News

Wader Lake essential works - Jan 2019

Wader Lake essential works - Jan 2019

 WWT Washington's reserve team will be carrying out some essential maintenance on Wader Lake this week (Wednesday 16 and Thursday 17 January 2019).  The dedicated team of staff and volunteers at WWT Washington will be renewing and enhancing the existing

15 January 2019

Wildlife sightings - 15/01/19

Wildlife sightings - 15/01/19

a.m. Tide Level: High Wader Lake Lapwing 36 Curlew 19 Canada goose 10 Shelduck 21 Shoveller 4 Black-headed gull 5 Grey heron 6 Redshank 1 Teal 15 Saline Lagoon Curlew 19 Carrier crow 1 Hawthorn Wood Bullfinch 18 Blue tit 8 Goldfinch 9 Redpoll 6 Dunnock 1

15 January 2019

Siskin along the South route

Siskin along the South route

2 Bittern - main lake (North shore & close to Headley hide) 6 Pintail - main lake 1 Water Pipit - grazing marsh 3 Siskin - South route 1 Peregrine - hunting over the main lake 1 Kestrel - South route January bird highlights: Shelduck, Goldeneye, Bitt

15 January 2019

White-fronts in the Four Score again

White-fronts in the Four Score again

Rushy Hide Good roost of Bewick's Swans with 110 birds on site. One of the satellite transmitter birds (Catalana) visited Gwent (Llandegfedd/Usk) over the weekend. Martin Smith Hide No reports of the Jack Snipe today but Common Snipe, Chiffchaff and Cetti

14 January 2019

Wigeon grazing thanks to summer sheep

Wigeon grazing thanks to summer sheep

Male wigeon On Sunday afternoon I counted 11 wigeon across from the Ramsar hide. Four were up on the cut, grazing on the fresh grass. Droppings from the Jacob’s sheep we had grazing this wet meadow last summer have added nutrients to the soil bringing

14 January 2019

Raptor-fest

Raptor-fest

Continuing this winters run of good raptor days with at least 4 Marsh Harrier, Peregrine, 3+ Buzzard, 3 Kestrel, 2 Sparrowhawk and Merlin over the weekend. At least 3 Barn Owl (two showing well from the Ron Barker Hide) and 2 Tawny Owl today again. Fif

14 January 2019

Recent Sightings - 14th January 2019

Recent Sightings - 14th January 2019

Count taken at low tide this morning. A really nice treat this morning was to get close views of Curlew from the Brent hide, both on the estuary and on our wadermarsh. At low tide curlews use their curved beaks to dig into the mud looking for deep lying w

14 January 2019

Wildlife sightings - 14/01/19

Wildlife sightings - 14/01/19

a.m. Tide Level: High  Wader Lake Grey heron 4 Redshank 2 Shoveler 2 Cormorant 1 Snipe 1 Shelduck 2 Teal 2 Herring gull 1 Black-headed gull 1 Lapwing 48 Stock dove 46 Saline Lagoon Curlew 1 Shelduck 2 Hawthorn Wood Mealy redpoll 1 Greenfinch 2 Bullfinch

14 January 2019

Today's Sightings

Today's Sightings

Whooper swans Mute swans White fronted geese x8 Pink footed geese x 80 Tundra bean geese x 3 Ring necked duck Cattle egret x 2 Barn owl Short eared owl x 2 Great white egret x 2 Little egret Marsh harrier Sparrowhawk Kestrel Buzzard Shelduck Shoveler Pint

14 January 2019

2 Bitterns at rest in the main lake reeds

2 Bitterns at rest in the main lake reeds

  1 Iceland Gull 3rd cyr - main lake 2 Bittern - main lake (N+SE shores) 1 Shelduck - main lake 4 Mistle Thrush - O.C.P 1 Water Pipit - marsh (southern bund) 5 Meadow Pipit - flew NW 1 Chiffchaff - wildside 1 Little Owl - flew from the entrance area

14 January 2019

Sunday sightings

Sunday sightings

Martin Smith Hide The Jack Snipe is still proving very popular and showing on and off from the Martin Smith Hide, also 4+ Common Snipe, Water Rail and a Cetti's Warlber here and two Chiffchaff this morning. The JS has been favouring the eastern (right ha

13 January 2019

Today's Highlights

Today's Highlights

Cattle egret and sheep by Steve Ball Whooper swan Mute swan Greylag geese Canada geese Shelduck Pochard Wigeon Pintail Teal Mallard Ring-necked duck Tufted duck Ringed teal (escapee) Shoveler Moorhen Coot Black-tailed

13 January 2019

Black-tailed Godwit on the wader scrape

Black-tailed Godwit on the wader scrape

  1 Black-tailed Godwit - wader scrape 1 Jack Snipe - wader scrape p.m. 1 Yellow-legged Gull - main lake 1 Bittern - main lake (North shore) 2 Pintail - reservoir lagoon 1 Shelduck - main lake 6 Fieldfare - South route 1 Water Pipit - grazing marsh

13 January 2019

Today's sightings

Today's sightings

Bewick's swans Whooper swan Mute swan Greylag Canada goose White-fronted goose x 8 Shelduck Shoveler Mallard Pintail Wigeon Teal Ringed teal (escapee) Pochard Tufted duck Ring-necked duck Cormorant Coot Moorhen Water rail Great egret Cattle egret x 2 Litt

12 January 2019

Jack Snipe and Water Rails

Jack Snipe and Water Rails

Rushy Bewick's Swan 108 Pintail 120 Pochard 110 Teal 300 Lapwing 400 Redshank 1 Dunlin 3 Snipe 7 Robbie Garnett Snipe 1 Jack Snipe 1 showing well (09.00) Great close up views of Pintail, Wigeon and Teal. Tack Piece   Whitefronted Goose 10 Close views

12 January 2019