Report of second visit to Severnside 18th September.2023
Seven members of the group met at New Passage. This time the pill was full to overflowing as it was the top of a high tide. Large flocks of starlings wheeled around moving from roof tops to the fields. A solitary swallow flew overhead, while noisy house sparrows went in and out of the bushes. A heron took off from the bank and flew away. There were plenty of gulls, mostly black headed in winter plumage with only a brown dot left of their brown heads. A few mallards swam in the pill. Far away a solitary curlew was feeding. Too far to easily see if it was a whimbrel. A flock of about 80 oyster catchers landed further up the coast. We are still unable to access the footpath to Pilning wetlands, so watched the cattle grazing and then set off for Severn Beach. The high tide left little space for the birds to feed on the shore, just a few pied wagtails on the rocks and a lonely robin.
Once under the bridge, we felt the full force of a blustery westerly wind. A flock of goldfinches sought shelter in the bushes. On the grass by the residential homes were several jackdaws. A flight of little birds skimmed the top of the waves, swerved around and then seemed to disappear amongst the rocks. Searching with binoculars we could see lots of them perched on the rocks, watching the waves. We could clearly identify ringed plover and dunlin. The more we looked the more we saw, as they blended into the rocks with a perfect camouflage . We walked on towards Severn Beach as the tide went out exposing more of the beach and the feeding grounds the birds were watching for. A lone cormorant flew out to sea. A few magpies, and jackdaws were feeding on the grass joined by another flock of starlings. By now the plovers and dunlin could get to the silt and feed at the water’s edge, clearly they must have been watching and waiting for this moment.
We returned to see if the fore shore was accessible to the birds at New Passage. A flock of godwits was identified by using the enlarging facility of Alan’s camera. Canada Geese were grazing near the cattle.
Another flock flew onto the seaweedy rocks and disappeared, their colouring totally camouflaging them. Eventually we identified them as about a dozen turnstones.
| Carrion crow | Swallow | Starlings | |||
| Collard dove | House sparrow | Heron | |||
| Black headed gull | Mallard | Gadwall | |||
| Curlew | Oyster catcher | Teal | |||
| Herring Gull | Robin | Pied wagtail | |||
| Goldfinches | Jackdaw | Ringed Plover | |||
| Dunlin | Cormorant | Magpie | |||
| Lesser Black Backed gull | Godwits ( black tailed) | Canada Geese | |||
| Turnstone | wood pigeon |
26 sp C.F .
