Energy at any price? - Gwent Wildlife Trust

AT RISKLike many visitingwaders, knot gatherin the Estuary inhuge flocksRefuge for birdsPREVIOUS PAGEThey arrive by the thousand, from Canada, Africa and Russia.And they come to the Estuary for food, rest and shelterIhave watched birds on theGloucestershire sector of the SevernEstuary since I was ten, when I made the50-mile round trip by bicycle everyweekend. Some early highlights arousefond memories: that snow bunting in October1953, or the red-throated diver at high tide inJanuary 1956. But it’s the regular visitorswhich leave the lasting impression.For example, Slimbridge is a winter refugefor white-fronted geese and thousands ofwigeon, teal and pintail, which migrate everyyear from Russian breeding grounds to theterminus at the westernmost end of their3,000 mile flyway. In the cold winter of 1962they were joined by a massive arrival ofRussian Bewick’s swans, which havecontinued to come ever since, though like thewhitefronts their numbers have decreased.The Severn is also an essential refuellingstop for long distance migrants that winter insub-Saharan Africa and pass through the UKtwice: in spring, on their way to Arcticbreeding grounds in Canada and the Russiantundra; then again in early autumn on theirway back. Waders like bar-tailed godwit orlittle stint use the short tundra summer tohatch their young; within a few days the adultsleave, arriving on the Severn in late July orAugust before moving on to places such as theBanc d’Aguin in Mauritania, or even SouthAfrica. Their young find their own way amonth or so later.Quite apart from the navigational feat, thephysiological performance is exceptional; bothyoung and adults put on half their bodyweight in fat to enable them to make theseThe adults leave their young inthe Arctic, arriving on the Severnin July before moving on to Africaflights. They use up this extra fat in migration,so stops in biologically rich estuaries are vital.Then, having wintered in warmer climes, theyare back on the Estuary the following spring,together with other waders like whimbrelwhich gather in the western UK to refuel, enroute to their Icelandic nesting grounds.In cold snaps the Estuary’s brackish waterremains ice free, attracting birds from inlandsites like the Somerset Levels or the SevernVale. Waders such as lapwing or goldenplover, together with ducks from riversidemarshes, flock to the Estuary at these times.In every way, then, the Severn Estuary is abird site for all seasons.Mike Smart, TrusteeGloucestershire Wildlife TrustBesides the huge flocks,the rarities. This is apomarine skua, pausinghalf way between the farNorth and the tropicsDavid SlaterNEXT PAGE14 The Wildlife Trusts’ Severn Estuary reportThe Wildlife Trusts’ Severn Estuary report 15