Anyone snow where these geese originated from?

Six Lesser Snow Geese appeared in the entrance road fields this morning.

A delivery from North America or wandering visitors from naturalised population from the near-continent or event the UK?

The party of six Lesser Snow Geese that have graced the entrance road fields today certainly brightened up the field but also raise a question. This Spring has seen the jet stream blasting across the Atlantic and a number of North American waders have also been spotted about the UK, on top of this small flocks and singles of Snow Geese have been turning up at various sites in recent weeks. The issue that reduces confidence in assuming our birds have flown the Atlantic is that established populations also occur in the UK and Netherlands, it may well be that they are wandering from nearer to home. Whatever there origin these birds are rather stunning.

The estuary was again delivering some stunning Arctic bound waders in magnificent breeding plumage, from Middle Point today minimum counts and sightings on the salt marsh shelf and mudflats as follow...

One Curlew Sandpiper- breeding plumage
Two Red Knot- two in breeding plumage
One Little Stint
110+ Dunlin (a few small greyer birds and one large, long-billed bird in non-breeding plumage)
43+ Ringed Plover
Six Grey Plover
Two Turnstone

Also 10 Great Black-backed Gull and a Common Gull among the Herring and Lesser Black-backed Gulls.

On the Dumbles two Cranes included an un-ringed bird, two Curlew, three pairs of Oystercatcher and 20+ Lapwing, a pair of 'Greenland type' Wheatear were at Middle Point with a Yellow Wagtail flying about and the Grasshopper Warbler reeling from reeds at the point. Wellies or waterproof boots are needed as the tides and rain have flooded the area.

Rushy

The Little-ringed Plovers remain in the area, 16 Avocet included nesting birds and the Oystercatchers continue to incubate their eggs. A 2cy Mediterranean Gull dropped in again.

Top New Piece

Two male and one female Teal, two male and one female Shoveler, a flock of Avocets on the flood.

General

Again today we had 40+ low flying Swifts over the site and our House Martins are visiting nest cups on the Rushy.

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