Sightings and news to week ending 9 February
9 February
A similar report to previous days with wintering birds all very settled in their routines.
The Glossy Ibis continues to visit the field East of the car park, north side of the road, please do not enter the fields or go beyond no entry or access signs please.
Estuary Tower
Both Little Stints fed on the Dumbles scrape today,
Tack Piece
A female Sparrowhawk, a Red Kite went through NE, both Little Stints visiting, 4 Ruff, 22 Redshank, Curlew, Golden Plover, Lapwing and Dunlin, 4 Crane, 800 Wigeon, 12 Meadow Pipit. A Peregrine attempted to catch a Lapwing.
Kingfisher Hide
At least 110 Russian White-fronted Geese were in the Four Score ground.
South Lake from Discovery Hide
Four 4 Cattle Egret and four Oystercatcher late afternoon. First winter Spoonbill, the Glossy Ibis flew up from the fields, circled and returned at 1025am, male Goldeneye, 6 Avocet, 3 Black-tailed Godwit, CG Grebe, 400 Lapwing, + flocks of Teal, Pochard, Gadwall, Shoveler, Tufted Duck, Cormorant and Common, Herring and Black-headed Gulls.
Decoy Boardwalk/ Marsh Garden
Goldcrest, 10 Siskin, Redpoll and 15 Goldfinch.
Rushy Hide/Peng Observatory
Two Whooper and 72 Bewick's Swans early morning
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7 February
Estuary Tower
From the Tower there were 2 Little Stint and 50 White-fronted Goose.
Van de Bovenkamp Hide
Egyptian Goose
WWT Willow Hide
The Water Rail was showing nicely under the feeders.
South Lake
On South Lake there was 1 Spoonbill, 10 Avocet, 30 Dunlin, c800 Lapwing, 3 Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 73 Pochard, 63 Shoveler, 19 Teal, 11 Gadwall, 14 Tufted and 8 Shelduck.
Kingfisher Hide
The Coal Tit was still around the feeders, plus Siskin, Chaffinch, Robin, Blue & Long-tailed Tit, Wren etc. On the water there were 2 Little Grebe, 13 Gadwall, 2 Shoveler, 4 Teal, 7 Lapwing, 11 Canadas and 4 Greylag geese.
Zeiss Hide
A Treecreeper was by the entrance to the Hide. The Crane family (Oakie + Sherbert & juv) were around as well as 238 Lapwing, 37 Dunlin, 51 Shelduck, 127 Wigeon, 12 Teal, Shoveler and 2 Herring Gull.
Grounds
A lovely group of around 30 Goldfinch with c5 Siskin, one Little Egret was in the pools through the Matrix, Chaffinch, Redwing, Long-tailed tit and Great Tit were all on the path to Kingfisher Hide.
Estuary Tower
On the Pillbox pool there were 88 Wigeon and on the Long ground pool there were 62 Shoveler, 3 Pochard, 11 Tufted Duck, 1 Cormorant and the Crane Evie. On the main Scrape there were 370 Wigeon, 16 Shoveler and 7 Pintail. On the Dumbles there were 180 plus Barnacle Geese, 1 Ross’s Goose, Golden Plover and a Lapwing flock by the southern cross fence.
Robbie Garnett Hide
There were 5 unringed Cranes on the Tack Piece in the morning and 2 were seen mating. Also around were 583 Wigeon, 8 Ruff, 3 Redshank, 77 Pintail, 26 Shoveler, 12 Shelduck and 22 Teal.
6 February
In the morning we had some lingering fog but it cleared in the afternoon and we were able to enjoy some lovely sunshine. Despite to reduced visibility some great birds were spotted.
Estuary Tower
From the tower 9 Cranes were on the Tack Piece and on the Dumbles there was 1 Little Stint, 1 Great Egret, 11 Shoveler and a Peregrine.
Martin Smith Hide
In the little corner of the Tack Piece there were 2 Snipe, 21 Teal and 11 Wigeon.
Robbie Garnett Hide
Early morning on the Tack Piece there were small numbers of waders including Ruff, Redshank, Golden Plover, Lapwing and Dunlin all present as well as a variety of duck species.
Rushy Hide/Peng Observatory
At first light the 2 Whooper Swans were present with 70 Bewick's Swans, but it wasn’t long before they moved out onto the Tack Piece.
South Lake
The Spoonbill and 7 Cattle Egrets were roosting on deep lake island, the former then moved out to the fields. On the shallow lake there were 4 Black-tailed Godwit, Avocets, Herring Gulls, Lesser black-backed Gulls, Common and Black-headed Gulls and Cormorants among the birds present in the fog.
5 February
Estuary Tower
Not many small waders on the scrape in the morning, potentially due to a Peregrine preening on one of the posts by the river, there were around 40 Curlew on the river with the tide out too. On the main Scrape there were Wigeon, Teal and in the afternoon a Ringed Plover was spotted.
Willow Hide
A water rail was once again underneath the feeders.
Robbie Garnett Hide
Visible on the Tack Piece there were 2 Roe Deer along the back hedgerow 1 Little Stint, 18 Ruff, 8 Redshank (one with a metal ring) around 100 Dunlin and a large flock of Golden Plover that were being disturbed regularly. There were also good numbers of Wigeon, Pochard, Tufted Duck, Teal and Lapwing too.
Martin Smith Hide
Just in front of the hide there were 20 Teal, 20 Mallard, 17 Wigeon, 6 Tufted Duck and 5 Snipe to the left.
Rushy Hide
At first light there were 71 Bewick's Swan and the 2 Whooper Swan, they stuck around for the morning feed then headed out to the fields for the day.
Kingfisher Hide
To the east there was a top count of 124 White-fronted Geese in the Four Score field, they then flew on to the Dumbles in front of the Estuary Tower. On the water there were 2 Little Grebe and 12 Gadwall. A Stonechat and Kestrel were also in the area. Later in the day a pair of Siskin and a lone Coal Tit were seen on the feeders too.
Zeiss Hide
From Zeiss Hide there were 151 Dunlin, 10 Golden Plover, 250 Wigeon, 182 Teal, 82 Shelduck, 257 Lapwing and 6 Snipe.
Discovery Hide
On the South Lake there was 1 Spoonbill, 19 Avocet, 17 Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Oystercatcher, 18 Shoveler, 105 Pochard, 65 Teal, 1 Great-crested Grebe and 350 Lapwing. Later in the morning a Goldeneye was spotted, and a Cattle Egret joined the lake at 14:00.
3 February
Lots of birdsong today- Reed Bunting, Song Thrush, Blackbird, Dunnock all heard and the first breeding season arrival Oystercatchers have started to 'argue' over territory, we now we have at least five on site.
The Russian White-fronted Goose flock increased again to 115 birds, they were mostly favouring the fields around the South Finger, especially the Four Score viewable from the Kingfisher Hide. The flock was flushed by something unknown and dispersed to the fields between the canal and South Finger, they can only be viewed from the canal towpath when feeding here, if you try to view from the canal please be careful not to disturb them.
The Glossy Ibis continues to feed on site, favouring the field on the North side of the entrance road adjacent to car park, do not enter the field or pass beyond the no entry or no access signs please.
One of the two drake Green-winged Teals was again present on South Lake wader scrape.
The Spoonbill is still here favouring the South Lake as a roost site and often feeding in the Tack Piece floods.
72 Bewick's Swans and two Whooper Swans were at the Rushy or Tack Piece.
South Lake
Two Oystercatcher, 10 Avocet, 31 Black-tailed Godwit, 500 Lapwing and busy with ducks.
Estuary Tower
Two Little Stints at the Dumbles scrape and a Peregrine on the foreshore, it was making hunting forays over the reserve.
Tack Piece
Ruff, Redshank, Dunlin, Curlew, Golden Plover and Lapwing.
