Recent Sightings 27th July 2026
The following sightings were taken from the reserve at Castle Espie during a rising tide. The bird of the week this week is the Osprey. Ospreys have white underparts and brown upperparts and a dark ‘eye mask’. When seen from afar they can look uniformly dark in colour and can be mistaken for a gull due to their M-shape in flight as the wings bend slightly at the ‘wrists’. There are four subspecies of Osprey, two are non-migratory. The subspecies that can be seen as a passage migrant in the UK breeds in Europe (including Scotland) and overwinters in Africa. After the Peregrine Falcon, they are the second most widely distributed raptor species globally. Ospreys have suffered declines in the past from hunting, but also from ingesting fish contaminated with now banned pesticides like DDT, which caused their eggshells to thin and greatly reduced the numbers of chicks. Ospreys are very different from other raptors, they are the only species in their taxonomic family, and are the only one with a diet mainly made up of live fish. When hunting, these birds will spot fish below the surface and dive down, grabbing the fish with outstretched feet. Sharp talons and reversible toes ensure a strong grip. Ospreys can catch fish up to a meter below the surface of the water, and will even fly off with their prey facing forwards so it is more aerodynamic to carry.
Estuary - visible from the Brent Hide and the Limekiln Observatory
Black-headed Gull 48, Common Gull 2, Oystercatcher 3, Lesser Black-backed Gull 4, Eider Duck 4, Common Tern 2, Curlew 20
Main lake - visible from Sensory Garden and Visitor Centre
Mute Swan 2, Shelduck 1 (plus 3 ducklings), Greylag Goose 28, Canada Goose 45, Kingfisher 1 (female), Mallard 79, Common Tern 3, Coot 2, Pintail 1 (Male), Wigeon 2 (Male), Moorhen 3, Little Grebe 2, Common Gull 1, Gadwall 4 (plus 8 ducklings), Black-headed Gull 4, Grey Heron 1, Swallow, Wren, Woodpigeon, Grey Wagtail, Greenfinch, Sedge Warbler, House Martin
Shingle Bank - visible from Sensory Garden and Visitor Centre
Mallard 68, Little Egret 20, Oystercatcher 35, Common Gull 65, Jackdaw 14, Herring Gull 2, Black-headed Gull 66, Lesser Black-backed Gull 1, Cormorant 1, Redshank (flying over), Osprey (flying over)
Wadermarsh - visible from Wadermarsh lookout and Brent Hide
Black-headed Gull 30, Mallard 3, Oystercatcher 1
Freshwater Lagoon - visible from Brent Hide and Crannóg
Grey Heron, Mallard 7, Moorhen 1, Gadwall 1
Saline Lagoon - visible from Limekiln observatory
Common Tern 20 (plus 8 chicks)
Brickworks
Jackdaw 4, Dunnock, Sedge Warbler, Swallow, Robin, Sparrowhawk 1, Linnet, Meadow Pipit
Limestone Lake
Tufted Duck 1 (female), Mallard 2, Little Grebe 1, Blue Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Coal Tit, Willow Warbler
Peninsula Saltmarsh
Black-headed Gull 2
Peninsula Field
Swallow, Woodpigeon
Woodland
Robin, Sparrowhawk
Sensory Garden
House Sparrow, Wren, Robin, Woodpigeon, Bullfinch
