Sightings and news to week ending 23 April
An ongoing record of what's been seen around the reserve.
Sunday 20 April
Cuckoo singing and mobile about the site.
Tack Piece
Two Wheatear, Ringed Plover and four Greenshank. Three Egyptian Geese, 29 Shelduck, 2 Common Sandpiper, 18 Shovreler,1 Spoonbill ,3 Barnacle Geese,19 Tufted Duck, 10 Wigeon, 2 Oystercatcher.
Rushy Hide
Greenshank, 20 Avocet, 2 Redshank, pair of Oystercatcher, 2m 5f Teal, pairs of Tufted Ducks and Shelducks and a drake Shoveler.
Estuary Tower
Common Whitethroat showing well below Hide, Skylarks, 2 Curlew and 9 Lapwing on the Dumbles.
Top New Piece
Eight Redshank, 17 Lapwing, Crane nesting, 8 male 9 female Teal, 10 Avocet, 8 male 6 female Shoveler.
South Lake
Three Greenshank flew to Tack Piece where four fed later in the day, 34 Black-tailed Godwit, 20 Avocet nests, at least 73 adults, 3 male 7 female Teal, pair of Shoveler, 230 Black-headed Gull, Tufted Ducks, Gadwalls and Mallards.
Saturday 19 April
Estuary Tower
Three 2cy Kittiwake upriver and nine Grey Plover. Merlin on Dumbles foreshore. Three Whimbrel upriver.
Tack Piece
Five Greenshank.
South Lake
31 Gadwall, 11 Tufted Ducks, 2 Shelducks, 2 Oystercatcher, 78 Avocets, 67 Black-Tailed Godwits, 1 Common Sandpiper.
Thursday 17 April
Highlights today include our first Cuckoo heard calling from near Estuary walkway and a Grasshopper Warbler was reeling in the hedge/scrub below Estuary Tower.
South Lake
65 Avocet, 60 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Common Sandpiper and 1 Little Grebe.
Zeiss Hide
8 Redshank, 2 Avocet, 3 Oystercatcher, 4 Lapwing and a female mallard with 8 Ducklings.
Kingfisher Hide
6 Roe Deer, 7 Lapwing, 1 Buzzard, 6 Redshank on the Bottom New Piece, 4 Tufted Duck, 21 Greylag, Sedge and Reed Warbler singing with a Cetti’s too.
Estuary Tower
On the Dumbles 1 Grasshopper Warbler heard and seen first thing, 2 Oystercatcher, 2 Stock Dove, 1 Sand Martin, Skylarks, 2 Redshank, 1 Curlew, 1 Peregrine, 1 Reed Bunting, 1 Little Egret and 1 Grey Heron.
Estuary Walkway
1 Blackcap, 3 Chiffchaff and 2 Cetti’s Warbler singing and on the Pill Box Pool, 1 Reed Warbler and 1 Song Thrush
Martin Smith Hide
3 Little Egret
Robbie Garnett Hide
10 Wigeon, 28 Shoveler, 2 Reed Warbler, 3 Common Sandpiper, 1 White Wagtail, 4 Sand Martin and 1 Spoonbill
Rushy Hide
1 Greenshank, 19 Tufted Duck, 16 Avocet, 1 Oystercatcher, 1 Gadwall, 2 Shoveler, 1 Redshank
Car park
5 Chiffchaff, 1 Reed Warbler, 4 Sedge Warbler, 1 Blackcap, 1 Willow Warbler and 7 Cattle Egret
Wednesday 16 April
There was a Swift over the Rushy at 3pm and a White Wagtail on the Tack Piece.
Estuary Tower
Long ground pool - 6 Cattle Egret and 16 Little Egret, 4 Gadwall, 1 Shoveler.
Dumbles - 2 Oystercatcher, 1 Curlew, 2 Shelduck, 1 Sparrowhawk and 1 male Marsh Harrier.
Later in the day at 12:30 Little Stint on a scrape island, 1 Marsh Harrier was visible flying up North, 1 Little Egret, Sand Martins, Hare and 3 Roe Deer.
Kingfisher Hide
Stock Dove on the owl box and the Male Kingfisher was spotted going into the nest hole.
Zeiss Hide
2 Oystercatcher, 36 Shelduck, 14 Gadwall, 16 Shoveler and 1 Crane sat on their nest.
Discovery Hide
121 Avocet, 54 Black-tailed Godwit, 19 Gadwall, 10 Tufted Duck, 2 Oystercatcher and lots of Sand Martins passing through.
Hogarth Hide
1 Spoonbill sheltering, 1 Spotted Redshank, 8 Shoveler.
Robbie Garnett Hide
2 Oystercatcher, 18 Shoveler, 3 Gadwall.
Estuary Walkway
1 Kingfisher heard calling over the wind as well as Chiffchaff and Reed Warbler.
Tuesday 15 April
South Lake
Common Sandpiper, 91 Avocet, 112 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Sedge Warbler, 6 Cormorants, Tufted Ducks, Mallards, Gadwall and a few Teal.
South Finger
Two singing Willow Warbler, Sedge and Reed Warblers, Blackcap and Chiffchaffs
Estuary Tower
At least eight Swallow and 2 Yellow Wagtail through NE so perhaps a day of light passage on the cards. Curlew, Lapwing and Oystercatcher on the Dumbles. A Wheatear joined the Skylarks.
Tack Piece
The Spoonbill continues, 21 Shoveler, 10 Wigeon, 8 Teal, 5 Gadwall and 5 Mallard on or near the scrape. Sedge Warbler and Reed Warblers singing near Martin Smith Hide.
Pill Box Pool
2 Sedge and three Reed Warblers singing.
Kingfisher Hide
Three Golden Plover, 4 Redshank, 8 Lapwing and male Marsh Harrier hunted over the field and flood.
Rushy Hide
Six Avocet, 3 Redshank, Greenshank.
Monday 14 April
The over-wintering Spoonbill reappeared around 14:30 after hiding in the morning, it was seen feeding close to the Estuary Tower. Further arrivals of Sedge and Reed Warblers with c6 Willow Warbler singing.
Bottom New Piece
5 Lapwing, 4 Redshank, hunting Marsh Harrier, eight Golden Plover and 8 Cattle Egret distantly to the South with cattle herd just off the reserve.
Rushy Hide
Greenshank, Redshank, 4 Avocet, 2 Oystercatcher and Black-tailed Godwit.
Tack Piece
Male White Wagtail with Pied Wagtail, Common Sandpiper, Great Egret, 9 Wigeon + Teal and Shoveler.
Estuary Tower
Sand Martins and Swallows feeding over the reserve, male Wheatear on/near the Middle Point fence, at least 12 Bar-tailed Godwit and Whimbrel were with the Curlew on the foreshore over high tide.
South Lake
100 Black-tailed Godwit, Common Sandpiper, 80 Avocet including four that have appear to have laid eggs, nesting Cranes, 3 pairs of Oystercatcher, Great C Grebe, Cormorant, 160 Black-headed Gull.
Peregrine Falcon
