Sightings and news to week ending 6 April
Cranes
Our breeding pairs of Cranes are highly territorial, a couple of pairs experience temporary difficulties with the quartet of three juveniles and immature, these four visit for as long as they are tolerated and are often found on the Tack Piece. Other pairs are regularly 'prospecting'.
Kingfishers
The pair nesting opposite the Kingfisher Hide are still very active, if they haven't begun laying already they must be very close. We had to close up some side windows due to people hanging out to get photographs. Some good news, a second pair have settled at the Duck Decoy pond, they have taken to a faced bank that we created in 2024, both male and female are digging here giving good views through glass from the Decoy Hide, not as close as the Kingfisher Hide pair but OK with binoculars. It's still important to be quiet and move slowly.
Monday 31 March
The highest tide of the year did a fantastic job of filling the pools and scrape on the Dumbles today, a long period with no rain had seen the area dry up so this was most welcome.
Estuary Tower
22 Curlew, 8 GBB Gull, a few Common Gull, 4 Oystercatcher and two Ringed Plover reported over the tide. Male Marsh Harrier flew through.
South Finger Reed beds
Water Rail, Cetti's Warbler and Reed Bunting.
Top New Piece
10 Wigeon, 2 Shoveler, 2 Mediterranean Gulls over to NE, 50 Teal, Water Rail, 3 male, 4 female Lapwing and a pair of Oystercatcher. A Bittern was watched this afternoon as it moved from the reedy patches between Zeiss Hide and Van de Bovenkamp Hide and the Kingfisher Hide.
Tack Piece
68 Wigeon, two Little ringed Plover, 2 Spoonbill, 2 Redshank, 48 Teal, 56 Shoveler, Little Egret. Dumbles- 22 Shoveler, 37 Teal, 12 Avocet.
Kingfisher Hide
Pair of Kingfishers at the nest hole, 10 Russian White-fronted Geese with Greylags on the Four Score, single Golden Plover, 4 pairs of Lapwing, 2 pairs of Redshank on Bottom New Piece, 3 Reed Bunting and Water Rail.
