Recent Sightings (23rd-29th Dec)
British Steel Hide
Wader counts on the saline lagoons have included 419 Black-tailed Godwits, 1 Bar-tailed Godwit, 9 Greenshank, 4 Snipe, 1 Spotted Redshank, 3 Redshank, 199 Dunlin, 2 Grey Plover, 6 Knot, 287 Lapwing and 10 Curlew. Wildfowl counts include 116 Wigeon, 27 Shelduck, 80 Teal, 2 Great Crested Grebes, 25 Tufted Ducks, 10 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 8 Gadwall, 21 Greylag Geese, 2 Canada Geese and 5 Mallards. The Spoonbill has been regular from the hide up until the 29th.
Millennium Wetlands
Wildfowl on the wetlands have included 97 Teal, 38 Gadwall, 8 Moorhen, 9 Mute Swans, 15 Coot, 8 Shoveler, 2 Greylag Geese, 7 Canada Geese, 3 Little Grebes and 11 Tufted Ducks. The female Ring-necked Duck was present on the header pond up until the 27th. 11 Curlews and 45 Lapwing have been seen flying over. Bird counts from the wetlands include 9 Song Thrushes, 3 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 29 Blackbirds, 11 Redwings, 44 Chaffinches, 13 Siskins, 18 Meadow Pipits, 2 Water Pipits (18th), 27 Goldfinches, a Raven, a Lesser Redpoll, 3 Bullfinches, 2 Buzzards, 2 Sparrowhawks, 5 Water Rails, a Little Egret, 5 Goldcrests, 3 Treecreepers and several sightings of single Hawfinches around the visitor centre up until the 28th.
