It was a cold and wet start to the day at Slimbridge and the hides between the Peng observatory and the estuary tower were all fairly quiet, so we met in the estuary tower where we could watch the progress of the tidal surge that followed in the wake of the Severn Bore.
The Dumbles were quickly flooded and many birds were pushed onto the Tack Piece in front of the hides, including around 200 Black-tailed Godwits with a smaller number of Dunlin and Curlew. There were several murmuration’s when a Marsh Harrier started hunting over the Tack Piece, which is always a spectacular site to see.
The spring migration is well underway now and a large flock of Avocets has arrived and has settled around the Hogarth hide, where they have started pairing up and mating. Last year was a successful breeding season for Avocets at Slimbridge, where fences around the reserve means they are more protected from predation.
There were still a few Bewick and Whooper around the reserve, but most have now left along with many other over wintering birds.
I would also like to thank Mark Wardle on behalf of the group, for the Introduction he gave us to Slimbridge, which included conservation work and advice on what to see and where. Mark is a Nature Group member as well as a WWT Volunteer.
Images by Greg Lovett, David O'Neill and Peter Ward
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