June is usually one of the quietest months on Severnside with a total of only 148 species seen. It is the month to do those jobs at home unless any strong West or South West winds occur. This weather can produce a good selection of seabirds including Manx Shearwater, Gannet, Fulmar and Storm Petrel. June has had some rarities including Red Kite (2006, 2010), Franklin’s Gull (1988) and Alpine Swift (1999).
June 2012
June 30th
A breezy end to a wet and windy month with a Gannet and 2 Common Scoters reported off Severn Beach. Two Black-tailed Godwits, 20 Oystercatchers, 60 Black-headed Gulls and 60 Shelduck remained at Northwick Warth and 2 Common Sandpipers were seen in Cake Pill at Aust Warth. Below is a summary of the “seabird” sightings from Severn Beach from the first strong winds on the 8th through to the end of the month.
8th 9th 10th 16th 17th 22nd 23rd 30th
Fulmar 30+ 1 2 1
Manx Shearwater 30+ 60+ 100+
Storm Petrel 10+ 30+ 2 1 2 1+
Gannet 25 8 25 5+ 1
Common Scoter 11 2 2 2
Pomarine Skua 21 3
Arctic Skua 11 5
Great Skua 5 2 1
Mediterranean Gull 1 1 1 1
Sabine’s Gull 1
Kittiwake 40 1
Common Tern 1
Arctic Tern 25 1
Little Tern 1
Black Tern 1
Auk sp. 3
June 29th
Combined repots from the Northwick Warth area involved 2 Black-tailed Godwits, 2 Common Sandpipers, 20 Oystercatchers, 70 Shelduck, 50 Black-headed Gulls and 2 Grey Wagtails. Two Redshank were seen in Cake Pill at Aust Warth.
June 28th
The 2 Black-tailed Godwits, 2 Common Sandpipers, a Redshank, 2 Curlew, 10 Oystercatchers, 8 Black-headed Gulls and 50 Shelduck were seen at New Passage this evening.
June 27th
Some signs of migration today with 2 Common Sandpipers, 2 Black-tailed Godwits, 11 Curlew and 43 Black-headed Gulls at New Passage this evening where at least 50 Shelduck, 35 Mallard, a female Gadwall and 16 Oystercatchers were also seen.
June 26th
No reports were received for today.
June 25th
The only reports were of 70 Shelduck, 10 Oystercatchers, 13 Curlew and 14 Black-headed Gulls from New Passage and the first autumn Redshank at Aust Warth..
June 24th
Despite a moderate breeze no seabirds were reported today. A Little Egret, 4 Curlew and a drake Gadwall were reported from Severn Beach and the same or another Little Egret, 2 Curlew, 10 Oystercatchers and 80 Shelduck were seen from New Passage.
June 23rd
Once again the main event was sea watching from Severn Beach where at least one Storm Petrel, 100+ Manx Shearwaters, a Fulmar, a 1st summer Mediterranean Gull, 50 Black-headed Gulls, single Dunlin and Ringed Plover were seen this morning.
Manx Shearwaters, Severn Beach 23.6.12
Manx Shearwaters, Severn Beach 23.6.12
June 22nd
As predicted a few seabirds were seen in the strong winds from Severn Beach including 3 Pomarine Skuas (2 light, 1 dark), a Great Skua, 5 Arctic Skuas (one pale morph), at least 60 Manx Shearwaters, 5+ Gannets, 2 Fulmar, single 1st summer Kittiwake, 1st summer Mediterranean Gull and 1st summer Common Gull.
Dark morph Pomarine Skua, Severn Beach 22.6.12
June 21st
A very wet and increasingly breezy day. At least 80 Shelduck, 2 Gadwall, 10 Oystercatchers and just one Curlew were seen from New Passage in the rain this evening. Strong winds are forecast for the next few days and are likely to produce some more seabirds.
June 20th
Combined reports from Severn Beach included 2 Little Ringed Plovers, 2 Ringed Plover, at least 30 Curlew and 28 Black-headed Gulls including a fresh juvenile. Reports from New Passage involved 2 Little Egrets, 60+ Shelduck, 4 Mute Swans, 12 Oystercatchers, 8 Curlew and 9 Black-headed Gulls. A large number of Swifts were feeding low along the coastal strip this evening apparently feeding on emerging flying ants.
Ringed Plover and Little Ringed Plover, Severn Beach 20.6.12
Little Ringed Plover, Severn Beach 20.6.12
June 19th
The Short-eared Owl was reported again early this morning at Severn Beach.
June 18th
Just 38 Shelduck, 4 Mute Swans, 20 Oystercatchers and 3 Curlew were reported from Northwick Warth this morning. A Short-eared Owl was reported by local dog walkers over the salt marsh at Severn Beach this morning.
June 17th
Yet another breezy day with sunshine for most of the day before rain came in. More seabirds were seen and as ever difficult to count with birds moving up and down river but at least 2 Storm Petrels, 25 Gannets, single Manx Shearwater and 1st summer Mediterranean Gull, 2 Gadwall, 4 Mute Swans, 12 Curlew and a Peregrine were reported from Severn Beach. At least 65 Shelduck, a drake Teal, another 4 Mute Swans, 20 Oystercatchers, 5 Dunlin and a Curlew were seen from New Passage.
June 16th
The gusty south-south west wind and rain showers produced 8 Gannets off Severn Beach this morning and at least one Storm Petrel, single Fulmar, Common Tern and Black-headed Gull and 8 Curlew this evening.
Storm Petrel, Severn Beach 16.6.12
June 15th
An increasingly windy day with heavy rain showers. The only report received was of 10 Curlew, 3 Ringed Plover and a Black-headed Gull at Severn Beach.
June 14th
The only report received was of a Little Egret, 2 Curlew, 20 Oystercatchers and 30 Shelduck.
June 13th
A Little Egret and 18 Oystercatchers were seen from New Passage.
June 12th
Back to normal mid June sightings today The only reports were of 11 Dunlin, 12 Oystercatchers and 25 Shelduck from New Passage and 4 Black-headed Gulls and 2 Great Black-backed Gulls at Severn Beach.
June 11th
The Rose-coloured Starling was reported still present on roof tops in Severn Beach this morning but mobile. Several searches later in the rain failed to produce any additional sightings.
June 10th
A 1st summer Rose-coloured Starling was found late morning at Severn Beach. It was associating with a mobile flock of Starlings along the railway scrub and salt marsh 400 metres south along the seawall. Also seen here were 2 Storm Petrels heading out of the estuary, 2 Common Scoter and a Great Crested Grebe, 23 Ringed Plover and 5 Dunlin. Click on the flying Starling image below for some brief shaky You Tube video.
Rose-coloured Starling, Severn Beach 10.6.12
Rose-coloured Starling, Severn Beach 10.6.12 © Mark Coller
Rose-coloured Starling, Severn Beach 10.6.12 © Rich Andrews
Rose-coloured Starling, Severn Beach 10.6.12 © Jason Williams
June 9th
A breezy but dry day produced an adult Sabine’s Gull, only the 4th Severnside spring record, off Severn Beach where at least 30 Storm Petrels were seen including one being taken by Peregrines, 2 Great Skuas, a Fulmar, 2 drake Common Scoter, an Arctic Tern, 3 Knot, a Sanderling and a mixed flock of 50 Ringed Plover and Dunlin and a Yellow Wagtail. A Little Egret was seen on Northwick Warth and nearby 4 Siskins, 15 Dunlin and 8 Ringed Plover were reported at New Passage. Click on the Storm Petrel below for some You Tube video of a wave walker in action and here for another.
Storm Petrel, Severn Beach 9.6.12
Storm Petrels, Severn Beach 9.6.12 © Rich Andrews
Storm Petrel, Severn Beach 9.6.12 © Rich Andrews
June 8th
Foul weather with gales and rain but a great quantity and quality of seabirds today. At least 21 Pomarine Skuas, 11 Arctic Skuas, 5 Great Skuas, 10 Storm Petrels, 25 Gannets, 30 Manx Shearwaters, 30+ Fulmar, 25 Arctic Terns, one Black Tern, one Little Tern, 40 Kittiwakes, a first summer Mediterranean Gull, 3 Auks, 11 Common Scoter, 2 Cormorants, 3 Sanderling and a mobile flock of Dunlin and Ringed Plover were seen at Severn Beach. A flock of 35 Kittiwakes were seen from Aust Warth this afternoon.
Storm Petrels, Severn Beach 8.6.12
Storm Petrel, Severn Beach 8.6.12
Pomarine Skuas and Arctic Skua, Severn Beach 8.6.12
Pomarine Skuas and Arctic Skua, Severn Beach 8.6.12
Gannet, Severn Beach 8.6.12
Great Skua, Severn Beach 8.6.12 © Vic Savery
1st summer Mediterranean Gull, Severn Beach 8.6.12
June 7th
At least 100 Dunlin, 60 Ringed Plover and 3 Black-headed Gulls were reported at Severn Beach on an increasingly wet and breezy day.
June 6th
At least 4 Sanderling, 80 Dunlin, 65 Ringed Plover and a Turnstone were seen at Severn Beach early morning,
June 5th
A return to cool and weather. An early morning visit to Severn Beach produced 5 Sanderling, 60 Ringed Plover and 40 Dunlin. Another 15 Ringed Plover, 4 Dunlin, 2 Curlew, 18 Oystercatchers and 3 flyover Siskins were reported this morning in the New Passage area and later “hundreds” of House Martins were seen with many settling on the Severn Lodge Farm house in the wet weather.
House Martins, New Passage 5.6.12 © Mike Pruett
June 4th
A dry and sunny day with 20 Sanderling, 25 Ringed Plover, 51 Dunlin, a Turnstone and a Peregrine carrying prey were seen at Severn Beach this morning and a pair of Common Scoter were seen off shore here this evening.
Below are a couple of video grabs taken this evening. Click on the Sanderling image to see a short You Tube video.
Sanderling, Severn Beach 4.6.12
Common Scoters, Severn Beach 4.6.12
June 3rd
A very wet night followed by a gloomy wet and increasingly windy day. An early morning visit to Severn Beach produced 16 Sanderling, 40 Ringed Plover, 27 Dunlin and a Whimbrel and a Peregrine. Another 13 Dunlin, 10 Ringed Plover, 18 Oystercatchers, a Little Egret, 5 Black-headed Gulls, a Kingfisher, a single flock of 50 House Martins were seen in the New Passage area.
June 2nd
A misty day with an easterly breeze. An early morning visit to New Passage produced just 3 Ringed Plover, 2 Curlew, 14 Oystercatchers, single Gadwall and Black-headed Gull, a Yellow Wagtail, 6 singing Reed Warblers and 2 male Reed Buntings. An evening high tide visit to Severn Beach produced 2 Knot, 2 Turnstones, at least 50 Dunlin, 30 Ringed Plover and 7 Black-headed Gulls.
Ringed Plovers and Dunlin, Severn Beach 2.6.12
June 1st
A quiet start to the month with just 50 Shelduck, 15 Ringed Plover and a Dunlin reported from New Passage and a single Lapwing at Severn Beach.
