Recent Sightings 11th May 2026
The following sightings were taken from the reserve at Castle Espie during a receding tide. The bird of the week this week is the Lesser Black-backed Gull. This gull is easily confused with both Herring Gulls and Great Black-backed Gulls. The Lesser Black-backed Gull is the smallest of the three, but this can be tricky to gauge at a distance. Lesser Black-backed Gulls have a lighter grey back than Great Black-backed Gulls, but are darker than a Herring gull, although the colour of individuals does very. There are three subspecies found in the UK; graellsii from W. Europe which has the lightest back and underwings, intermedius is from N.W. Europe, and the darkest is fuscus which is the Baltic variant. A reliable way to distinguish the Lesser Black-back gull are its yellow legs as Herring and Greater Black-backs have pink legs, and its black wing-tip feathers stick out further past its tail feathers than the other gulls. The UK is an important site for this species, as 38% of the world population breed here, with 60% of this number breeding in England. These birds will often fly 80km from their nest site to find food, and can travel as far as 150km in one trip. Lesser Black-backed gulls typically return to the same nest site with the same partner each year, but there is evidence to show that they might look to ‘upgrade’ their nest site on their travels, and may then move somewhere better.
Estuary - visible from the Brent Hide and the Limekiln Observatory
Brent Goose 6, Gadwall 1, Black-headed Gull 12, Common Gull 9, Lesser Back-backed Gull 1, Herring Gull 2, Oystercatcher 120, Little Egret 1, Hooded Crow 1, Shelduck 2, Goldeneye 1
Main lake - visible from Sensory Garden and Visitor Centre
Little Grebe 2, Little Egret 1, Gadwall 4, Goldeneye 2, Tufted Duck 1, Mallard 1 (plus 4 ducklings), Grey Heron 1, Coot 2, Moorhen 3, Coal Tit, House Martin, Sedge Warbler, Woodpigeon, Mistle Thrush, Song Thrush, Jackdaw, Robin, Blackbird, House Sparrow
Shingle Bank - visible from Sensory Garden and Visitor Centre
Mallard 8, Tufted Duck 2, Black-headed Gull 5, Shelduck 1, Greylag Goose 1, Pied Wagtail
Wadermarsh - visible from Wadermarsh lookout and Brent Hide
Black-tailed Godwit 3, Common Gull 8, Black-headed Gull 17, Great Black-backed Gull 1
Freshwater Lagoon - visible from Brent Hide and Crannóg
Mallard 2, Sedge Warbler, Reed Bunting, Dunnock, Greenfinch, Barn Swallow
Saline Lagoon - visible from Limekiln observatory
Black-headed Gull 30, Common Tern 6, Shelduck 1 (flying over), Lesser Black-backed Gull 2 (flying over)
Brickworks
Jackdaw, Blackbird, Barn Swallow, Magpie, Linnet, Greenfinch, Chaffinch
Limestone Lake
Common Tern 1, Black-headed Gull 1, Coot 1, Tufted Duck 2, Mute Swan 2, Willow Warbler
Peninsula Saltmarsh
Mallard 2, Shelduck 2, Little Egret 2, Sedge Warbler, Reed Bunting
Peninsula Field
Blackbird
Woodland
Blackcap, Robin, Blackbird, Long-tailed Tit, Goldcrest, Woodpigeon, Willow Warbler, House Sparrow, Song Thrush, Chaffinch, Great Tit, Hooded Crow
Sensory Garden
House Martin, Barn Swallow, Robin, Raven, Mallard 3, Wren, Woodpigeon, Mistle Thrush, Blue Tit, Chiff chaff, Blackcap, Dunnock, Goldfinch, Tree Creeper
