Image- Stonechat, Middle Point- MJM
Upcoming Events
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 intend to work on the Tack Piece this coming week*
Work begins on Monday 28 September to Thursday 1 October.
We will be cutting vegetation to open up the areas for the winter. Starts at Martin Smith Hide, then Robbie Garnett and Stephen Kirk Hides, also Knott and Willow Hides.
Sunday 4 October
Top New Piece
At least one juvenile Pectoral Sandpiper again today from midday to 4.45pm at least, a Knot and 20 Ruff, 7 Wigeon.
Dense fog hampered the hide round, a catch up of sightings made later in the day follow.
Middle Point
c30 Curlew, 240+ Avocet, 28 Golden Plover, 100+ small waders in the distance
South Lake
Knot, 100 Black-tailed Godwit, 16 Cormorant, Teal and Shoveler.
Tack Piece
Juvenile Wood Sandpiper at far NE end with 3 Snipe, 9 Ruff, 2 Green Sandpiper, c70 Teal and 14 Wigeon, flock of c60 Linnet visiting to drink.
Friday 2 October
Tack Piece
Five Egyptian Geese, 7 Wigeon, 209 Teal
Rushy
5 Lapwing, 162 Black-Tailed Godwit, Spotted Redshank, Ruff, 2 Redshank, Great Egret, 2 Pintail, 5 Snipe, Little Grebe, 90 Teal, 3 Greenshank, 7 Spotted Redshank
Kingfisher Hide
Merlin, 3 Mute Swans, 5 Shoveler, 8 Gadwall, 2 Kestrels, Jay
South Lake
137 Black-Tailed Godwit, Ruff, Spotted Redshank, 272 Teal, 109 Shoveler, 3 Common Gull with 50c Black Head Gull, Little Grebe, Grey Heron, 15 Cormorants
Top New Piece
Pectoral Sandpiper, Little Grebe, Green Sandpiper, Great Egret, Buzzard, 88 Lapwing, 19 Ruff, 103 Teal, 1 Wigeon, Grey Heron, Water Rail calling, 236 Canada Geese and 1 Greylag, plus flock of Starlings having a bath
Bottom New Piece
16 Cattle Egret
Thursday 1 October
Car Park
3 Cetti’s Warbler, 2 Chiffchaff, Song Thrush and a Great Spotted Woodpecker.
Rushy
Great and Little Egret, Grey Heron, Kingfisher, 26 Gadwall, 14 Shoveler, 132 Teal, Pintail, 9 Ruff, 15 Lapwing, 36 Black-tailed Godwit, Spotted Redshank, 2 Redshank, 10 Snipe and a Marsh Harrier.
Tack Piece
237 Teal, 10 Wigeon and a couple of Snipe.
Dumbles/Middle Point
Two juvenile Pectoral Sandpipers on the saltmarsh, 76 Curlew, 198 Shelduck, 4 Little Egret, 14 Crane, 3 Grey Plover, 3 Ringed Plover, Redshank, 2 Stonechat, Wheatear.
Bottom New Piece
10 Cattle Egret with the Longhorns.
Top New Piece
A Cetti’s Warbler, 201 Teal, 7 Wigeon, 2 Shoveler, Tufted Duck, 2 Grey Heron, Skylark, Stonechat, 73 Lapwing, 15 Ruff, 5 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Snipe and a striking adult female Marsh Harrier.
South Lake
2cy Mediterranean Gull, Six Shoveler, a Little Grebe, 25 Gadwall and 4 Teal on the Duck Marsh. On the wader scrape from the Discovery Hide- 4 Ruff, 2 Knot, 2 Snipe, 42 Lapwing, 149 Black-tailed Godwit, 26 Shoveler, 7 Wigeon, 92 Teal, 4 Tufted Duck and a dozen Cormorant
Wednesday 30 September
Middle Point
100 Avocet, 18 Bar-tailed Godwit, 83 Ringed Plover, 748 Dunlin, 2 Little Stint, 7 Grey Plover, 15 Golden Plover and 9 Knot.
Dumbles
A Meadow Pipit, 20 Curlew, 19 Ruff both feeding on the seawall and c100 Lapwing.
Tack Piece
Wood Sandpiper and Green Sandpiper feeding down the channel.
Rushy Hide
Great Egret, 3 Spotted Redshank, 5 Redshank Green Sandpiper, 3 Snipe and a Pintail.
South Lake
Five Cattle egrets, 171 Black-tailed Godwit, Pintail, 5 Wigeon, 4 Ruff, 55 Shoveler, 95 Teal, 24 Lapwing, 2 Snipe.
Top New Piece
Three Curlew Sandpiper, 342 Teal , 45 Golden Plover, 14 Ruff, 5 Snipe, 5 Spotted Redshank, 2 knot, 2 Green Sandpiper, 250 Dunlin, Little Stint, 8 Wigeon, Pintail, Marsh Harrier, Cetti’s Warbler, Curlew, Black-tailed Godwit.
Bottom New Piece
Six Cattle Egrets
Tack Piece
Work party here again today, see above.
Tuesday 29 September
Tack Piece
Glossy Ibis from Martin Smith hide, flew off low NE at around 0830hrs, work part didn't arrive here until 1050hrs.
Estuary Tower
19 Cranes on Dumbles/Estuary, 2 Marsh Harriers. Fox, 20 Skylark, 22 Cattle Egret roosting on Long Ground Pool willow trees, flew off NE.
South Lake
12 Pochard plus Wigeon and Pintail on the North causeway among Gadwall, Mallard, Teal and Shoveler, on the scrape- 142 Black-tailed Godwit, Spotted Redshank, Ruff, 2 Knot, 2 Snipe, 10 Lapwing, Water Rail.
Bottom New Piece
15 Cattle Egret with the Longhorn herd.
Top New Piece
Four Little Stint (two juveniles, first winter and adult), Curlew Sandpiper, 6 Ringed Plover, Green Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, 9 Spotted Redshank, Little Grebe, calling Water Rail, 77 Lapwing, calling Cetti's Warbler, 22 Ruff, 407 min Dunlin, 3 Black-tailed Godwit, GBB Gull, also Pintail and Wigeon among the Teal.
Monday 28 September
South Lake
Wood Sandpiper again, in the fringing vegetation, 9 Cattle Egret, Spotted Redshank, 10 Ruff, 160 Black-tailed Godwit, 4 Snipe, 3 Pochard, flocks of Tufted Duck, Gadwall, Teal and Shoveler.
Top New Piece
Two Pectoral Sandpiper again from late morning to early afternoon at least, 4 Little Stint ( two juvenile including a colour-ringed bird), one Curlew Sandpiper, one Sanderling, c250 Dunlin, c30 Ringed Plover, c15 Ruff, c10 Spotted Redshank, 5 Golden Plover, 60 Lapwing, Black-tailed Godwit.
Estuary Tower
Sparrowhawk, two Marsh Harrier and three Peregrine hassling the waders on Top New Piece and Dumbles foreshore, 10 Cranes.
Tack Piece
70 Teal.
Rushy Hide/Peng Observatory
Spotted Redshank, 5 Redshank, 2 Green Sandpiper, 2 Ruff, 6 Snipe, 3 Greenshank, 10 Lapwing, 7 Black-tailed Godwit, 9 Pintail, Little Grebe, Great and Little Egret, 2 Cormorant.
Middle Point
Rock Pipit, 3 Meadow Pipit, Stonechat, 6 Cranes on the Dumbles, 5 on the Severn, 22 Curlew on the Dumbles, 23 Bar-tailed Godwit, 2 Knot, Pintail and 10 Wigeon.
