Sightings and news to week ending 23 March
An ongoing record of what's been seen around the reserve.
Sunday 23 March
Some new arrivals including some firsts of the year.
Both Spoonbills (adult that arrived on 20 March and the overwintering 2cy from late October last year) present early morning, at least 70 Sand Martin on site mainly feeding voer Tack Piece but ranging to South Lake and two Swallows which mainly fed over the Pill Box Pool area. At least one, possibly two Willow Warblers singing in the car park/South Lake area. A White Wagtail was on the Tack Piece early morning. A non-breeding plumage Bar-tailed Godwit was with the Black-tailed Godwits, one or two have been in the company of the Curlew or 'Blackwits' all week but mostly on the Severn.
The flock of 125 Russian White-fronted Geese remain on site, they were in the Four Score Ground. Other wintering wildfowl are still on the reserve but numbers continue to drop. Just over a 1000 Wigeon and 43 Pintail were counted. Two Ruff were on the Top New Piece.
The Kingfishers were still showing very well at the nest hole opposite the Kingfisher Hide with other pairs sighted including a regular at the Knott Hide. Our pair of Marsh Harriers can be seen anywhere on the reserve as they hunt various spots.
Saturday 22 March
Estuary Tower
From the Tower there were 4 Reed Bunting, 3 Chiffchaff, 14 Avocet, 31 Teal,133 White-fronted Geese, 48 Wigeon, 12 Shoveler, 71 Barnacle geese. Along the walkway there were Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Cetti's warbler all singing.
Martin Smith Hide
From this hide 78 Shoveler, 456 Teal, 72 Shelduck, 2 Spoonbill, 3 Curlew, 2 Oystercatcher, 49 Teal, 15 Tufted Duck, 4 Cranes and 3 Pochard were spotted first thing. Mid-morning a Hairy footed Flower Bee was spotted too!
Zeiss Hide
Looking out on the Top New Piece there was 1 Little Egret, 179 Wigeon, 5 Tufted Duck, 16 Avocet, 22 Shelduck, 79 Teal, 18 Gadwall, 2 Oystercatcher and one Curlew.
Discovery Hide
2 Cranes Ruby and her wild mate were patrolling their territory surrounded by 4 Oystercatchers, 69 Avocet, 5 Black-tailed Godwit and 1 Great-crested Grebe. Beyond the lake a Woodpecker was heard drumming the Black-headed gulls were very active too. Later in the day there were 5 Cattle Egret on the left-hand side.
Grounds
Through the Decoy wood Chiffchaff singing, there were 3 male Pochard on the Eider Pool.
South Finger Reedbed
Through the Reedbed there were 8 Tufted Duck, 1 pair of Gadwall, Cetti’s and Chiffchaff singing, Kingfisher calling and some Violets have bloomed outside Van de Bovenkamp hide.
Kingfisher Hide
In the morning the male Kingfisher presented the female with fish both in/out of the burrow, Song Thrush were singing in trees behind the bank a Treecreeper was also heard. On the water there was 1 pair of Tufted Duck, Mute Swan pair nest building, Cetti’s singing and 4 Lapwing were displaying over the Bottom New Piece.
Friday 21 March
Kingfisher Hide
Lots of Kingfisher activity throughout the day with at least one of the pair visible pretty much constantly 11am-12pm. Seem to be excavated their nest site, with lots of time spent perching nearby. There were 4 Redshank on the Bottom New Piece.
South Finger Walkway
Some Chiffchaff were calling along with Cetti’s warbler and Tree Creeper too.
Zeiss Hide
Looking out onto the Top New Piece there were 115 Wigeon, 5 pairs of Tufted duck, 80 Teal, 6 Avocet, 2 Redshank, a Ruff and a leucistic Lapwing.
Discovery Hide
On the South Lake there were 35 Black-tailed Godwit, 24 Avocet, 1 Great-crested grebe,17 Tufted duck, 38 Gadwall,17 Shoveler. A pair of Cranes were feeding along the back edge as well as a single Oystercatcher, around 45 pairs of Black-headed Gulls were making a lot of noise as they competed for nesting sites.
Estuary Tower
Out on the Dumbles there were 127 White-fronted geese, they then moved closer to the Kingfisher Hide, there were also 48 Barnacle Geese, 4 Curlew and a Buzzard. On the Scrape there were 8 Avocet, 2 Oystercatcher, 144 Wigeon and 37 Teal. Below the Tower there were Chiffchaff calling and Reed Bunting too. A Stonechat was on the cross fence, 89 Shelduck were on Estuary and Skylark were singing overhead.
Around 60 Meadow Pipits were seen heading North over the Dumbles mid-morning.
Rushy Hide
On the Rushy there were 10 Pintail, 37 Shelduck and 10 Avocet.
Robbie Garnett Hide
First thing there were 2 Spoonbill, 1 adult and the 2cy youngster, 5 Cranes, 36 Barnacle Geese, 3 Curlew, 5 Redshank, 2 Oystercatcher, 1 Ruff, 257 Wigeon, 60 Shoveler, 55 Teal, 26 Shelduck, 19 Tufted Duck and 3 Pintail.
Knott Hide
In the afternoon a Song Thrush was spotted enjoying a tasty worm.
Thursday 20 March
Kingfisher Hide
Cranes Oakie and Sherbert were on the Four-score field feeding alongside 21 Greylag, on the water there were 3 Tufted Duck, 2 Mute swan, 2 Gadwall and both Kingfishers were flitting around. On the Bottom New Piece Field there was one Ruff and 8 Redshank along the back stretch of water as well as 3 Golden Plover, 10 Lapwing, 3 Skylark and 3 Roe Deer dotted around the field.
Estuary Tower
On the Dumbles there were 159 Wigeon, 12 Shoveler, 8 Avocet, 123 White-fronted Geese and 2 Oystercatchers.
Robbie Garnett Hide
Looking out onto the Tack Piece there were 393 Wigeon, 1 Adult Spoonbill the 2cy Spoonbill was also around but flew north, 1 Little Egret that relocated onto the Rushy, 76 Shoveler, 9 Crane, 1 Redshank and a Curlew.
Rushy Hide
First thing there were 34 Pintail, 5 Avocet, 5 Shoveler, 2 Pochard, 1 Black Swan, 2 Mute Swan, 57 Tufted Duck, 2 Wigeon and 2 Oystercatcher.
Car Park
Flying over the car park and in the surrounding hedgerows were Redwing, 2 Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Song Thrush, Greenfinch, 3 Oystercatchers and Reed bunting.
Wednesday 19 March
The remaining 2 Bewick's swans and 2 Whooper swans have not been seen today, they appear to have started their respective migrations, we look forward to welcoming them back next year!
Robbie Garnett Hide
On the Tack piece there was the 2cy Spoonbill, 8 Cranes, 2 Avocet, 6 Barnacle Geese, 4 Curlew a large Wigeon flock, Cetti's warbler and 2 Roe Deer.
Kingfisher Hide
A pair of Mute swans were nest building down the channel, also present was 1 Little Grebe, both Kingfisher's, Cetti's warbler, Treecreeper, Green woodpecker and a single Golden Plover in the Bottom New Piece field.
Zeiss Hide
On the Top New Piece there were 202 Wigeon, 103 Shelduck, 127 White-fronted geese which then moved to the Dumbles in front of Estuary Tower, 7 Redshank, 16 Snipe, 2 Oystercatcher, 1 Water Rail, 4 Ruff, 1 Little Egret and 14 Lapwing.
Discovery Hide
In the morning there was a single Ringed Plover, 24 Black-tailed Godwit, 105 Avocet, 6 Pochard, 14 Tufted Duck, 21 Gadwall and Siskin, Redpoll and Goldfinch were in the Alder trees.
Later in the afternoon around 15:00 two Red kites were spotted heading North over the Tack piece putting up all the White-fronted Geese as they went.
Tuesday 18 March
Kingfisher news
We appear to have at least three pairs of Kingfishers about the reserve, one pair have now become very active at the nest hole opposite the Kingfisher Hide. We have closed the windows up while they breed to prevent disturbing them. Despite this, great views can be had of the the comings and goings of the pair. The male has been presenting fish to the female and both have been in/out of the nest hole throughout recent days. Other birds are being seen regularly around the South Lake and adjacent ditches with a number of sightings from Willow/Knott Hide.
Winter visitors
Both Bewick's (Furry and Furrow) and Whooper Swan pairs remain on site today, they can be seen either in the Rushy or Tack Piece. At least 121 Russian White-fronted Geese were counted this morning, the current pattern is for the begin the day at the Four Score Ground then move, often drinking on the Top New Piece and then grazing on the Dumbles, this morning they moved to the Severn sands as the tide flooded. As you can see from last week's report, we still had high numbers of Wigeon on site, probably bolstered by new birds stopping as they pass through but we should see them departing over the coming week or so. The Tack Piece still holds a large flock with a smaller group at the Top New Piece.
Other highlights today included the following.
Top New Piece
Single Ruff, 17 Lapwing, 8 Redshank, 2 Oystercatcher, 110 Wigeon, 40 Shelduck, singing Reed Buntings and a few Linnets on the seawall hedge.
Estuary Tower
Singing and displaying Meadow Pipit at Middle Point, singing Dunnock, 7 Little and a Great Egret sunning at the Pill Box Pool early morning with another in the Long Ground. Two Little Stint on the Dumbles scrape with four Avocet and a pair of Oystercatcher and a small flock of Wigeon and Teal.
South Lake
Single Ruff, 16 Black-tailed Godwit, 89 Avocet, 1 Lapwing, 4 Oystercatcher + 14 Pochard + flocks of Cormorant, Tufted Duck, Mallard, Gadwall, Shoveler, and Teal, a few pairs of Greylag and Canada Geese.
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Monday 17 March
Estuary Tower
On the Dumbles scrape, a male White Wagtail called in and joined a male Pied Wagtail in the morning.
Kingfisher Hide
Female Kingfisher outside the nest hole, 100+ Russian White-fronted Geese in the Four Score field but moved to Dumbles/Top New Piece.
Bottom New Piece
Ten Lapwing, lots of display.
