Thursday 20th July 2023

WWT Slimbridge     From Zeiss hide two SPOONBILLS, two Grey Herons, two Little Egrets, three Little Ringed Plovers, six Ruffs, two Green Sandpipers, c4 Garganeys and two Common Cranes. On South Lake an adult Mediterranean Gull, 25 Black-tailed Godwits, four Dunlins, three Green Sandpipers, four Ruffs and two Redshanks. (Jacob Jenkins/Ed Betteridge).  A Little Grebe from Zeiss hide at 3:15pm and a pair of Little Grebes in the Duck Decoy at 3:45pm. (Jemela Coventry). A SHORT-EARED OWL along the riverbank, a BITTERN along the paleochannel and two Marsh Harriers from the Wild Safaris today. (Slimbridge Sightings). A Ruddy Shelduck distantly from Estuary Tower. On the Rushy three Spotted Redshanks, four Green Sandpipers and a Common Sandpiper. On the Tack piece seven Green Sandpipers and a Little Ringed Plover. On the Dumbles a juvenile Marsh Harrier, a Peregrine, four Great White Egrets, eight Little Egrets and a Dunlin. (Ed Betteridge).

Maisemore     A Great White Egret on the pond at Maisemore Ham this morning. (Andy Jayne).

Forest of Dean    At least 20 screaming Swifts over Longhope today. (Angela Carswell).

Epney     Next to the Anchor Inn this morning, two Yellow Wagtails, 30+ Sand Martins and a Little Egret on the river bank. Also two Hummingbird Hawkmoths on the Buddleia next to the pub with 50+ Red Admirals. (Steve Pullen).

Frampton pools     This morning on the Sailing Lake the Yellow-legged Gull, eight Common Terns, two Grey Herons, two Great Crested Grebes 18 Swallows, five Greenfinches and eight Linnets. At Court Lake three Spotted Flycatchers, a Nuthatch family and three Cetti’s Warblers. (Steve Pullen).

Halmore     In the fields and woods this morning a family of Spotted Flycatchers, two Blackcaps, a Willow Warbler, several Chiffchaffs, a Goldcrest, two Green Woodpeckers, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, a juvenile Buzzard and two adults, a Kestrel and 17 species of butterfly including a Painted Lady, a Silver-Washed Fritillary, a male Brimstone, an Essex Skipper, Purple Hairstreaks and many Holly Blues. (Chris Newton).

Witcombe Reservoirs     14 Greylag, two Canada Geese, six Mute Swans, two Cormorants, a Grey Heron, two Little Grebes, ten Great Crested Grebes, 77 Mallards, 13 Tufted Ducks, 28 Coots, six Moorhens, ten Herring Gulls, 18 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, a Grey Wagtail and four Swallows. (Paul Brunt).

Cleeve Hill     Around the Dew Pond today a juvenile Stonechat, a Meadow Pipit, a Goldfinch, a Linnet, a Yellowhammer and a Dark Green Fritillary. (Alan McIlquham).

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Wednesday 19th July 2023

WWT Slimbridge     The BLACK-WINGED STILT still around the grounds today. (Slimbridge Sightings).

Tresham     This evening a Marsh Harrier, a patch tick, two Corn Buntings, two Stonechats, a Yellowhammer and a Red-legged Partridge. (Paul Rich).

Nailsworth     70+ Black-headed Gulls, with a mix of Lesser Black-backed Gulls and Herring Gulls, 40 Jackdaws and 21 Swifts hawking for flying ants overhead at 4pm. (Jake King).

Gloucester    25 Swifts over Tuffley at 8:42pm. (Mark Hobson).

Winchcombe     Six Swifts circling over the garden at 7am. (Gill Worthington).

Stonehouse     Along the canal from the Ocean to Newtown this morning a Little Egret, a female Mandarin briefly at Bonds mill, a Goldfinch family with two juveniles. (Paul Sutton).

Mandarin by Paul Sutton
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Tuesday 18th July 2023

Frampton pools     A SANDWICH TERN high over the pools heading towards river at 5:50pm. (Nick Goatman). This afternoon birds included the Yellow-legged Gull, seven Common Terns, the Ross’s Goose, an Oystercatcher, a Common Sandpiper, a Kingfisher, two Cetti’s Warblers and at least four Spotted Flycatchers high in the canopy between the Perry Way and Court Lake at SO7574107569. (MK).

Yellow-legged Gull mobbed by Common Tern by Mike King

Common Sandpiper & Grey Heron by Nigel Young

WWT Slimbridge     The BLACK-WINGED STILT still around the grounds today. (Magnus Carter).

Kempley     c15 Swifts over Kempley at 5pm today. (Steve Watts).

Cherington Lake     Three Grey Wagtails, six Chiffchaffs, two Nuthatches, four Mallards, two Coots, six Moorhens, two Mute Swans and a Buzzard at ST898985. (John Fletcher).

Stonehouse     A female Blackcap, a Buzzard, two Grey Herons, at least three Moorhens with chicks. Also a Roe buck and doe, lots of Red Admirals, a few Commas and a Speckled Wood. (Paul Sutton).

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Monday 17th July 2023

Bishops Cleeve     A Hobby harassing Swifts over the old Rectory today. (Graham Baker).

WWT Slimbridge     The BLACK-WINGED STILT on the Rushy again today. Also two Spotted Redshanks. At least four Garganeys on the Top New Piece from Zeiss hide this morning. At least seven Green Sandpiper, a Common Sandpiper and three Little Ringed Plovers on the Tack Piece. (Martin McGill/Sam Walker). A Mediterranean Gull on South Lake this morning. (Nigel Young).

Mediterranean Gull by Nigel Young

Frampton pools     Two Spotted Flycatchers, four Goldcrests, two Coal Tits, two Treecreepers, a family of Chiffchaffs, five Common Terns, two Great Crested Grebes, two Lesser Whitethroats and six Linnets. (Steve Pullen).

Hardwicke     A Red Kite flew E towards Quedgeley from Hardwicke Tanker bay at 1pm. (Julian Long).

Coombe Hill Meadows     This evening a Mute Swan, a Canada Goose, a Wigeon, at least four Teal, at least 12 Gadwalls (eight nearly full-grown ducklings), seven Shovelers, a Grey Heron, a Little Egret, a Water Rail singing again at dusk, a juvenile Coot, an adult Oystercatcher with a chick, 21 Lapwings, a Little Ringed Plover, a Green Sandpiper, two Curlews, an adult and a fledged juvenile, came in to roost, a Barn Owl hunting, ten Swifts and at least 300 Jackdaws in a noisy roost beyond the Long Pool in tall willows. (Mike Smart).

Stonehouse    A Little Egret in a tree at the Ocean. Near Bonds Mill on a Buddleia bush half way from Hoffman’s Dam to Bonds Mill, at least 50 Red Admirals, 11 Commas, various Whites, a Holly Blue, a Brimstone, Peacocks and many different types of Bee. Along the adjacent stretch of canal, a few Emperors, male and female, ten Migrant Hawkers, Gatekeepers, Meadow Browns, Beautiful Demoiselles, Common Blue and Blue-tailed Damselflies. (Paul Sutton).

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Sunday 16th July 2023

Saul Warth     Between 6:30-9am over high tide, finally some small waders, a Turnstone with 65 Dunlins, also 125 Avocets, 31 Black-tailed Godwits, five Oystercatchers, 35 Curlews, two Common Terns, four Kestrels hunting the sea wall, a Swallow and a Sand Martin. Six Little Egrets and three Grey Herons in Bullo Pill roost. (MK).

Turnstone by Mike King

Kestrel by Mike King

WWT Slimbridge    A breeding plumage Knot on the Rushy this morning. Also the BLACK-WINGED STILT, a male Ruff and three Spotted Redshanks. A Sanderling with four Little Ringed Plovers on the Tack Piece. At least three Mediterranean Gulls on the South Lake N causeway. (Martin McGill).

Avening     Near Avening 600+ Swifts milling over fields and moving S this afternoon. (Terry Grant).

Tresham     Early evening three Corn Buntings, a juvenile Whinchat, a pair of Stonechats, four Stock Doves, three Whitethroats and a Yellowhammer. (Paul Rich).

Frocester     Late evening a Little Owl sat on a garage roof, just before the railway bridge. (Paul Sutton).

Little Owl by Paul Sutton

Gloucester     A Red Kite over St Oswald’s estate heading S at 2:30pm. (Colin Edwards).

Coombe Hill Meadows     Along the canal a Kingfisher, a Curlew in flight, a Sedge Warbler, two Whitethroats, a Raven, three House Martins, a Swift and two Reed Buntings. On the scrape 13 Lapwings, two Redshanks, three Oystercatchers, a Black-tailed Godwit, a Great White Egret and a Little Ringed Plover. (Ant Dobbs).

Juvenile Redshank by Ant Dobbs

Frampton pools     The adult Yellow-legged Gull on the pontoon by the  Sailing Club early morning. A Spotted Flycatcher still  N of Court Lake adjacent to the Perry Way. (Ken Hurcombe). Later in the day nine Little Egrets, the adult Yellow-legged Gull still, a Common Sandpiper, a Hobby, 3+ Spotted Flycatcher, six Common Terns, 36 Swifts, 50+ Sand Martins, a female Gadwall, 34 Mallards, six Tufted Ducks, a Little Grebe, an Oystercatcher and the Ross’s Goose. (Nick Goatman).

Selsley Common     A Barn Owl hunting over rough pasture near the Common at 9:45pm. (Tanya Allen).

Eastington     40+ House Martins and seven Swifts over a field growing beans, awash with 500+ white butterflies. Also adult and juvenile Grey Wagtail and a pale Buzzard. Butterflies included Large Whites, Red Admiral, Gatekeepers, Holly Blue and Meadow Browns. (Paul Sutton).

Grey Wagtails by Paul Sutton
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Saturday 15th July 2023

Saul Warth     Between 6am-8:30am over high tide 110 Avocets, 55 Black-tailed Godwits, 35 Curlews, three Oystercatchers, a Dunlin, five Common Terns, 22 Shelducks, a Kestrel, two pairs of Stock Doves, three Pied Wagtails and 30+ Swallows. (MK).

WWT Slimbridge          The BLACK-WINGED STILT on the Rushy again and later on South Lake. Three Garganeys and a Great White Egret from Zeiss hide. (Dot Jones/Helen Bojaniwska). On South Lake 133 Black-tailed Godwits, 106 Lapwings, three Ruff, seven Oystercatchers, four Green Sandpipers, a juvenile Little Ringed Plover, three Cormorants, 14 Teal, six Tufted Ducks, two Pochards and six Gadwalls. (Chris Moore). Also an adult Mediterranean Gull. (Dot Jones).

Twyning     A Whinchat again at Upham Meadow. (Mike Smart).

Stonehouse     From Hoffman’s Dam to Chipman’s Platt along the Stroudwater canal late afternoon an adult and a juvenile Grey Wagtail, a juvenile Great Tit, two Moorhen families with eight very young chicks, 16 Red Admirals, three Commas, 11 Large White, a Meadow Brown and an Emperor dragonfly. (Paul Sutton).

Red Admiral by Paul Sutton
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Friday 14th July 2023

Frampton pools     The adult Yellow-legged Gull on the pontoon by the  Sailing Club, also two Common Terns. 122 Barnacle Geese, 14 Canada Geese, 24 Greylags, 55 Mute Swans and a Common Tern on Court Lake. (Paul Masters). Around the pools this evening a Spotted Flycatcher still feeding young, a Hobby, 50+ Swifts, 100+ Sand Martins, 20+ House Martins, 10+ Swallows, four Oystercatchers, seven Common Terns, 25 Black-headed Gulls and five young, five Treecreepers, 17 Chiffchaffs, 12 Blackcaps, five Reed Warblers, two Kingfishers and eight Little Egrets. (Nick Goatman).

WWT Slimbridge     The BLACK-WINGED STILT on the Tack Piece. Also a Garganey, a Spotted Redshank and a Whimbrel. (Tim Jukes/Dot Jones).

Aylburton Common     A Marsh Tit on the bird table this morning. (Martin Vaisey).

Upper Cam    25+ Swifts feeding over fields today. (Nigel Tucker).

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Thursday 13th July 2023

Frampton     On Court Lake today two Egyptian Geese, 77 Barnacle Geese, 29 Greylags, 62+ Mute Swans, the adult Yellow-legged Gull soon chased off by two Common Terns, a Hobby, two Spotted Flycatchers, eight House Martins, a Swallow and a Nuthatch. The Ross’s Goose this morning only and the Yellow-legged Gull was on the Sailing Lake.  (Jeremy Holland/MK). From Splatt Bridge a Great White Egret, a Hobby, a Tawny Owl calling, 150+ House Martins and eight Swifts. (Paul Sutton).

Spotted Flycatcher by Mike King

Egyptian Geese by Mike King

Great White Egret by Paul Sutton

WWT Slimbridge     The BLACK-WINGED STILT on the Rushy again today. Also two Spotted Redshanks. Six Green Sandpipers and a Common Sandpiper on the Tack Piece today. (Geoff Bryant/Terry Stevenson).

Black-winged Stilt by Geoff Bryant

Twyning     A Whinchat again at Upham Meadow. (Mike Smart).

Forest of Dean    A Red Kite flew over Longhope village at noon. (Angela Carswell).

Cleeve Hill     Two family parties of Redstarts in the Hawthorns and a few Whitethroats today. (Duncan Dine).

Coombe Hill Meadows     Eight Mallards, two Teal, two Shovelers, two Gadwalls, eight young Grey Herons, a Little Egret, 25 Lapwings, two Little Ringed Plovers, three Oystercatchers, a Redshank, a Green Sandpiper, a Yellow Wagtail, five Swallows, three Swifts, three Chiffchaffs singing, two Skylarks, two Sedge Warblers, two Whitethroats, a Greenfinch and three Reed Buntings. (Paul Brunt). At dusk from the new hide two Teal, a Water Rail singing from the Short Pool, a Grey Heron, three Oystercatchers, 31 Lapwings, two Curlews, a Little Owl calling, at least five Swifts and a Reed Warbler singing. (Mike Smart).

Nailsworth     An all day southerly movement of Swifts, many of them very high up. A sample count between 12:05 and 12:55 pm saw 320+ birds, also a Hobby flew W. (Terry Grant).

Epney     A Grey Plover on the river this morning. (Jack Green).

Grey Plover by Jack Green

Cheltenham    Two Swifts over Pittville Lawn this afternoon in between storms. (Howard Taylor).

Gloucester     Four Swifts over the garden in Tuffley. (John Fletcher).

Swift by John Fletcher
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Wednesday 12th July 2023

Ashleworth Ham     This morning a QUAIL calling until 8:15am at least in fields to the right of Stank Lane about halfway down. Also three Whitethroats, two Sedge Warblers, nine Chiffchaffs, three Blackcaps, male and female Reed Bunting and two male Bullfinches. (MK). CES ringing caught 112 birds, including five Redstarts, six Sedge Warblers, 11 Blackcaps, 21 Whitethroats, two Lesser Whitethroats, ten Chiffchaffs, a Treecreeper, two Goldfinches, two Bullfinches and eight Reed Buntings. Also a Hobby on the reserve. (Mike Smart/Mervyn Greening).

Bullfinch by Mike King

WWT Slimbridge     THE BLACK-WINGED STILT on the Rushy today. An adult breeding plumage Mediterranean Gull, four male Ruff  and a Spotted Redshank on South Lake. (Slimbridge Sightings).

Witcombe Reservoirs     A Curlew and a Red Kite at 9:30am. (Owen Follis).

Frampton pools     The adult Yellow-legged Gull on the pontoon by the Sailing Club being mobbed by Common Terns. House Sparrows taking dragonflies and damselflies there. (Nigel Young/Ken Hurcombe).

Yellow-legged Gull & Common Tern by Nigel Young

Female House Sparrow by Nigel Young

Male House Sparrow by Nigel Young

Male House Sparrow by Nigel Young
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Tuesday 11th July 2023

Clapton-on-the-Hill     The OSPREY viewed distantly still today until 10:10am at least from the lane N of Newbridge sat in large dead tree at SP17941807. It flew off to hunt late off but returned at 7pm. (Keith Jennings/Paul Masters).

Osprey by Paul Masters

WWT Slimbridge     THE BLACK-WINGED STILT on the Rushy today. Also two Spotted Redshanks. (Slimbridge Sightings).

Coombe Hill Meadows    This morning a Kingfisher by the car park. The GRASSHOPPER WARBLER again in the field W of the Grundon hide. (Eric Harris).

Saul Warth     At high tide at 3pm 200+ Black-tailed Godwits, 180+ Avocets, 33 Curlews, nine Oystercatchers, 15+ Dunlins, 60+ Shelducks, a juvenile Buzzard, four Skylarks and a Reed Bunting. (MK).

Frampton pools     This evening a Great White Egret, a female Tufted Duck with three ducklings, six Common Terns with two fully fledged chicks, two Little Grebes with a full grown chick, a Spotted Flycatcher still feeding young, the Ross’s Goose, 145 Barnacle Geese, 19 Greylags, seven Canada Geese, 52 Mute Swans, 46 Mallards and 20+Swifts. (Nick Goatman).

Stroud     170+ Swifts flew south between 8:20am and 9:45am. (Terry Grant).

Huntley     Birds included a Stock Dove, eight Linnets with seven Goldfinches on wires, two Whitethroats, four Greenfinches, two Buzzards, two Red Kites over heading W, a female Sparrowhawk carrying prey, eight Swifts, a Goldcrest in the churchyard and Swallows nesting at the church. (Derek Summers).

Ashleworth Ham     This afternoon two Little Egrets, a Grey Heron, 59 Mallards, a Green Woodpecker, two Reed Buntings, two Stock Doves, two Blackcaps, seven Chiffchaffs, two Chaffinches, a Greenfinch, two Long-tailed Tits, a Red-legged Partridge and a Buzzard. (John Fletcher).

Cotswold Water Park West     At Coke’s Pit, Pit 34 Red Crested Pochards, two Reed Warblers, three Common Terns and an Oystercatcher. (Jack Green).

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