Sightings and news for week ending 14 June 2026
Image- juvenile Bittern at the Pillbox Pool reedbed- M.J.McGill
Upcoming Events
4x4 Photo Safari - Wednesday 17 June
BSL Support Day - Sunday 28 June
Wild History Walk - Saturday 4 July
4x4 Photo Safari - Thursday 16 July
The Urban Birder's 20th Anniversary: Guided Birding Walk - Tuesday 21 July
Guided Birdwatch Walk - Tuesday 4 August
Birding for Beginners - Wednesday 5 August
Summer Walkway
We are hoping to open the summer walkway as soon as possible, we are currently monitoring three Cranes that have been using the area as a safe hiding place whilst they moult. To reduce stress to these flightless bird and give them space we are delaying opening the path. Summer herds of cattle are due to go out onto the Top New Piece and Dumbles, we will monitor where these flightless birds choose to hide and feed and make a plan around their movements to keep them safe. Sorry for the delay, we are doing what is right for these birds at a vulnerable stage. Thank you for your understanding.
WeBS Wetland Bird Survey Count for Sunday 14 June
| Canada Goose | 17 | plus 2 goslings | |
| Barnacle Goose | 80 | ||
| Greylag Goose | 192 | plus broods of 4, 2, 2, 2, 2, 5, 3, 4, 2, 4 in the grounds, brood of 1 South Lake. Goslings not included in total. | |
| Mute Swan | 59 | ||
| Shelduck | 364 | plus broods of 10, 5 and 9 in Rushy, broods of 9, 6, 4 Estuary. Not included in total | |
| Shoveler | 9 | five male, four female, failed breeders. | |
| Gadwall | 159 | plus broods of 3, 8, 8 not included in total | |
| Wigeon | 1 | ||
| Mallard | 444 | ||
| Teal | 11 | ||
| Pochard | 5 | all drakes | |
| Tufted Duck | 100 | 80 males | |
| Little Grebe | 12 | plus two small chicks, broods of 1 and 1, two fully fledged included in adult total | |
| Bittern | 3 | ||
| Grey Heron | 15 | ||
| Little Egret | 10 | ||
| Cormorant | 11 | ||
| Moorhen | 35 | ||
| Coot | 83 | plus at least 9 young | |
| Oystercatcher | 36 | plus two chicks in grounds. | |
| Avocet | 117 | plus 25 chicks in 15 broods | |
| Lapwing | 14 | ||
| Ringed Plover | 120 | ||
| Whimbrel | 1 | ||
| Curlew | 23 | ||
| Black-tailed Godwit | 40 | ||
| Curlew Sandpiper | 1 | ||
| Sanderling | 19 | ||
| Dunlin | 9 | ||
| Redshank | 18 | ||
| Kingfisher | 7 | ||
| Black-headed Gull | 335 | ||
| Mediterranean Gull | 1 | ||
| Great Black-backed Gull | 11 | ||
| Herring Gull | 124 | ||
| Lesser Black-backed Gull | 52 | ||
| Snow Goose | 1 | newly arrived | |
| Hybrid goose | 2 | Snow x Bar-headed and Barnacle x Canada | |
| Hybrid duck | 1 | Pintail x RCP? long staying | |
| Crane | 18 | plus 6 chicks broods of 1, 1, 2, 2 |
Saturday 13 June
Decoy Hide
7 Shelduck and a pair of Tufted Duck Kingfisher perched by nest hole and a Heron.
Kingfisher Hide
4 Gadwall, 2 Mute Swan, Redshank calling in Bottom New Piece, Reed Bunting singing, no sign of Kingfisher or Barn Owl yet
Tack Piece
4 Shelduck, 1 Lapwing, Reed Warbler family, 1 Curlew, 1 juvenile Little Ringed Plover, 1 Roe Deer From Robbie Garnett Hide
South Lake
Crane pair, 42 Black-tailed Godwits, 76 Avocets, 2 Oystercatchers, 4 Cormorant, 1 Lapwing, 15 Shelduck, 122 Gadwall, 11 Shoveler, 10 Tufted, pair Teal, 2 male Pochard from Discovery Hide
Estuary Tower
Family of Sedge Warbler, 8 Crane, 6+ Skylark, 1 male Marsh Harrier flyby, 14 Barnacle, 6+ Swallow.
Long Ground Pool
1 Great Egret
Friday 12 June
Tack Piece
Great Egret , 1 Oystercatcher, 1 Barnacle goose, 3 Greylag geese, 2 Shelduck.
Dumbles
6 unidentified Cranes, female Marsh Harrier flying south over Dumbles
Pillbox Pool
2 Bitterns
Image - Bittern at the Pillbox Pool reedbed - Tim Jukes
South Finger Walkway
Much quieter in the Reed beds as warblers fall silent. Chiffchaff, Blackcap and a single Reed Warbler in song
Kingfisher Hide
25 moulting Gadwall. Sedge Warbler feeding young, Goldfinch, Buzzard in hedge but so far no sign of any Barn Owl activity.
Top New Piece
6 Avocet, 4 Redshank. Singing Reed Warbler but plenty of action as other birds feed amongst reeds. Moulting Gadwall and Mallard groups and the Crane pair. No sign of chick but grass is very tall so probably there.
South Lake
At the Discovery Hide entrance a singing Whitethroat.84 Avocet with a few pairs still on eggs. Large numbers of coot (36) and moulting Gadwall 80c
A pair of Herring Gull with small chick in nest box.
Thursday 11 June
South Lake
34 Avocet, 2 adult Oystercatcher with 2 rapidly growing chicks, 2 Male Pochard, 4 Shoveler and 8 House Martins feeding over the water.
Dumbles
Severn Cranes, 1 Curlew, 1 Little Egret, 1 Oystercatcher and a Lesser Whitethroat.
Knott Hide
Juvenile Bittern seen in the reedbed from Knott Hide at around 13:15.
Tack Piece
Eight Tufted Duck, 2 Oystercatcher, 2 Avocet, 2 Lapwing, 1 Great Egret, Seven Ringed Plovers and a Dunlin at 10:30.
Rushy
Eight Gadwall, 11 Tufted Duck, 16 Avocet, broods of Shelduck, Gadwall, Tufted Duck, and Black-headed Gull, 2nd calendar year Mediterranean Gull, 1 Pochard and 2 Shoveler.
Decoy
The male Kingfisher seen going in and out of the nesting bank this afternoon.
Car Park
Three Common Whitethroat, 2 Blackcap, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Song Thrush and 3 Oystercatcher.
Top New Piece
One Little Egret, Marsh Harrier, Redshank, 22 Shelduck, 2 Avocet, 1 Little Grebe, 12 Gadwall, 2 Mute Swan and Blackcap heard singing. 2 Adult Crane (likely Oakie and Sherbert) seen walking along the hegdeline.
Kingfisher Hide
Barn Owl Adult and one youngster seen looking out the Box opposite the hide!
Wednesday 10 June
Top New Piece
Six Redshank, 42 Gadwall, 4 Avocet, Oystercatcher, 12 Shelduck, Little Egret and 2 Crane
Kingfisher Hide
Grey Heron, Cuckoo and Reed Bunting as well as Barn Owl activity in the box in front of the Hide.
South Lake
78 Avocet, 15 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Oystercatcher, 22 Coot, 14 Tufted Duck, 32 Swift overhead and a single Common Tern overhead.
Martin Smith
Long staying Wigeon, 2 Tufted Duck and 2 Moorhen.
Dumbles
Seven Cranes and House Martins collecting mud from the scrape.
Tack Piece
Singles of Curlew, Crane, Avocet and Oystercatcher, 3 Redshank, 6 Tufted Duck and 3 Shelduck.
9 June
Rushy Hide
Broods of 3 and 8, Shelduck brood of 9 and a creche of 15 older Shelducklings, 10+ broods of Avocet, 15 broods of Black-headed Gull, brood of 3 Tufted Ducks, drake Pochard, c25 Gadwall.
Top New Piece
Pair of Cranes with chick, 81 Swift feeding over, largest flock this year but low compared to the numbers we used to see over the reserve in summer, also Swallows and House Martins, 31 Gadwall, 4 Teal, 6 Redshank, Reed Buntings and Reed Warblers, Cuckoo calling.
South Lake
Crane pair with chick, 39 Black-tailed Godwit, 88 Avocet, 3 pairs of Oystercatcher + 2 near fledged, 5 drake and a duck Shoveler, 3 drake and a duck Teal, 2cy Mediterranean Gull with the Black-headed Gulls, 82 Gadwall, singing Whitethroat near Discovery Hide
Tack Piece
2cy Mediterranean Gull with loafing Black-headed Gulls on central flood. Juvenile Pied Wagtail with adults and Oystercatcher and a few Gadwall and Tufted Duck.
Estuary Tower
Six Cranes on the Dumbles, c20 Dunlin, c30 Sanderling + c100 Ringed Plover on the Severn.
8 June
Bittern update
The breeding Bittern at the Pillbox pool reedbed is very close to fledging at least two young, the female has been very busy, often making long distance feeding flights to find food for the young. Over the last three weeks we have watched her come and go through all weather conditions, from frost to an extreme heatwave. Following another heavy night and morning of rain, two young were spotted by Guide in the Hide; Ian Hull as they were warming up and drying off in the reeds. Good binocular and scope views were possible from the Estuary Tower. The downy 'top-knot' on the crown clearly visible.
If you are visiting we typically have a Guide in the Hide stationed in the Estuary Tower, do ask about the Bitterns if you want to see them, they will be happy to share the scope to give you a better view, if the young are showing. The female comes and goes through the day feeding them, with patience you should catch the female as it arrives/departs each time. It covers a large area to find food, often heading to the Top New Piece. or even further afield.
The Estuary Tower overlooks this pool with the Knott Hide offering additional viewing, as well as a few 'holes in the wall' viewing slots and the viewing area on the Estuary Tower staircase. Please note that inside the hide there are only two windows to view over this pool, we will set up a scope at the right hand end of the right window to share viewing opportunities. The two windows here may prove popular so we may have to 'manage' the area to ensure as many people as possible get to see them during busy times.
On the top deck of the Estuary Tower it will mean looking through the safety glass wall. The favoured area for these birds is around 60m from the Estuary Tower and 35m from the Knott Hide. Although the latter site is closer the young are currently down in the reeds, most views are of the female visiting with food or departing. This may change on still and sunny days or as the young become older, they are likely to explore their environment and might even show up in the bay opposite the hide.
A couple of images taken from the indoor part of the Estuary Tower below. MJM.
No sign of the male Red-necked Phalarope from any of the hides by 0930hrs.
Estuary Tower
Bittern making flights to and from Top New Piece. Flock of c120 Ringed Plover, Sanderling and Dunlin on the Severn.
Top New Piece
Wood Sandpiper, 6 Redshank, 4 Avocet, Bittern fishing on the reedy island along the fleet and occasionally in the open, it flew back to Pillbox Pool and then returned. A juvenile Stonechat on the Bottom New Piece boundary fence, flock of Gadwall with a few Teal
Grounds
Cuckoo singing occasionally.
Tack Piece
Little-ringed Plover, 2cy Mediterranean Gull and adult breeding plumage Little Gull on the central flood with Gadwall, pair of Shoveler, pair of Teal, Shelducks and a few Herring and Lesser Black-backed Gulls. Skylarks and Pied Wagtails feeding as well as a few Tufted Ducks on the fleet and the usual singing Sedge and Reed Warblers, Chiffchaff, Blackcap and Whitethroat.
