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Severn Hams, Tidenham Chase (14 October 2011, contributed by Mike Smart and Les Brown)

The WeBS count was carried out today in still extremely dry conditions.

At Coombe Hill, both scrapes completely dry still and Snipe Pool almost dry; just a little water left at west end of Long Pool; rather little water even in the canal itself. 22 Mallard, 14 Teal, 1 Wigeon, 1 Grey Heron; nice flock of 75 Fieldfares; 3 Redwings.

Ashleworth Ham: the pools on the GWT reserve are almost completely dry: 1 Snipe, 1 Buzzard.

Chelt and Leigh Meadows also very dry: 2 Mute Swans, 2 Mallard, 1 Cormorant, 1 Grey Heron.

Some of the missing birds had taken refuge on the Severn above Haw Bridge, where there were: 67 Canada Geese, 1 Barnacle Goose, the White Farmyard Goose that interbred with a Canada at Coombe Hill in summer, and their one hybrid offspring, 89 Mallard.

The Park and Poor’s Allotment, Tidenham Chase (14 October 2011, contributed by Ian Ralphs)

This proved to be an excellent autumn morning with light easterly winds and fine sunny weather which brought 250 Redwing, 3 Fieldfare, 1 Brambling, 25 Crossbill, 24 Lesser Redpoll, 12 Siskin, 2 Reed Bunting, 5 Stonechat and a Peregrine Falcon. Plus four species of Dragonfly – Four-spotted Chaser, Migrant Hawker, Common Darter and Ruddy Darter and two Silver-Y moths.

Coombe Hill et al (17 September 2011, contributed by Les Brown and Mike Smart)

Still extremely dry everywhere, with little open water and ditches still dry. It will take a great deal of rain in the coming months to restore normal conditions in the Severn Hams.

Coombe Hill: the scrapes still bone dry with just a little water still in Long Pool: one Grey Heron, 20 Mallard along the canal, about 50 Swallows and 10 Meadow Pipits over to south west, one Yellow Wagtail with the cattle, one Whinchat, two Wheatears.

Ashleworth Ham: scrapes nearly dry: 1 Buzzard.

Leigh Meadows: no surface water 10 Swallows and 2 House Martins over to south west.

Haw Bridge; a flock of 74 Canada Geese and one Barnacle Goose, plus the Farmyard Goose and its hybrid offspring, all on Severn bank above Haw Bridge.

The Dumbles (13 September 2011, contributed by Mike Smart)

Winds on the estuary were much lighter today than yesterday, but even so, a Fulmar went upriver past the Dumbles at WWT, flying strongly, at 10.30 a.m. just after high tide (8.5 metres at 09.24).

There was a good selection of small waders at a high tide roost on the grass: total of about 500 small waders, majority Dunlin but with at least 50 Ringed Plovers, 65 Knot, at least four Curlew Sandpipers (one adult and three immatures), one Sanderling, four Bar-tailed Godwits. About 100 Curlews, but no colour-ringed birds found.

Lydney Harbour (12 September 2011, contributed by Mike Smart and Lewis Thomson)

With reports of good numbers of seabirds in the estuary following the strong winds in the last week and with strong winds forecast for this morning, it seemed a good idea to take a look for more seabirds this morning. The wind was present, as predicted, and was behind a good high tide at 08.50. At 07.20, a Great Skua was found on the water when it got up and flew downriver; another one passed at close range at 07.46, also going downriver, flying powerfully and not in the least bothered by the headwind. Between 08.20 and 08.45, four Fulmars passed, going upriver with the strong wind behind them, soaring in high arcs then swooping down low, and not appearing in the least incommoded by the extreme conditions. Otherwise, little to report, apart from a steady stream of Black-headed Gulls going downriver and about 30 Swallows going downriver against the wind.

Along the rocks bordering the river at Lydney New Grounds, at least ten Wheatears and half a dozen Meadow Pipits.

Guscar Rocks (10 September 2011, contributed by Mike Smart)

On the high tide of 7.3 metres at 07.26 – a roost of 600 Curlews (mainly one-legged, only three rings read) joined briefly by an immature Sabine’s Gull at 08.05. Also 1 Bar-tailed Godwit, 1 Knot. 1 Turnstone, 8 Dunlin, 8 Ringed Plover, 1 Redshank, 1 Hobby, 1 Wheatear and 5 + Ravens.

Guscar and Ayleburton (21 August 2011, contributed by Mike Smart)

Another attempt to read colour-ringed Curlews at high tide (so far in August 54 of the 66 birds colour-ringed at Wibdon Warth last September have been seen, 52 at Guscar, two at Slimbridge); not too successful because of heat haze, only two seen. 350+ Curlews, 2 immature Bar-tailed godwits, three immature Knot, 1 Oystercatcher, 1 adult Peregrine, 2 Yellow Wagtails, 4 Wheatears.

Guscar Rocks (2 August 2011, contributed by Mike Smart)

Nice big tide of 8.9 metres at 10h38 covered all mudflats and forced waders to roost on shoreline. Total of at least 528 Curlews, at least four of them carrying colour rings from the catch at Wibdon Warth last September. Flock of 12 Whimbrels flew downriver at 08h00, clearly passing migrants not interested in joining any high tide Curlew roosts. A Knot and a Bar-tailed Godwit, both still in adult summer plumage, joined the Curlews. A lone Ringed Plover, 2 Common Sandpipers. Eight immature Shelducks, family party of eight Yellow Wagtails.

Coombe Hill (27 July 2011, contributed by Mike Smart and Les Brown)

Scrapes now totally dry; still some water in the Long Pool but it’s dropping fast – will it last until the end of the summer?? Even the canal is almost dry. All the hay now cut.

The family of Canada plus the White Farmhouse Goose and their three young still grazing round the scrapes. The pair of Egyptian Geese still there too. Three Hares and a fox cub.

On the Long Pool, one adult Redshank plus four flying juveniles, so all four eggs produced young, a minor record! Still at least five young Lapwings, probably not quite fledged, with four anxious adults. A single Green Sandpiper. Couple of Water Rails squealing in the background. Passerines few and far between.

Coombe Hill and Ashleworth (28 June 2011, contributed by Mike Smart and Les Brown)

The scrapes in front of the Grundon Hide are now both almost dry. The southern scrape is completely dry, and there are just two puddles in the northern scrape, which will be dry very soon. However, there is still plenty of water in the Long Pool, and most of the birds seem to be going there. From the Grundon Hide, two broods of Lapwings, each of three chicks are still round the edge; two Hobbies landed alongside them early on, but flew off empty-footed. Two Egyptian Geese and a Little Egret. A Redshank still appeared to have chicks in the long grass, as did at least one pair of Curlew. On the Long Pool, two more broods of Lapwings, three Green Sandpiper, an immature Little Ringed Plover which must have flown in from outside, and a Carrion Crow eating the fourth Mute Swan cygnet (the other three were safe with Mum and Dad), and a Teal in eclipse. On the way back a brownish looking Cuckoo (Graham smith later saw and photographed a young Cuckoo being fed by a …. Male Reed Bunting.

At Ashleworth, a Yellow Wagtail with a nest in a hayfield, fortunately one in higher Level stewardship which won’t be cut for weeks yet.