck and 12 Gadwall, with two Snipe roosting in fallen trees at the back of the lake.

Robbie Garnett Hide
Four Pintail and a few Teal were with the remaining 374 Wigeon on the Tack Piece. A single Redshank and Pochard were also noted, and the three Snow Geese were with 175 Barnacle Geese towards the Goose House. A pair Raven flew over.

Rushy Hide
Remaining birds included 92 Shelduck, 78 Pintail, a pair of Oystercatcher, single Redshank, three drake Shoveler, two Pochard, 34 Tufted Duck, the drake Mandarin, the single Avocet and 147 Mallard.

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