January WeBS, WinGS and sightings for the week ending 26 January
26 January
At least 72 Bewick's Swans at dawn with the now-paired Whooper Swans.
At least one Little Stint on the Tack Piece from Estuary Tower plus an immature Peregrine, with Marsh Harrier and Great Egret viewable distantly to the North. A flock of 25 Russian White-fronted Geese flew in form the northern fields around 1505hrs. The 2cy Glossy Ibis and the 2cy Spoonbill were still on site at the usual places.
Tack Piece
From Robbie Garnett Hide- 23 Ruff, 8 Redshank, 9 Curlew, 450 Lapwing including the striking partially/leucistic bird, 140 Dunlin, good close views of Bewick's Swans and the Whooper Swans moved to here.
South Lake
Seven Avocet, 5 Black-tailed Godwit and a pair of Goldeneye among the pick of the sightings here.
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25 January
The Firecrest was again roving about in the Decoy/ Decoy Wood, keep an ear out on the calmer days from the adjacent tracks and the Withy Bed.
The Glossy Ibis was feeding in the entrance road fields.
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The Glossy Ibis hung around for another day, it split it’s time between the roadside fields and the Rushy lake, it looked beautiful in the sunshine.
South Lake
The juvenile Spoonbill was present in the morning as well as 10 Avocet, 219 Teal, 27 Shoveler, 4 Shelduck, 2 Gadwall, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 24 Pochard males and 1 female, 11 Cormorant, 2 Tufted Duck and 41 Lapwing.
Through the grounds a Little Egret was spotted too.
Zeiss Hide
From Zeiss hide there were 98 Teal, 133 Wigeon, 1 male Pochard, 9 Pintail, 34 Shelduck and 25 Greylag Goose.
Kingfisher Hide
On the water there were 3 Shoveler and 2 Gadwall. On the Bottom New Piece field there were 4 Roe Deer, 50 Greylag Goose, 96 Canada Goose and 9 Barnacle Goose.
Robbie Garnett Hide
It was a busy Tack piece this morning with 12 Redshank, 25 Ruff, 86 Curlew, 31 Black-tailed Godwit, c200 Golden plover, c1000 lapwing and c200 Dunlin all quite mobile.
Martin Smith Hide
Sheltering from the wind there were 4 Snipe, 4 Mute swan, 22 Mallard, 5 Teal, 13 Wigeon and 1 Pintail.
Estuary Tower
In the morning there were 2 Little stint and 1 Dunlin on the left-hand island on the scrape and a Peregrine disturbing the wader flocks too. Later in the day there were 7 Cranes, 57 White-fronted geese as well as the paler Lapwing.
Rushy Hide
There were 68 Bewick's on the lake at first light, 2 Whooper swans and the Black swan too. The Bewick’s and Whoopers all moved out onto the Dumbles to spend their day in front of the Estuary Tower.
Glossy Ibis - Dot J
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23 January
Highlights of the day include a resighting of a Bearded reedling in the reedbeds opposite Zeiss hide and the Glossy Ibis has stuck around for another day. It spent a lot of time in the roadside fields to the left as you exit the Car park.
Kingfisher Hide
In the Four-score field there were 52 Greylag Geese. On the water 1 Little Grebe, 4 Gadwall, 1 Coot, 2 Shoveler, 6 Teal, 2 Moorhen. On the Bottom new piece field to the right of the hide there were 2 Barnacle Geese, 2 Canada Geese, 2 Lapwing as well as 3 Roe deer below the Seawall. On the feeders there were a lovely flock of Long tailed tits.
In the Spinney
In the Spinney just before the Zeiss Hide there was a Great spotted woodpecker drumming.
Zeiss Hide
From Zeiss hide on the back scrape there were 42 Shelduck, 350 Teal, 2 Black-tailed Godwit and a very mobile mixed flock of Lapwing and Dunlin. On the front scrape there were 240 Wigeon that had previously been grazing directly in front of the Van de Bovenkamp hide, 10 Tufted duck, 2 Grey Heron, 15 Greylag, 2 Coot and 2 Moorhen.
At 11:30am a single Bearded Reedling passed in front of Hide heading north. Worth checking Canoe Trail and from the Knott Hide.
South Lake
A varied selection of birds including 9 Avocet, the Spoonbill which relocated to the Tack Piece later in the day, 1 Great crested Grebe, Lapwing, Dunlin, Pochard, Shoveler, Tufted Duck, Cormorant Gadwall and the pale Buzzard was perched in the mistletoe covered tree at the back.
Rushy Hide
There were 64 Bewick's swans first thing along with the 2 Whooper swans, 1 Black swan, 52 Pochard and 210 Lapwing.
Martin Smith Hide
From Martin Smith Hide there were 3 Snipe, 14 Wigeon, 9 Teal and 1 Shoveler visible.
Robbie Garnett Hide
On the Tack Piece there were 51 Shoveler, 31 Pintail, c1100 Lapwing including the paler individual, 2 Curlew, 537 Golden Plover, 2 Black-tailed Godwit, 109 Dunlin, 185 Wigeon, 1 Cetti's warbler, family of 4 Cranes and a Marsh Harrier.
Estuary Tower
On the Dumbles there were 179 Wigeon, 17 Pintail, 43 Teal, 13 Shoveler, 1 Redshank, 171 Barnacle Geese with the lone Ross's goose, 1 Pink footed Goose, 264 Canada Geese and 1 Peregrine. On the Long ground pool there were 22 Shoveler, 21 Pochard and 23 Tufted Duck. On the pool also visible from Knott Hide there were 62 Wigeon.
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22 January
The Glossy Ibis remained on site today, as is typical for this species it was always on the move. It has been seen at the Tack Piece, Rushy, South Lake and entrance road fields.
Estuary Tower
Pair of Bullfinch in the hedge, two Little Stints on the Dumbles scrape.
South Lake
Green Woodpecker in the trees along the East side of the lake. The first winter Spoonbill still using the deep lake islands as a roost but was feeding on the Tack Piece as well. Single Great Crested Grebe, 9 Avocet, 62 Pochard, 16 Ruff, 2 Pintail, 500 Lapwing, 54 Shoveler and10 Gadwall.
Zeiss Hide
Single Water Rail, 142 Wigeon on the lawns, 3 Snipe, 8 Bewick's Swans and 50 White fronted geese flew over into the mist.
Kingfisher Hide
Stonechat and a Little grebe
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21 January
A Glossy Ibis was seen on the Tack Piece, then Rushy and flew off toward South Lake at lunchtime today. This was the 106th species of bird recorded in our area since New Year's Day.
A site count of 135 Pochard (120 males and 15 females)
WinGS (Winter Gull Survey)
We will be assisting with a co-ordinated count of the gull roost on the Severn this evening. Results should follow next week.
South Lake
77 Russian White-fronted Geese returned to the wader scrape but have now flown back to the fields, 2cy Spoonbill, GC Grebe, 21m 4f Pochard, Dunlin among 450 Lapwing, 9 Avocet and 2 Black-tailed Godwits. Green and Great spotted Woodpeckers were along the East side of the lake, often in the oaks.
Rushy Hide/Peng Observatory
Two Whooper Swan, 68 Bewick's Swan, single Mute Swan, 67m 7f Pochard, 50+ Pintail. Tack Piece- early morning 23 Ruff, 9 Redshank, 400 Wigeon, 120 Teal.
Estuary Tower
Peregrine on the cross fence and Little Stint on the scrape but flew off to Tack Piece.
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20 January
WeBS
Due to the high tides both falling in the dark last Sunday, the Severn estuary counters moved the date back a week to make an accurate count.
Full WeBS count summary follows.
| Canada Goose | 457 | ||
| Barnacle Goose | 203 | ||
| Greylag Goose | 457 | ||
| White-fronted Goose (European - albifrons) | 64 | ||
| Mute Swan | 175 | ||
| Bewick's Swan | 70 | ||
| Whooper Swan | 2 | ||
| Shelduck | 364 | ||
| Shoveler | 196 | ||
| Gadwall | 66 | ||
| Wigeon | 1609 | ||
| Mallard | 586 | ||
| Pintail | 348 | ||
| Teal | 1044 | ||
| Pochard | 148 | ||
| Tufted Duck | 372 | ||
| Goldeneye | 2 | ||
| Goosander | 1 | male | |
| Great Crested Grebe | 1 | ||
| Grey Heron | 8 | ||
| Little Egret | 3 | ||
| Cormorant | 13 | ||
| Water Rail | 7 | ||
| Moorhen | 75 | ||
| Coot | 75 | ||
| Avocet | 9 | ||
| Lapwing | 2871 | ||
| Golden Plover | 1200 | ||
| Ringed Plover | 1 | ||
| Curlew | 238 | ||
| Black-tailed Godwit | 5 | ||
| Ruff | 24 | ||
| Dunlin | 644 | ||
| Little Stint | 1 | ||
| Snipe | 43 | ||
| Redshank | 14 | ||
| Kingfisher | 2 | ||
| Black-headed Gull | 118 | ||
| Great Black-backed Gull | 20 | ||
| Herring Gull | 18 | ||
| Lesser Black-backed Gull | 2 | ||
| Ross's Goose | 1 | ||
| Hybrid goose | 9 | 1 Snow x Bar-headed 3 Canada x Greylag 1 Canada x Barnacle 4 Canada x Farmyard | |
| Black Swan | 1 | ||
| Green-winged Teal | 1 | male wintering, seen to at least 19 January but no time to search for it whilst counting today. | |
| Spoonbill | 1 | ||
| Cattle Egret | 12 | ||
| Great White Egret | 2 | ||
| Crane | 11 |
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19 January
South Lake
The second calendar year Spoonbill was still on the deep lake islands mid morning + 10 Cormorant, flocks of Pochard and Tufted Ducks and GC Grebe, the causeways and islands have c500 Lapwing, 140 Dunlin , 5 Black-tailed Godwit and 9 Avocet + flocks of Teal and Shoveler.
Top New Piece from Zeiss Hide
The drake Green-winged Teal was back on the flood and fleet.
