Slimbridge WWT February 2011 summary

Very many thanks to warden Martin McGill for sending us his monthly summary of bird highlights at Slimbridge.

Wildfowl, waders and associated species:

Mute Swan: 199 birds.

Bewick’s Swan: 337 birds, some departure and 150 by 27th. 

European White-fronted Goose: 430- 480 all month, 

Greylag Goose: 309 birds down to  c219 by 20th. The 4 large estuary based birds remained to  27^th at least.

Canada Goose: 300 birds down to 83 by 20th. 

Barnacle Goose: 150 birds, the flock started to visit Frampton Pools late in the month.

Shelduck: 484 birds on 20th. 

Mandarin Duck: 1 bird. 

Wigeon: 4,000 birds down to 981 on 20^th and 650 by 27th. 

Gadwall: 61 birds. 

Teal: a rapid drop to 519 birds on 7^th  and down to 322 on 20th.

Mallard: 594 birds on 20th. 

Pintail: 230 birds. 

Shoveler: a small increase in numbers to 65 birds with onset of spring passage. 

Pochard: 600 birds down to 379 by 20th.

Tufted Duck: dispersal locally, 700 birds down to 351 by 20th.

Moorhen:  212 birds. 

Coot: 267 birds on 7^th and 271 on 20th.

Water Rail: a few birds noted.

Little Grebe:  2 birds. 

Great Crested Grebe: territorial birds at South Lake and 100 Acre.

Cormorant: 15 birds included 3-4 birds of the race sinensis.

Grey Heron:  2 birds.

Little Egret: 1 bird.

Oystercatcher: 17 birds. 

Ringed Plover: 1 bird seen 6^th and 20^th. 

Golden Plover:  1,000 birds on 11^th, 638 on 24th,.

Lapwing: 1,161 birds on 20^th, displaying by the end of the month but not on territories. 

Knot: 1 bird on 21^st.

Dunlin: 2,000 birds on 5^th, numbers dropped rapidly to c300 by the end of the month, 

Ruff: 13 birds. 

Snipe: only small numbers noted. 

Curlew: 180 birds. 

Black-tailed Godwit: 3 birds increasing to 5 until 20 migrant birds arrived on 20th.

Bar-tailed Godwit: 1st bird of the year on 22^nd with probably the same bird on South Lake 24^th, 

Redshank: 42 birds. 

Great Black-backed Gull: 26 birds.

Raptors:

Sparrowhawk:  a female bird displaying and noted daily. 

Peregrine: 1 bird.

Small birds:

Grey Wagtail: 1 bird.

Cetti’s Warbler: 3 birds.

Chaffinch: 60 birds. 

Greenfinch: 5 birds.

Siskin: 35 birds.

Linnet: 20 birds.

Yellowhammer: 1 bird on 16th.

Reed Bunting:  all noted on the sacrificial crop with 9 birds singing by late month.

Scarcer birds on site: 

Pink-footed Goose: a first winter bird all month.

Lesser Scaup:  the wintering female all month.

Greater Scaup: the two first winter males all month.

Smew: a female bird on 7th.

Bittern: at least 1 bird present. 

Marsh Harrier: a female bird seen intermittently to 9th.

Merlin: seen on a few dates, both male and female birds. 

Mediterranean Gull: 5 adult birds on 24^th, singles on 26^th and 27^th. 

Glaucous Gull: 1^st/2^nd winter bird on 21st.

Short-eared Owl: 1 bird on 9^th. 

Water Pipit: 1 bird seen on many dates but 3 birds on 21st. 

Brambling: seen in small numbers on the feeders.

Lapland Bunting:  1 bird on 16^th.