Image- drake Shoveler from Discovery Hide- MJM
*Due to adverse weather conditions the South Finger and Ziess Hide are shut today*
Upcoming Events
Guided Birdwatch Walk 28 October
Optics Days 1 November and 6 December 2026
Birding for Beginners 25 November
Guided Birdwatch Walk 26 November
Closing times will change on Sunday 25 October, details here https://www.wwt.org.uk/wetland...
Summer Walkway closing for the winter season
Final access for the summer walkway and Middle Point will be on Saturday 24 October, note that the clocks change and timings for hide closures will change on the 25 October. No further access from Sunday 25 October as we begin to shut the reserve down for the birds. Hedge cutting will take place along the summer walkway soon, if it occurs before this 25 October we may have to close the path whilst the tractor is working, this is for safety. The reserve team still plan to coppice 30% of the willows along the Summer Walkway and Tack Piece ditch, as well as some tree work at Estuary Tower and Stephen Kirk hide.
Cattle will be grazing on the Tack Piece for a final session at some point then removed for the season.
Seasonal habitat work, essential maintenance and farming
*Please note that you may encounter farming activity, seasonal habitat management, infrastructure maintenance or survey work around the reserve. This can include the use of machinery. We typically work in one area at a time with a large team to get the job done quickly and safely. We manage the other wetland areas to offer a quiet place to feed and rest, short-term localised disturbance is possible. Our birds simply move to another spot for a time and return once we finish, the first phase of work in the Rushy led to outstanding views of waders on the Tack Piece.
It's important to allow quiet during the evenings and very early mornings when birds are roosting so most work is carried out when a full team is on site between 0800-1630hrs. This work is essential for biodiversity and the annual cycle of the reserve and also to keep the place operational, pumps, filter, pipes and much more need attention. This work also allows us to keep views open to our scrapes and lakes following the breeding season.
*Note that we aim to work in the reed bed below the Zeiss Hide and the Top New Piece today (Tuesday 20 October).
*We will also be working in the Rushy and Top Hut area from 19 to 23 October with at least one day out on the lake on Wednesday 21 October, a check and service of the sewerage pumps and some solar panel work on the roof is planned for this date, we may have to work out here on Thursday 22 October as well. We be willow pollarding/coppicing, mowing the rest of the field, some tree pulling, island restoration on lower pond, shoreline and swan trap strimming and swan trap repairs.
We may be on the Tack Piece, the western end on Thursday 22 October.
Greater Flamingo on the River Severn
A second calendar year greater flamingo has been sighted on the River Severn close to WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre. Identified by her green ring ‘LHH’, the young female flamingo belongs to Birdland Park and Gardens, in Bourton-on-the-Water, from where she has recently taken flight and become separated from her flock. Working closely with our colleagues at Birdland, we are monitoring her movements and keeping them updated. She currently appears healthy, coping well and not causing a disturbance to other birds.
Saturday 24 October
*SITE WILL BE CLOSED AT 3PM TODAY WITH SOUTH FINGER AND SUMMER WALKWAY CLOSING AT 1PM DUE TO ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS*
Pillbox Pool
Shoveler, 6 Wigeon, 16 Teal
Long Ground Pool
Grey Heron
Tack Piece
2 Buzzards, 8 Shoveler, 23 Wigeon, 184 Teal, Little Egret, Meadow Pipit, 2 Pied Wagtails, Water Rail,
Rushy
Shelduck, 2 Shoveler, 4 Pintail, 151 Lapwing, 2 Snipe, Spotted Redshank
Top New Piece
Female Marsh Harrier flushed flocks of Redshank, Lapwings, Teals and 5 Black-tailed Godwits
Friday 23 October
Dumbles
27 Great Black Back Gulls scattered about, Single Pink Foot with Canada flock. Ross’s Goose with Barnacle flock. 10 Curlew, Peregrine on post, 2 Cranes on the sand bank mid river
Tack Piece from Stephen Kirk hide
300c Teal, 5 Pintail.
Tack Piece from Robbie Garnett hide
In excess of 300 wigeon feeding on the ‘lawn’
Willow Hide
Water Rail showing and 2 other ‘squealing’ from cover
South Lake
152 Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Ruff, 15 Pintail, 71 Shoveler, 10 Tufted, 5 Pochard, 170 Teal and 2 Common Gull with around 60 Black-Headed Gull
Kingfisher Hide
2 Mute Swans, 2 Shoveler, 16 Gadwall, 2 Wigeon, Little Grebe, Cetti's Warbler
Top New Piece
2 Wigeon, 6 Pintail, 212 Teal, 178 Lapwing, 3 Ruff, 10 Starling, 2 Pied Wagtails
Thursday 22 October
South Finger Extension
20 Gadwall, 4 Shoveler, 6 Mallard, 2 Wigeon, Little Grebe and a Cetti's Warbler
Bottom New Piece
53 Lapwing, 14 Ruff and 23 Starling
Top New Piece
2 Cetti's Warbler, Pied Wagtail, 145 Teal, Shoveler, 2 Ruff, 109 Lapwing and a Marsh Harrier
Middle Point/Dumbles
A Merlin was seen chasing a Skylark over the Dumbles, 2 Peregrine, Marsh Harrier, 12 Russian White-fronted Geese, 9 Greenfinch, 6 Crane, 293 Shelduck, Ruff and 60 Golden Plover
Tack Piece
7 Teal and a Great Egret
Tack Piece
Redshank, Great Egret, c400 Teal, 320 Wigeon, 15 Shoveler, 5 Pintail, 50 Linnet and 2 Cranes
Bottom New Piece
17 Russian White-fronted Geese (two broods- three and five) with Canada and Greylag Geese. A helicopter has gone through low and flushed the birds on the reserve, the geese may have moved.
Wednesday 21 October
South Lake
2 Great Egret, 110 Black-tailed Godwit, 6 Pochard, 10 Tufted Duck and 12 Pintail
Tack Piece
127 Teal, 16 Shoveler, 123 Wigeon, 4 Pintail, 22 Mallard, 7 Gadwall, c100 Canada Geese, 10 Lapwing, 2 Redshank and a Marsh Harrier
Decoy
9 Tufted Duck, 19 Gadwall, Shoveler
Middle Point
62 Shelduck, 150 Teal, 3 Grey Heron, 2 Great Egret, 4 Great Black-backed Gull, 376 Dunlin, 1 Little Stint,
8 Grey plover, 443 Golden Plover, 25 Curlew + c100 small wader flock towards Saul Warth
Dumbles
c150 Barnacle Geese, Ross’s Goose, 40 Starling
Tuesday 20 October
Top New Piece
Work party here all day.
Probably five Russian White-fronted Geese flew out this morning with other geese.
An adult Greater Scaup on the fleet just south of Zeiss Hide all morning and early afternoon regardless of the work party. Also a Cattle Egret following the tractor and cattle. Still present at 1700hrs.
Middle Point
Nine Grey Plover, 2 Wigeon, 30 Teal on the channel and mudflats.
Tack Piece
Flock of Wigeon, Teal, Shoveler and Mallard. 4 Goldcrest along the pathway scrub.
Estuary Tower
Chiffchaff, Blackbird and Song Thrush
Monday 19 October
Willow Hide 'holes in the wall'
A Jack Snipe showing very well along the muddy edge of the ditch (*ahem* where the reserve team cut vegetation to attract this species).
South Lake
Two Russian White-fronted Geese flew over calling toward Tack Piece. Eleven Cormorants, 90 Tufted Duck, 3 Little Grebe, 140 Black-tailed Godwit. Also Common, Herring and Black-headed Gulls.
General
1000s of Redwing pouring through N/NE the reserve all day, LOOK UP!
Rushy Hide/Peng Observatory
Three Ruff, Great Egret, 12 Snipe, juv Spotted Redshank, 3 Black-tailed Godwit, Little Grebe, 121 Teal, 3 Pintail
Estuary Tower
56 Skylark and a Golden Plover on the Dumbles, Fieldfare over, 7 Cranes on the Severn.
Middle Point
A flock of over 628 Golden Plover, 13 Grey Plover, 51 Dunlin, 2 Wigeon 255 Shelduck, 170 Teal.
Tack Piece
178 Wigeon, 7 Pintail, c20 Shoveler, 114 Teal + Canada and Greylag Geese on the field. Two Russian White-fronted Geese in the afternoon (picture from yesterday).
Top New Piece
Four Ruff, c35 Lapwing, 65 Teal.
