Recent Sightings 9th March 2026
The following sightings were taken from the reserve at Castle Espie during a receding tide. The bird of the week is the House Sparrow. Males have a dark brown back with black streaks, a black bib and a grey cap. The darker and larger the bib the more attractive the bird is to potential mates. Females are much lighter brown with black streaks on their back and a lighter coloured beak. House Sparrows have declined around between 60-70% since the 1980s in the UK, but it has still been the commonest bird spotted for several years in the RSPB’s annual Big Garden Birdwatch. House Sparrows often nest close together, and they prefer human-made spaces, for example in roofs or nest boxes, and they will fiercely defend their nests from other birds. House Sparrow remains have even been found in Bronze Age settlements, which shows they have been living alongside humans for thousands of years.
Estuary - visible from the Brent Hide and the Limekiln Observatory
Brent Goose 105, Black-headed Gull 32, Oystercatcher 113, Common Gull 6, Shelduck 113, Hooded Crow 2, Eider Duck 84, Curlew 4, Redshank 3, Little Egret 2, Lesser Black-backed Gull 4, Greenshank 1, Herring Gull 12, Mediterranean Gull 2 (Flying over)
Main lake - visible from Sensory Garden and Visitor Centre
Little Grebe 1, Mallard 20, Teal 10, Moorhen 2, Woodpigeon, Great Tit, Goldfinch, Blackbird, Blue Tit, Siskin, Long-tailed Tit, Robin, Goldcrest, Hooded Crow 1, Kingfisher 1, Cormorant 2
Shingle Bank - visible from Sensory Garden and Visitor Centre
Teal 12, Cormorant 2, Little Egret 1, Gadwall 6, Moorhen 1, Mallard 9, Redshank 9
Wadermarsh - visible from Wadermarsh lookout and Brent Hide
Greenshank 3, Redshank 4, Black-tailed Godwit 3, Black-headed Gull1, Teal 4, Great Tit, Song Thrush, Long-tailed Tit
Freshwater Lagoon - visible from Brent Hide and Crannóg
Gadwall 10, Teal 20, Mallard 3, Little Grebe 1, Dunnock, Robin
Saline Lagoon - visible from Limekiln observatory
Little Grebe 1, Hooded Crow 1, Kingfisher 1
Brickworks
Jackdaw 6, Pied Wagtail 1, Blackbird, Great Tit, Chaffinch, Robin, Song Thrush, Dunnock, Linnet
Limestone Lake
Little Grebe 1, Gadwall 1, Song Thrush, Greenfinch, Pied Wagtail, Chaffinch, Wren, Woodpigeon
Peninsula Saltmarsh
Redshank 1, Black-headed Gull, Meadow Pipit 2
Peninsula Field
Jackdaw 4, Meadow Pipit 2, Magpie 1
Woodland
Robin, Woodpigeon, Chaffinch, Blackbird, Siskin, Goldcrest, Blue Tit, Dunnock, Great Tit, Wren, Goldfinch, Long-tailed Tit, Sparrowhawk 1, Song Thrush
Sensory Garden
Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Robin, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Wren, Chaffinch, Dunnock, Pied Wagtail, House Sparrow, Magpie 1
