Tuesday, April 10, 2007

WWT Slimbridge and local sightings 10 and 11 April 2007

11 April 2007 At least nine Brown Hare seen today with 7 actually boxing at 0800 and still on the safari at 1100. I forgot to mention the female Merlin that perched in the ash tree above the 100 Acre viewing platform yesterday.

Migration has finally got underway again with a Little-ringed Plover and Common Sandpiper on the Top New Piece, 5 Black-t-Godwits on the South Lake, 5 Wheatear, 7 Willow Warbler, 8 Blackcap, 20+ Chiffchaff, 1 Yellow Wagtail north over the 50 Acre, 3 Swallow through (two on territory in the village) and the 100 Acre had a White Wagtail, the Temminck's Stint, 4 Little Stint, 6 Dunlin, breeding plumage Spotted Redshank 1 Ringed Plover (all from WWT viewing platform) and Sedge Warbler singing. At least 3 Cetti's Warbler were in song here with one a the South Finger also. The pair of Greater Scaup were on the Top New Piece. M.J.McGill.

The Marbled Duck was again reported from Frampton on Severn.

10 April 2007 I began the day at 0700 with a Brown Hare safari which for the second day running was highly succesful with 7 animals seen very well and boxing behaviour in evidence. We saw 5 yesterday on the 1100 safari. Places are available for the 0700 on Thursday 12 April, contact Rebecca Law at WWT Slimbridge for details click on the link below....

http://www.wwt.org.uk/visit/slimbridge/event.asp?EventID=2008 .

Todays birds showed a little more promise...1 Green Sandpiper, 3 Black-tailed Godwit, 4 Little Stint, 1 Spotted Redshank, 5 Snipe and 10 Dunlin were seen on the scrapes and 100 Acre marsh. 60 Black-headed Gull dropped into the 100 Acre at 1330 which added to the 36 residents. A first-winter/summer Mediterranean Gull was also present. 2 male and 1 female Wheatear were on the Dumbles/Middle Point, 4 House Martins were over the Rushy (two yesterday) and I saw 2 male Orange Tip butterflies today at the extreme south and north ends of the reserve. I had a Holly Blue in my Whitminster garden today, a garden tick for the new house.

No sign of the Roe Deer that I saw yesterday but Dave P saw it at the S Finger on 6 April and JSL saw it over a week ago in the same place. The river was again very quiet.

The Marbled Duck was again on the marshes viewable from the canal towpath.