Water everywhere

Its been a strange week with no visitors around due to the access road being closed for much needed repairs. Also hugely busy trying to get lots of developments completed before the bulk of the winter birds arrive so not a lot of time spent bird watching. Work is progressing well on the new Estuary Tower which gives a stunning view of the Dumbles and Estuary, we hope to be able to open it soon. Summer walkway remains open but may need to be closed as numbers and floods increase. To wet your appetite other developments include creation of a 700M long 5M wide water course along the line of an old paleo-channel, the construction of 5 what we hope will be Crane nesting islands, 15 new field ponds aimed at Dragonflies and Amphibians have been created. Over 3KM of dry field ditches have been deepened and widened to provide new open water habitat, over 4 Ha of herb rich grassland is being sown in small patches over the site and it an old arable field. This has all been made possible with capitol payments associated with our new Countryside Stewardship agri/environmental agreement.

We are open tomorrow then closed Monday and Tuesday and open as normal with some diversions from Wednesday so hope to see everyone back then.

Highlights today have included a very showy young Marsh harrier especially from the Zeiss Hide. The usual crop of waders including over 200 Black Tailed Godwits, a dozen Knot on the South Lake, around 30 Redshank, 1 Spotted Redshank and 26 Ruff, 27 Dunlin were at the Zeiss where Water Rail and Cettis were seen and heard. Wildfowl numbers continue to rise, hundreds of Teal from all hides, a scattering of Pintail and 7 Pochard on South Lake. A 1st winter Mediterranean Gull on the Rushy was also a nice surprise.

No sign yet of White fronted Gees and the Bewicks Swans are still in the NE Baltic but watch this space.

• Share this article