WWT Slimbridge sightings 13 May 2007

Arctic Skua dark phase North upriver at 0749

Downed and drowned migrant hirundines having a sort out, Swallow and Sand Martin

13 May 2007 The heavy, sometimes torrential rain made birding very difficult today. Pick of the birds for me was the dark phase Arctic Skua that went upriver and inland at 0749. Other birds noted today included 3 or 4 drake Garganey, 5:3 Shoveler, pair of Teal, a female Pintail, 350 Dunlin, 6 Sanderling, 20 Ringed Plover, 2 Bar-tailed Godwit, 1 Grey Plover, 4 Whimbrel, 13 Curlew, imm Peregrine and Great Skua on the estuary, territorial Yellow Wagtail pairs on the 100 Acre and Middle Point, large numbers of hirundines and Swift, reeling Grasshopper Warbler at Middle Point (showing/singing well at 0620 and 0820 at least). 13 pairs of Black-headed Gull are on eggs, a pair of Common Tern are also now territorial. The South Lake had 5 Black-tailed Godwit, a Little-ringed Plover was on the Holden Tower scrape and the small waders including the Sanderling were again using the Bottom New Piece at times.