Walmore (24 January 2011, contributed by Mike Smart)
The Severn has dropped sharply in the last few days allowing water to flow off the flooded meadows. Nearly all the water has gone from Walmore and there were no swans present at all. I wonder where the Whooper Swans have gone? 150 Teal, seven Snipe, two Ravens, 100 Fieldfares in meadows.
Severn Hams (23 January 2011, contributed by Mike Smart et al)
Coombe Hill still covered by extensive flooding yesterday, largely though not completely iced over; Grundon Hide barely accessible though good views possible from canal bank. Unusually large concentrations of ducks, particularly Teal, on the area of water kept open: estimates (conservative) of 2500 Wigeon, 2000 Teal, 200 Pintail, 100 Mallard, 10 Shoveler, 15 Gadwall all packed into small area. 200 Greylags, 400 Canadas. No sign of Bewick’s or Whoopers, either at Coombe Hill or Cobney Meadows at Wainlodes end. (Les Brown, Mike Smart, John Wiltshire and Tim Cash)
At Wainlodes, on the Severn a male and two red head Goosanders. (MS)
At Ashleworth too, good numbers of ducks and geese on open water between ice: 60 Pintail, 200 Wigeon, 200 Canadas. (MS)
Walmore Common (21 January 2011, contributed by Mike Smart)
Today at Walmore, the flooding was fairly extensive, but mainly iced over. There were eighteen swans present: nine Mute (six white and three cygnets); three Whoopers (two adults and a cygnet, clearly the birds that were at Minsterworth until ten days ago and not there today); and six Bewick’s (five adults and one cygnet). None of them were ringed. Interestingly, they were all on the brightest green bit of grass, alongside the main cross (north/south) ditch. The landowner, Mr Hyslop, says that this is the freshest grass around; it’s an area of spoil from ditch-cleaning which he reseeded last autumn with a rye grass mixture, to prevent docks and other weeds springing up.
Walmore and Awre (21 January 2011, contributed by Andy Jayne)
At Awre this afternoon two Golden Plover,250+ Lapwing, 12 Ruff, a Snipe and 65 Curlew feeding on fields and two Rock Pipits on the foreshore. Just two adult Bewick’s Swans at Walmore Common at 1.30pm.
Coombe Hill (18 January 2011, contributed by Gordon Avery, Les Brown and Mike Smart)
Coombe Hill was at its absolute best today; the Severn has dropped a little, but there is still light flooding on the meadows and the new boardwalk has come into its own; without it, the Grundon Hide could not be reached. Large numbers of water birds on the shallow floodwater: about 2,500 Wigeon, 400 Teal, 76 Pintail, 14 Shoveler, 1 Gadwall; there has been an increase in ducks since the weekend perhaps the 1,000 additional Wigeon have come from Slimbridge? About 425 Canada Geese, 170 Greylag Geese, 1 adult Pink-footed Goose, 2 adult European Whitefronts (flew in calling, probably birds from Slimbridge). 13 Bewick’s Swans, the first here this winter (eight adults and five cygnets). No sign of Whoopers at Leigh Meadows or Minsterworth. 460 Lapwings, 3 Dunlin, 2 Curlews, the latter unusual at this date: are they cold weather migrants from the north or early arriving breeding birds?
Walmore Common (16 January 2011, contributed by Andy Jayne)
The WEBS count at Walmore Common this morning coincided with the first floods of the winter here – two Mute Swans, 19 Canada Geese, five Shelduck, 62 Wigeon, 11 Gadwall, 305 Teal, 125 Mallard, eight Pintail, one Shoveler, three Buzzards, an adult male Peregrine and five Snipe.
Severn Hams (15 January 2011, contributed by Mike Smart et al)
The Severn continues to rise and was at 10.10m at Haw Bridge today (it breaks its banks at about 10.75). As a result, the smaller streams could not discharge into the Severn and are back-flooding the meadows. The River Chelt is very high at Wainlodes and already breaking its banks, flooding the Leigh Meadows. The Deerhurst Parish Drain is also high and back-flooding Coombe Hill and Cobney Meadows, while the main drain running through Ashleworth is also very high. This is the first time there has been any water on the meadows this winter, an unusually late date for a first winter flood, but the conditions have clearly attracted good numbers of ducks, notably Wigeon and the first decent showing of Pintail. There is a striking absence of Snipe, which must have moved out during the cold weather in December. The extension to the boardwalk at Coombe Hill will be coming in to its own soon.
WeBS count figures:
Coombe Hill (David Anderson/ Les Brown) : 180 Greylags, 1 Pinkfoot, 1 Barhead, 390 Canadas, 2 Shelduck, 1226 Wigeon, 4 Gadwall, 139 Teal, 123 Mallard, 88 Pintail, 18 Shoveler, 4 Tufted, 1 Grey Heron, 1 Little Grebe, 1 Peregrine, 287 Lapwings, 7 Dunlin, 1 Curlew.
Ashleworth Ham (Mike Smart): 5 Mute Swans, 5 Canada Geese, 690 Wigeon, 12 Gadwall, 300 Teal, 110 Mallard, 80 Pintail, 7 Shoveler, 3 Tufted Duck, 1 Little grebe, 1 Grey Heron, 4 Lapwings, 2 Ravens.
Leigh/Cobney Meadows (Mike Smart): 5 Mute Swans, 17 Mallard, 32 Lapwings, 200 Black-headed Gulls feeding round edge of rising flood.
Minsterworth Ham: no sign of the three Whoopers on the bright green field, either yesterday or today.
CWP(W) (11 January 2011, contributed by Andy Jayne)
Two Smew (one adult male), 43 Shoveler and a Weasel at pit 17, three Red-crested Pochard at pit 44, a male Mandarin at pit 16, a Little Egret and Barn Owl in the Shorncote area and totals of 41 Goldeneye and 15 Goosanders at various pits.
Severn Hams (8 January 2011, contributed by Mike Smart and Les Brown)
Coombe Hill is now back to top form today, a real wildlife spectacle: water is rising in the Long Pool as the Parish Drain back-floods and the scrapes are now full. Excellent views from Grundon Hide. An unusual situation this winter, as by now there would normally have been a flood and the grass would have been sodden and unpalatable; but his autumn has been very dry with no flooding and there is plenty of short fresh unflooded grass, so the Wigeon are having a field day, the more so as they must be pretty hungry after the freeze-up in November/December. About 1300 Wigeon moving off the scrapes to graze on nearby grassland, with just over 300 Teal keeping them company, plus five Pintail and a couple of male Shelducks, not to mention about 190 Lapwings. Good numbers of geese – about 240 Canada Geese and 130 Greylags (at least eight with metal rings and one with a darvic ring already read earlier this winter. A single immature Whitefront with the Greylags, clearly ill at ease and being chased off by the Greylags, so probably a wild bird. About 7 Gadwall and 5 Shoveler on the Long Pool. Two Roe Deer on the meadows, taking refuge in the withy bed.
At Ashleworth too, the water is still rising: about 88 Teal, 17 Gadwall, six Pintail, 80 Wigeon.
At Minsterworth, the three Whoopers were still feeding in the very green field by the A48 with three Mutes.
Severn Hams (7 January 2011, contributed by Mike Smart)
The River Severn rising gently, so local streams are beginning to back flood. At Minsterworth (Upper Moorcroft Farm) there were three Whoopers (two adults and a cygnet) on the same very green field, today joined by nine Mute Swans (five adults, four cygnets), all grazing. Walmore Common was largely dry: no Bewick’s, one Mute Swan. Ashleworth Ham: water is flowing on to the reserve at last after a very dry autumn: 40 Wigeon, 10 Gadwall at least 40 Teal. At Leigh Meadows there was no flooding and no swans.