WWT Slimbridge sightings 2 April 2006

2 April 2006 A calm start to the morning soon turned into quite a gale. A Siskin flew over the centre. I watched an adult female Peregrine as she was joined by an immature male and they pursued and dispatched a Woodpigeon, the final strike was in line with a rainbow providing a stunning backdrop to this action. Despite searching we could not locate the pair of Avocet that were on the 100 Acre yesterday and I saw with Neil on the river on Friday. A male White Wagtail was in the 100 Acre. While I was on the rounds with Neil we stopped along the sea-wall to watch the tide for a bit. At c1045 a Great Skua loomed into view across the river and almost immediately dropped out of the sky onto a Herring Gull. It grabbed its neck and tumbled to the water where a vicious final assualt took place eventually killing the bird, an awesome sight. This bird was initially seen by the Severnside birders at c1020 and was also seen off Oldbury. Nice for them to share the seabird spoils with Glos Severn seawatchers. It was still present at 1545. Later a Fulmar was found by James Lees as it floated and flew around the estuary basin (c1145 to 1500). A second summer Mediterranean Gull was also milling about with a first-winter Kittiwake seen also. A Great Crested Grebe was bobbing about in the surf. Unusually a party of five Little Grebe were on the Tack Piece scrape. Only six Black-tailed Godwit were seen on the Top New Piece with a single Little Egret. Before the tide c20 Ringed Plover and 37 Dunlin were feeding on the mudflats. Swallows, Sand Martins, Chiffchaff and Willow Warblers were around the scrapes/hedges.