Weekend update

We've now entered what's forecast to be a long hot dry spell, day times temperatures are up in the high 20s to 30s, birding from the shaded hides is a great way to keep cool and enjoy the wildlife. We are juggling what little water is available at the moment to keep ponds and scrapes going, water levels are low in may areas and we could see some scrapes drying up completely. Our wetlands offer a crucial lifeline for many species during such extremes.

Highlights and sightings for the weekend follow.

Rushy Hide/Peng Observatory

Two Snipe were viewable from the Peng Observatory this morning plus an Avocet, 7 Black-tailed Godwit, 7 Redshank, 4 Ruff and 1 Lapwing.

Tack Piece

Five Green Sandpiper, 3 Lapwing and 3 Teal.

Estuary Tower

Little Egret on Pillbox pool, 200+ Starlings and Green Sandpiper.

Middle Point

Two Dunlin, 4 Avocet, Black-tailed Godwit, 4 Oystercatcher, Little Egret on the mud plus 125 Curlew (including three head started birds and a colour ringed bird, all were commuting to feed in salt pasture on the Dumbles), 2 broods of Shelduck (9 small and 5 half grown) and 2 Peregrine were on the sands. A couple of Reed Warbler continued to sing with Cetti's Warbler along the Goose House ditch and Kestrel hunting the seawall.

Top New Piece

Two Little-ringed Plover, 9 Dunlin, 96 Lapwing and an Avocet feeding on the flood and mud, Yellow Wagtail was mobile about the field as were the Pied Wagtails+ a few Teal and Gadwall.

South Lake

Two Spotted Redshank, 4 Ruff, 46 Redshank, 143+ Black-tailed Godwit, Oystercatcher, 2 Little Grebe and Great Crested Grebe, 30+ juvenile Black-headed Gull, raft of moulting duck species in eclipse plumage (Gadwall, Mallard, Teal, Pochard). Dozens of Black-tailed Skimmer dragonflies and a Brown Hawker. A Red Kite was checking the fields to the East of the lake but two spent the day following the hay harvesting in fields to NE of the car park.

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