15-20 September 2007 Not a lot to report

15-20 September 2007 Nothing really to report, I have been in bed or on the sofa in a fevered sweat with tonsulittus for days and am only just picking up now as the penicillin kicks in. This is the second September in a row during peak migration time that I have been taken out!, granted that last year had more to do with an opposition defender who really did not want me to score but it is rotten luck, all those juvenile waders on the river and tales of Manx Shearwaters in the estuary. I have had a small lift with my first three Common Darters for the garden, sunning themselves on the fence on 19th and the House Martins and Swallows were still here yesterday at least.

7-14 September diary update WWT Slimbridge sightings

Adult Spotted Redshank from the Robbie Garnett Hide M.J.McGill

13 September 2007 Despite being the peak season for migration I think the clear nights and N/NW airflow is not helping us at the moment. Great weather though! I did a transect along some of the uncovered 100 Acre ditches and seawall scrape whilst a schoool group were conducting plant transects and noted 150 Migrant Hawker 3 Common Blue Damselflies and 40 Common Darter. Also in the 100 Acre/50 Acre a Little Egret, 2 Black-tailed Godwit, 5 Sedge Warbler, 4 Hobby and a juvenile Marsh Harrier that headed off to Saul Warth. In the morning 8 Wigeon were on the Tack Piece.

Mating Migrant Hawkers

12 September 2007 Very little birding possible as we were concreting the hides from 0900-1500 without stopping. I did note Southern Hawker x1, Banded Demoiselle x1 and plenty of Migrant Hawker and Common Darter. 6 Pintail were on the estuary off Middle Point.


11 September 2007 4 Whinchat were on the Top New Piece and 95 Tufted Duck on South Lake.


9 and 10 September 2007 See WWT website for detailed records.

Juvenile Red Knot near Middle Point

8 September 2007 Got a call from JSL to have a look at a gull on the estuary which showed the structure and characters of Baltic Gull see WWT website.

7 September 2007 Two Yellow Wagtail over my house in Whitminster.

WWT Slimbridge and local sightings 5 and 6 September 2007

6 September 2007 The four Sedge Warblers were still present in the Top New Piece along with an adult Whinchat, Yellow Wagtail, single Ruff and Greenshank flew over and three male Black-tailed Skimmer were on the wing.

5 September 2007 This well marked Sedge Warbler was in the company of three other standard looking Sedge Warblers, two Whinchats, 1 Yellow Wagtail, seven Pied Wagtail and two Reed Buntings this afternoon from the cab of our tractor whilst cutting hard rush and the back bank on the Top New Piece. I saw it through bins and then set up the scope and camera whilst turning the mower/tractor engine off where it remained for a while before dropping down into cover. I did not see the mantle, rump or tail but noted bubblegum pink legs. I radioed Dave and James and headed in to the centre as I had to go home, James and Neil Smart went out to search for it but only saw the three Sedge Warblers. They searched until 1930 hrs but did not relocate it. A thorough search will be made tommorow to see if we can get more views. A Brown Hawker, 40 Migrant Hawker, 10 Common Darter and two Blue-tailed Damselfly were also present.

On the morning reserve rounds to the 100 Acre I noted 3 Sedge Warbler, 1 Common Sandpiper, 5 Greenshank, 3 Ruff, 2 Pochard, 5 Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Kingfisher, 3 Little Egret, 5 Grey Heron, 1 Hobby and a 2 Kestrel. At the Tin Shed I saw a Lesser Whitethroat, 7 Blackcap, 2 Chiffchaff and a Reed Warbler. I also saw (26) 13 juvenile and 13 adult Little Grebe around the pools and flashes. A further 7 were on the South Lake/Top New Piece/Long Ground making it a reserve record count of 33.

Gloucestershire sightings 31 August to 2 September 2007

Spotted Redshank on the Tack Piece scrape, WWT Slimbridge, 2 September 2007 Juvenile Curlew Sandpiper on the Dumbles, WWT Slimbridge, 2 September 2007

2 September 2007 Another great day with a variety of birds at WWT Slimbridge, we logged 14 species of wader on the walk this morning and the safari's were also productive. See the WWT website for a full list of todays sightings, click on the link. www.wwt.org.uk/news/213/sightings.html.

1 September 2007 No birding as I was busy on a home fencing project which allowed me to add Grey Wagtail, 1 over E, Speckled Wood and Smooth Newt to the garden list. A flock of 5 Yellow Wagtail also went over South. A pair of mating Migrant Hawker were of note.

31 August 2007 No birding today but Little Owl calling during the day near the garden.