GLOUCESTERSHIRE

COTSWOLDS:

A Black Redstart at Leighterton (9th) was unseasonal. At Cotswold Water Park, pit 132 held 11 Egyptian Geese, five Pintails, 15 Little Egrets, 13 Little Ringed Plovers, Ringed Plover, Knot, Curlew Sandpiper, four Dunlin, five Ruff, 14 Redshanks, two Greenshanks, 10 Common Sandpipers, five Green Sandpipers, Yellow-legged Gull and Grasshopper Warbler. A Marsh Harrier was near Hawling (7th). An Osprey and a Whimbrel flew over Ebworth (4th). An Osprey was over Cirencester (28th). Painswick Beacon had 28 Ravens and three Crossbills. A Hawfinch was at Hailey Wood near Cirencester (3rd). Whinchats were at Tresham and Shorncote. Nine Spotted Flycatchers were at Edge Common and 20 Corn Buntings at Hawling.

FOREST OF DEAN:

A Grasshopper Warbler was ringed at Crabtree Hill (21st), with a Nightjar still there (27th). A Pied Flycatcher was in a Brockweir garden (14th-15th). Five Goosanders were at Symonds Yat.

LOWER SEVERN VALE:

At Berkeley Shore, strong winds (21st) brought Storm Petrel, Fulmar, Black-tailed Godwit, four Greenshanks, eight Common Sandpipers, Whinchat and Water Rail. More seabirds (22nd) included a record flock of 23 Shags, a Gannet and another Storm Petrel. Sharpness had a Goshawk, five Common Sandpipers and a Tree Pipit. Frampton Pools logged two Black Terns, an Arctic Tern, two Green Sandpipers, Common Sandpiper, two Med Gulls, Yellow-legged Gull, six Spotted Flycatchers and two Crossbills. A Marsh Harrier was at Garden Cliff, Westbury (16th). Guscar Rocks and Aylburton Warth had 70 Ringed Plovers, Whimbrel, Turnstone, Sanderling, four Common Sandpipers, two Greenshanks and three Whinchats (31st). Whinchats were at Whitminster and Walmore Common.

WWT SLIMBRIDGE:

Highlights included an Osprey (31st) and Garganey on a number of dates. Wildfowl and waterbirds peak counts were 103 Mute Swans, 440 Greylag Geese, 202 Canada Geese, 188 Barnacle Geese, three Mandarin, 171 Shelducks, 19 Wigeon, 60 Gadwall, 650 Teal, 654 Mallards, Pintail, 110 Shovelers, two Pochards, 60 Tufted Ducks, four Great Crested Grebes, 15 Little Grebes, 18 Cormorants, seven Grey Herons, 13 Little Egrets, 99 Moorhens, 175 Coots, a Water rail, and up to 14 Cranes, all Great Crane Project birds, including the wild reared juvenile. Raptors included a male Goshawk (17th), two Sparrowhawks, five Kestrels, three Hobbies, eight Buzzards, two juvenile Peregrines, and a Marsh Harrier. Waders were 12 Avocets, 11 Oystercatchers, three Little Ringed Plovers, 33 Ringed Plovers, 190 Lapwings, one Golden Plover, a Knot, 120 Dunlin, eight Curlew Sandpipers, 13 Green Sandpipers, five Common Sandpipers, 14 Snipe, nine Sanderling, five Greenshanks, 43 Redshanks, a Spotted Redshank, 151 Black-tailed Godwits, 146 Curlew, three Whimbrel, 17 Ruff, and two Turnstones. There were three Med Gulls, 700 Black-headed Gulls, two juvenile Black Terns (20th) with one (to 26th), 33 Common Terns (19th), and an adult Arctic Tern (19th). Passerine peak counts were two Swifts (21st), 20 Sky Larks, 50 Pied Wagtails, 24 Yellow Wagtails, four Meadow Pipits, four Whinchats, six Wheatears, four Kingfishers, three Cetti’s Warblers, three Garden Warblers, 30 Blackcaps, four Lesser Whitethroats, six Whitethroats, 25 Chiffchaffs, 10 Willow Warblers, four Goldcrests, and two Spotted Flycatchers (30th).

UPPER SEVERN VALE:

Coombe Hill Meadows held 13 Little Egrets, Marsh Harrier, four Little Ringed Plovers, Ringed Plover, three Dunlin, two Ruff, 11 Green Sandpipers, Common Sandpiper, three Greenshanks, 13 Snipe and six Whinchats. Two Greenshanks, Common Sandpiper and four Whinchats were at Horsbere Brook. A Greenshank and two Common Sandpipers were at Witcombe Reservoir. Whinchats included four at Hasfield Ham and singles at Brockeridge Common and Hempsted.