WWT Slimbridge sightings 1 and 2 August 2006

Fox cub at the Holden Tower 2 August 2006 M.J.McGill.

From the Holden Tower the Fox family (three cubs) has been very active. The vixen? had brought a Moorhen to the three full grown cubs at 0800. The individual pictured was playing with a clod of earth and play-pouncing. Two members of the family were seen lying on the mounds of thistle/grass cuttings on the Dumbles.

The Top New Piece had 13 Green Sandpiper, 8 Snipe, 5+ Little-ringed Plover, 1 Redshank, 1 Dunlin and 30 Teal.

South Lake had 1 Common Sandpiper, 35+ Redshank, 150+ Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Spotted Redshank, 2 Ruff, 2 Green Sandpiper, 3 Dunlin, 1 Greater Scaup and up to 9 Common Tern.


The Tack Piece had a Common Sandpiper and 1 Green Sandpiper, a juvenile Lesser Whitethroat and the regular showy, photogenic family of Reed Warblers. On the river the juvenile Avocet was still near Middle Point hide, juvenile Greenshank, three Sanderling joined 20 Dunlin. On the 1400 Safari the birds plus a Clouded Yellow, 2 Grass Snake and more fresh signs of Otter were noted. A Migrant Hawker was around the South Finger viewing screen.

At Frampton Townfield Lake 11 Common Sandpiper, 8 Common Tern and 2 Swift were seen.

1 August 2006 A similar line up of species to today but a partially breeding plumaged Grey Plover was on the river from Holden Tower, the Avocet from Middle Point and 2 Common Sandpiper on the Tack Piece and 1 on South Lake. Six Little-ringed Plover were on the Top New Piece. A Swift flew over Whitminster.