26 February 2010 Good to be birding with Jubs locally again, we logged 4 Little Egret and a pair of G.C Grebe at Saul Ponds, plus 160+ Barnacle Geese at the the Court lake Frampton on Severn, c30 Pochard, 80 Tufted Duck and a sinensis Cormorant.
My month in images…
Green-winged Teal readying for a flap..Top New Piece, WWT, Slimbridge, MJM
Pink-footed Goose, South Lake, WWT, Slimbridge, MJM
Merlin on the Dumbles both sexes of this falcon are being seen more regularly from the Holden Tower in the last week.
Whooper Swan on the Tack Piece, seen on three days at WWT this year, where does it go?
The Whoop, left bird with Bewick’s Swans.
A very tame family of Bewick’s Swans are seen daily among the pumps, pipes and mud of the Big Pen development which when finished should see the return of large numbers of Tufted Duck to the pond, we can see them from the office which is very nice indeed.
From the office….
7-25 February 2010 All birding for me has been at work around WWT but great to see lots of breeding activity and some birds on the move over the last week. I have had some luck in locating male Green-winged Teal at WWT which was still present on the Top New Piece yesterday. Other news to pass on as Gloster Birder is down whilst Mike is away in C.Rica is of a female Hen Harrier WWT, Holden Tower 25th plus Pink-footed Goose, Merlin and the GWTeal. The Whooper Swan was on the Rushy on 23rd. I hope to add some images from this period over the weekend. A Great Spotted Woodpecker in the garden yesterday and 4 Yellowhammer in the field behind were notable for me.
5-6 February 2010 No birding other than from the house windows.
4 February 2010 No sign of the Ring-necked Duck today.
3 February 2010 We had a swan/duck catch at WWT Slimbridge on the Rushy where c 300 birds were trapped and processed. It was good to ring Pochard and Tufted Duck again and 17 Bewick’s Swans were also ringed.
2 February 2010 At work at WWT Slimbridge female Goldeneyes on South Lake and the Rushy was of note, the Ring-necked Duck made a very nostalgic visit to the Rushy 55 years after the first for Europe was found there by Lady Scott. The Ruddy Duck was still on South Lake too.
Female Ring-necked Duck, WWT, Slimbridge, South Lake 1 February 2010 MJM
1 February 2010 The female Ring-necked Duck showed well from the South Lake Obs along with a Ruddy Duck. see below…
The tide on the Severn flooded over the Dumbles breaking the ice and terrifying the geese in particular. In full flood virtually no grass was left and the sight of Canada Geese running ahead of the icy flood, Dunlin riding mini ice floes at 16mph with the tide, panicking White-fronts and 3200 Wigeon, all in bright sunshine and calm conditions was very memorable. The cracking ice was very easily heard from the Holden Tower.
Anserbirding 
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