Recent Sightings 3rd August 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 Common Sandpiper. Common sandpipers have light brown upper parts and white underparts, they have a brown streak across their upper breast and white patches where their "shoulders" would be. They have dark yellow legs and a grey break with a dark tip. The bird flies with stiff wings low over the water, and it bobs gently when it is standing. Common Sandpipers are typically seen on the edge of coastal waterbodies, where they forage for small invertebrates in shallow water or on the land. This small wader is unusual because it is a summer migrant to the UK; most migratory waders seen here visit during the winter. They breed across most of Europe and Asia and migrate to Africa, south Asia and Australia to spend the winter. Common Sandpipers are generally seen on their own but they can flock during migration, they rarely mix with other species of birds. There are no subspecies of Common Sandpiper, but it does have a sister species called the Spotted Sandpiper, which it is very difficult to distinguish from. The Spotted Sandpiper is native to North America and finding the two species in the same place is very rare, however hybrids between the two have been recorded.
Estuary - visible from the Brent Hide and the Limekiln Observatory
Hooded Crow 2, Leser Black-backed Gull 3, Great Black-backed Gull 1, Oystercatcher 5, Herring Gull 5, Black-headed Gull 26, Grey Heron 1, Little Egret 1, Curlew 4, Dunlin 1, Ringed Plover 19
Main lake - visible from Sensory Garden and Visitor Centre
Common Sandpiper 1, Kingfisher 1, Mute Swan 2, Common Tern 2, Coot 1, Moorhen 3, Lesser Black-backed Gull 1, Little Grebe 4, Mallard 112 (plus 6 ducklings), Greylag Goose 19, Teal 4, Tufted Duck (female) 1, Pintail (male) 1, Shelduck (juvenile) 1, Grey Wagtail, Woodpigeon, House Martin, Greenfinch, Blue Tit, Swallow
Shingle Bank - visible from Sensory Garden and Visitor Centre
Canada Goose 37, Greylag Goose 5, Gadwall 4, Mallard 70, Hooded Crow 1, Little Egret 1, Moorhen 1, Common Gull 2, Black-headed Gull 3
Wadermarsh - visible from Wadermarsh lookout and Brent Hide
Greylag Goose 40, Common Gull 1, Black-headed Gull 4, Linnet, House Sparrow
Freshwater Lagoon - visible from Brent Hide and Crannóg
Gadwall 2, Swallow, Sedge Warbler, Wren
Saline Lagoon - visible from Limekiln observatory
Common Tern 14 (plus 9 chicks), Litle Grebe 1
Brickworks
Jackdaw 2, Swallow, Blackbird
Limestone Lake
Kingfisher 1, Little Grebe 1
Peninsula Saltmarsh
Lapwing 1
Peninsula Field
Swallow
Woodland
Raven 1, Goldcrest, Robin, Blue Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Willow Warbler, Woodpigeon, Swallow, Sparrowhawk, Swift 3
Sensory Garden
Blackbird, Woodpigeon, Wren, Robin, Long-tailed Tit, Goldfinch, Song Thrush
