Tuesday 29 April – Pilning Wetlands Leader; Jane Cumming

On a glorious warm, sunny morning, 35 members met at New Passage. The high tide had covered all the mud and spilled onto the pill side banks so we found Oystercatchers, Whimbrels and two Common Sandpipers pottering about in the grass waiting for the beach to reappear. At the pools the first wader to be found was a Little Ringed Plover, there were half a dozen Common Ringed Plovers on the distant pools. Waterfowl included two Greylag Geese, two Mute Swans, a Shoveler, three Tufted Ducks and plenty of Mallard and Gadwall with a couple of Teal, sharing the pools with Dabchicks, Coots, Moorhens, Grey Herons and four Little Egrets. It was a treat to watch ten Avocets feeding and squabbling amongst a scattering of Lapwings, three Black-tailed Godwits and a Dunlin or two. From the path around the side of the pools a Redshank and a Greenshank were found. Hirundines swooped over from time to time, the House Martins dropping down to collect mud for their nests. Sedge and Reed Warblers sang and eventually showed well. Back at the beach-side corner as the tide fell, five Godwits were identified as Bar-tailed when they started to preen and flap their wings, a species which was recorded at watch points up and down the Severn that day, but is occasional enough on our shorelines always to be a pleasant surprise. The day total reached 68 species, which is apparently a new record for Tuesday walks. (Thanks to Jane for leading).  Jane Cumming