Adorable Otter family, Avocet, and Kingfisher
Cold winds have been gusting over recent days, so the regulars have been hunkering down - and that's just the visitors in the hides!
As the blustery winds died down, the air became sharp enough for sounds to carry again. Wingbeats, whistles, the soft hiss of water against reed stems. And in that calm, the wetlands revealed their winter riches as before: elegant waders picking the shallows, geese gathered and grazing or flying overhead in formation, and the sudden, breath-catching surprise of a raptor cutting through the sky.
Wildlife sightings at WWT Llanelli to 25th January 2026
Highlights: Kingfisher, Avocet, Spoonbill, Otter
A mother and her two young Otters have been seen hunting and slipping through Deep Water Lake quite regularly this month. The sort of sighting that can make you forget the cold instantly! Otters have a knack for appearing like punctuation in the waterscape: a sleek back, a whiskered face, a brief roll, and then the water smooths over as if nothing happened, a few ripples the only tell.
They are most likely to be seen from the Heron's Wing Hide or Peter Scott Hide early in the morning, or in late afternoon. Watch for signs such as bubble trails or a sudden scatter of birds.
The British Steel Hide has continued to host the best wader sightings on site. The Avocet has stayed with us, its elegant monochrome form bringing delight to birders. The steady regulars have also kept our spirits high on cold, damp days:
- Black-tailed Godwit
- Knot
- Little Egret
- Lapwing
- Shelduck, Teal, Gadwall, Tufted Duck
- Canad Goose
- Greylag Goose
- Curlew
- Redshank and Greenshank
- Herring Gull and Lesser Black-backed Gull
- Cormorant
- Buzzard
Scan the view in layers — foreground shallows for waders, mid-water for ducks, then sky and fence posts for raptors and loafing birds. The good stuff often appears when you think you've already seen it all.
The Spoonbill are still loyal to the saltmarsh, like white beacons haunting the margins. Every now and then, the flock will fly across and resettle, a beautiful, almost prehistoric sight.
On the Freshwater Lagoon, it's the familiar birds we've been enjoying. Regulars include Shelduck, Gadwall, Teal, Mallard and Shoveler for the ducks, with the usual waders and Pied Wagtails keeping them company.
The flurrying small birds of the Millennium Wetlands have provided plenty of interest, with the bare trees offering a winter woodland wonderland. Sudden flickers in the branches and hedgerows, and moments when a quiet path turns into a chorus. Keep an eye out for:
- Great, Blue and Long-tailed Tit
- Goldfinch
- Greenfinch
- Siskin
- Bullfinch
- Chaffinch
- Song Thrush
- Goldcrest
- Cetti's Warbler
- Treecreeper
And look out for the blue streak of a Kingfisher as you venture round the reserve, we're getting closer to courtship season by the day!
The crew of birds who enjoy the convenience of the feeders by the cafe have been very busy providing entertainment to those of us who prefer to stay indoors and within easy reach of hot beverages. The industrious Great Spotted Woodpecker has been back and forth every day, a brilliantly grounding sight at close range, with their bold patterning, purposeful movement and quiet confidence keeping our attention and admiration. The songbirds flutter back and forth, too, making the most of the bounty provided to them by their loyal human servants.
In the pond below, the resident Gadwall and Mallard are sometimes joined by a handsome pair of Shoveler. It's always a treat to see them up close!
