Sighting and news to week ending 15 March 2026
Come and see our wild Kingfishers!
We now two pairs of Kingfishers digging holes or refurbishing nest sites and viewable from the hides, please be very quiet in the Duck Decoy Hide and Kingfisher Hide to help them settle in and remain calm. In a good season we expect two broods per pair but a third attempt is not unheard of. The best time to see them is now, catch them whilst they are pairing up, actively digging and while they begin to lay eggs, once incubation of the eggs begins the male will visit with fish for the female, the visits increase when the chicks hatch with both then feeding young until they fledge (leave the nest). You might walk into a hide and the birds are present and showing superbly or have to wait until one visits.
It can be quiet for a week or two until they decide to nest again. Timing will help with a successful sighting, they are small birds so carefully look in the low trees and branches as they are often sat nearby. We will have Guides in the Hides present on and off to help you spot one.
Please note that the hide windows are closed up, any photographs taken will be through glass. The South Finger nest bank is around 40-45m from the hide, the Decoy bank is around 60m. We will clean the windows around the birds incubation period, when it's a quiet period, we will clean them.
And the Cranes are dancing on the Dumbles!
As the breeding season approaches, our population of Cranes can be seen dancing, particularly on the dry days. Around 1330-1400hrs at least 15 on the Dumbles today, ten un-ringed birds and five ringed birds, the un-ringed birds consist of mostly younger age and were very active making short flights and jumping, posturing and making bugling calls.
Sunday 15 March
Tack Piece
Both the immature and long-staying sub-adult Spoonbill remain (pictured below). Further reductions in ducks numbers although all the usual species were present.
Estuary Tower
A Little-ringed Plover feeding in the grass and shore of the far largest "saltpan" on the Dumbles, an adult D.B Brent on foreshore saltmarsh with the Canada/Barnacle Goose flock + the two hybrids and the Ross's Goose. 190 Russian White-fronted Geese + 2 Barnacle Geese feeding on the pasture with 6 Avocet and a few Shoveler on the scrape. Two to four Sand Martins over the hide. A Red Kite through. Little and Great Egrets in the ditches to the north and 2-3 Marsh Harrier over the fields and floods.
Kingfisher Hide
Female Kingfisher outside the nest hole, 5 Lapwing engaged in display over Bottom New Piece, 27 Greylag grazing.
South Finger Reedbed- Brown Hare on the rides.Kingfisher Hide- female Kingfisher outside the nest hole, 5 Lapwing engaged in display over Bottom New Piece, 27 Greylag grazing.
South Lake
23 Cattle Egret plus 155 Avocet, 4 Oystercatcher, single female Lapwing, 28 Black-tailed Godwit, 4 Knot and 11 Dunlin heading up a good variety of wading birds noted here today.
Rushy Hide/Peng Observatory
Up to 10 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Lapwing, 3 Redshank and a few pairs of Avocet visited.
South Finger Reedbed
Brown Hare on the rides.
Saturday 14 March
Tack piece
390 Wigeon, 43 Shoveler, 22 Teal, 7 Tufted Duck, 2 Pintail, 13 Shelduck, 35 Barnacle Goose, 2 Spoonbill, 2 Redshank, 3 Curlew, 11 Mute Swan.
Willow Hide
Great spotted Woodpecker, 3 Reed Bunting, 2 Cettis Warbler, pair of Chaffinch, Flock of Goldfinch and chiff chaff
Dumbles
188 White-fronted Goose, 36 Barnacle Goose, 13 Shoveler, 11 Teal, 8 Avocet, 2 Oystercatcher, 2 Pheasant, singles of Lapwing , Great Egret, Marsh Harrier, Sparrowhawk, Skylark, Chiffchaff, Pied Wagtail, Cetti’s Warbler, Muntjac and Roedeer
South Lake
140 Avocet, 177 Black-tailed Godwit, 58 Teal, 33 Shoveler, 1 Oystercatcher, 40 Tufted Duck, 2 male 3 female Pochard, 11 Cormorant.
Top New Piece
73 Teal, 88 Wigeon, 19 Shelduck, 19 Avocet, 6 Tufted Duck, 1 pair Gadwall, Cettis Warbler singing
Kingfisher Hide
Stock Dove in the willows and kingfisher pair showing well. Reed Bunting, Chiffchaff and Water Rail heard.
Bottom New Piece
Pair of Lapwing, Redshank, 43 Greylags, 2 Canada Geese
Decoy
Male and female Kingfisher by nest bank
Friday 13 March
Kingfisher Hide
Kingfisher (male) by nest bank, 3 pairs Teal, 1 pair Tufted Duck
Bottom New Piece
Lapwing displaying
Rushy
21 Mute Swans, 22 Greylag Geese, 13 Canada Geese, 1 Barnacle Geese, 34 Shelduck, 100 Tufted Ducks, 64 Mallards, 22 Pintail, 10 Pochard, 1 Wigeon, 7 Coots, 2 Moorhen, 1 Lapwing, 110 Black-Headed Gulls, 1 Grey Heron, 28 Rook
Dumbles
165 White fronted Geese, 46 Canada Geese, 15 Greylag Geese, 6 Cranes unringed, 19 Shelduck, 24 Shelduck on estuary, 4+ Meadow Pipits, 1+ Skylark
South Lake
219 Black-tailed Godwit, 184 Avocet, 22 Shoveler, 12 Cormorant, 2 pairs Tufted Duck, 3 males 1 female Pochard, 3 Cranes flew over towards road fields
Tack Piece
3 Mute Swans, 143 Barnacle Geese, 12 White fronted Geese, 7 , Canada Geese, 16 Shelduck, 179 Wigeon, 24 Shoveler, 17 Teal, 2 Redshank, 1 Curlew, 2 Pied Wagtails
Decoy
male and female Kingfisher by nest bank
Thursday 12 March
South Lake
From Discovery Hide there were 144 Avocet, 182 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Oystercatcher, 38 Shoveler, 46 Teal, 3 Mallard, 7 Gadwall, 10 Pochard, 16 Tufted Duck, 1 Grey Heron, 21 Shelduck, 2 Crane, 9 Canada Geese, 3 Greylag Geese, 7 Coot and 13 Cormorant.
Top New Piece
From Zeiss Hide there were 7 Canada Geese, 4 Greylag Geese, 1 Cetti’s Warbler, 1 Mute swan, 7 Shoveler, 18 Teal, 39 Wigeon, 11 Shelduck, 2 Black-headed Gull, 1 Redshank, 1 Avocet and 1 Great Egret. A Red Kite flew over early afternoon flushing the duck.
Kingfisher Hide
There were 2 Kingfishers seen, 3 Gadwall, 4 Tufted Duck, 2 Mallard, 2 Teal, 3 Mute swan, 1 Coot, 1 Great Tit, 3 Blue Tit, Long-tailed Tit flock, 1 Grey Heron, 8 Canada Geese, 28 Greylag Geese and Roe deer on sea wall.
Tack Piece
From the Robbie Garnett hide there were 2 Mute Swan, 121 Barnacle Geese, 111 White-fronted Geese (153 seen on site), 4 Greylag Geese, 2 Canada Geese, 25 Shelduck, 227 Wigeon, 14 Shoveler, 11 Teal, 10 Tufted Duck, 4 Mallard, 1 Pintail, 2 Curlew, 1 Spoonbill, 1 Coot, 1 Moorhen and 2 Pied Wagtail.
Wednesday 11 March
At least 19 Bewick's Swans on site today but they departed overnight.
Dumbles
From Estuary Tower there were 8 Cranes including Oakie and Sherbert, Skylark singing, 4 Avocet on the scrape with 25 Shoveler, 2 Pintail and Teal too.
Decoy Hide
Looking onto the Duck Decoy Pool the Kingfisher’s were showing as well as a Water Rail, Sparrowhawk and Bullfinch too.
Tack Piece
From Martin Smith Hide there were 2 Cetti's Warbler singing, Spoonbill feeding in the channel, Sand Martins overhead, 1 Red Kite, 185 White-fronted Geese, 2 Avocet, 10 Redshank with a couple starting to show breeding plumage, 4 Roe Deer, Pintail, Wigeon and Shoveler.
Kingfisher Hide
Both male and female Kingfishers were very active around the bank with 18 Teal, 2 Gadwall and 4 Tufted Duck on the water and a female Marsh Harrier.
Top New Piece
From Zeiss Hide on the scrapes there were 110 Teal, 76 Wigeon, 12 Shelduck, Redshank, 1 male Marsh Harrier, 3 Buzzard, Cetti's Warbler and 1 Great Egret.
South Lake
Black-headed Gulls and Avocets in a panic over the wader scrape.
Tuesday 10 March
South Lake
A Cattle Egret in the willow brash on deep lake. A few hundred Black-headed Gulls with c25 Herring and a couple of Common Gulls, flocks of Avocet, Black-tailed Godwit and Teal and Shoveler. Pair of Cranes.
Tack Piece
At least 18 Bewick's Swan took flight early morning and headed NE, a pair with two cygnets returned to Rushy and 7 returned to Tack Piece, c300 Wigeon, 100 Teal, 8 Pintail and 30+ Shoveler. A later count of 25 Russian White-fronted Geese here. Seven Cranes. The Spoonbill appeared here mid-morning. At lunchtime the 21 Bewick's Swans were still present (3 juveniles) plus at least 175 Russian White-fronted Geese late afternoon.
Kingfisher Hide
Male Kingfisher outside the nest hole (note that windows facing bank are closed up to prevent disturbance). 6 Lapwing in display flight over Bottom New Piece + Sparrowhawk over toward grounds.
Estuary Tower
75 Russian White-fronted Geese on the increasing to 85 later, with two Barnacle Geese early morning, the scrape holding a few hundred duck- Wigeon, Teal, Shoveler and Pintail + 3 pairs of Avocet. Around 12 Sand Martin came in from the North.
Top New Piece
Spoonbill early morning, a few Lapwing and Redshank on the islands, c80 Teal, 90 Wigeon and a few Gadwall and Shoveler + trilling Little Grebe.
Car Park
A Lesser Redpoll feeding in the trees again.
Grounds
A few Siskins about.
Monday 9 March
Rushy Hide/Peng Observatory
21 Bewick's Swans but no sign of the Whooper Swans, 5 Pochard, 4 Shoveler, 42 Pintail + flocks of pairs of Tufted Duck, Shelduck, Greylag, Teal, Coot and Moorhen
Tack Piece
A flock of 22 Pied Wagtails had a male White Wagtail for company.
