Recent Sightings 10th November 2025
The following sightings were taken from the reserve at Castle Espie during a rising tide. The bird of the week this week is the Common Gull. Despite its name, it is one of the scarcer gulls seen in the UK. This bird has a light grey back, long black wingtips and a white head (that has brown streaks in the winter) and underside. It has a dark ring on the end of its yellow beak, and has yellow to greenish legs. They are the only gull in the UK that will nest in trees. Gulls get a lot of bad press because they often appear in urban areas, they are noisy and will scavenge for food in our rubbish. But these birds are very resourceful and intelligent, and sadly they are on the UK red list due to declines caused by overfishing, entanglement in fishing gear and loss of nest sites. These challenges are forcing Common Gulls inland. They can live 16 years or more and won’t breed until they are four, when they fully lose their mottled brown juvenile feathers.
Estuary - visible from the Brent Hide and the Limekiln Observatory
Brent Goose 403, Shelduck 17, Great Crested Grebe 14, Red-breasted Merganser 3, Wigeon 5, Oystercatcher 77, Curlew 10, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Redshank 82, Black-headed Gull 4, Little Egret 8, Hooded Crow 5, Greenshank 2, Golden Eye 2, Common Gull 6, Herring Gull 4, Dunlin c.100
Main lake - visible from Sensory Garden and Visitor Centre
Moorhen 4, Mallard 81, Tufted Duck 5, Teal 75, Little Grebe 1, Scaup 1 (female), Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Robin, Black Bird, Magpie 1
Shingle Bank - visible from Sensory Garden and Visitor Centre
Mallard 63, Cormorant 2, Moorhen 1, Grey Heron 1, Teal 4, Gadwall 22
Wadermarsh - visible from Wadermarsh lookout and Brent Hide
Teal 8, Oystercatcher 1, Moorhen 3, Little Egret 1
Freshwater Lagoon - visible from Brent Hide and Crannóg
Moorhen 1, Mallard 6
Saline Lagoon - visible from Limekiln observatory
Little Grebe 5, Little Egret 1
Brickworks
Magpie 2, Jackdaw 2, Robin, Great Tit
Limestone Lake
Little Grebe 1
Peninsula Saltmarsh
No birds seen
Peninsula Field
No birds seen
Woodland
Robin, Blackbird, Long Tailed Tit, Great Tit, Jackdaw, Goldcrest, Blue Tit, Coal Tit, Chaffinch
Sensory Garden
Great Tit, Blue Tit, Coal Tit, Chaffinch, Tree Creeper, Robin, Goldcrest, Wren, Bullfinch
