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Coombe Hill (22 April 2011, contributed by Mike Smart)

This evening there were: 6 Greylags, 28 Canada Geese, 2 Egyptian Geese, 3 Shelducks, 4 Teal, 2 Gadwall, 2 Shoveler, 1 Little Egret, 2 Grey Herons, 7 Coot, one pair of Oystercatchers, 10 Lapwings (sitting females may have lost their eggs, since males were displaying very energetically), 4 Redshanks (two pairs, one mating), at least 16 Curlews coming in to roost, very excited, 2 Snipe at dusk; 1 Sanderling (unusual here); a Lesser Whitethroat singing along canal.

Tewkesbury (11 April 2011, contributed by Mike Smart)

A report of a Nightingale singing at 2.25am this morning at Priors Park Reserve Tewkesbury (along the Swilgate) at the same place as one was heard later in April last year.

Sandhurst Brawn (10 April 2011, contributed by Mike Smart)

In the aftrenoon, I heard a Mallard duck making low encouraging quacking noises at the base of a pollarded willow. It had been pollarded fairly recently and was perhaps eight feet high, with a few new shoots poking up. One after another about half a dozen tiny ducklings jumped/fell/glided to the ground from the bole of the tree. Never seen this before! Maybe that’s why you don’t find so many nests of Mallard (and other ducks?) on the ground?

Coombe Hill (9 April 2011, contributed by Les Brown, Tim Cash, Mike Smart and John Wiltshire.)

More signs of early arrival of summer visitors, and of wader passage through the Severn Vale.

Wader passage: two Little Ringed Plovers, calling as though they had just arrived and were likely to move on; a Greenshank dropped in; a Green Sandpiper made a very brief appearance.

Summer visitors: at least 10 singing Chiffchaffs, 6 Blackcaps and 4 Willow Warblers; new arrivals included at least three singing Whitethroats, at least three singing Sedge Warblers, at least five singing Redstarts (more to the Wainlodes end of the canal).

Among the residents: three pairs of Canada Geese (one female still sitting in very exposed site); about 11 Greylags; the usual pair of Egyptian Geese; about three pairs of Shelducks; the pair of Oystercatchers; about five pairs of Lapwings on the reserve (two females sitting) another two pairs on arable outside the reserve; about four Curlew; two Redshank, some trilling, two or three Snipe.

Plus late winter visitors: eight Wigeon, 25 Teal.

Severn Hams (8 April 2011, contributed by Mike Smart)

A Whitethroat singing along the Chelt by Priors Norton this morning. But, much more surprising, what seemed to be to be a very early Grasshopper Warbler at Ashleworth at dusk this evening. Ashleworth also had 2 Wigeon, 24 Teal, a male Shoveler and a male Pintail. Two Curlew came in to roost, but no sign of colour rings.

Cleeve Hill (7 April 2011, contributed by Andy Jayne)

On Cleeve Hill this morning three male Ring Ouzels, a singing male Redstart, two Wheatears and a Swallow in the hill fort area (SO985254) and 13 Golden Plovers over to the NW.

Sudmeadow area (6 April 2011, contributed by Gordon Avery)

A Red Kite over GLS/SUD heading NW this afternoon at approx. 2.56pm.

Coombe Hill (26 March 2011, contributed by Les Brown, Tim Cash and Mike Smart)

The infighting between the Farmyard Goose and the male Canada has been resolved…. in favour of the Canada. A battle royal was observed from the Grundon Hide on Thursday, when the Canada nearly drowned the Farmyard Goose. This morning the Farmyard Goose was standing rather forlornly on its own, and there were two, perhaps three, pairs of Canadas on their own. Also two pairs of Greylags.

About 14 Lapwings, displaying nicely; two Redshank, trilling; about four Curlews bubbling; a pair of Oystercatchers; a single Ruff; a single Little Ringed Plover flew over, calling, and continued on to the north without stopping. A Peregrine cruised up and down, looking interested.

The same colour-ringed Curlew, seen at Coombe Hill on Tuesday and Wednesday, was seen roosting at Ashleworth Ham on the evening of Friday 25 March, so perhaps it is not a passing migrant after all, but one of the local breeding birds?