Sightings and news to week ending 1 March 2026
Sunday 1 March
Rushy Hide/Peng Observatory
Two Whooper and now 37 Bewick's Swans (4 juveniles), 47 Pintail, 2 Lapwing, 2 Oystercatcher, 37 Pochard, also Teal, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Mute Swan, Greylag, Coot and Moorhen. Adult Mediterranean Gull with the Black-headed Gulls, 5 Redpoll in birches near Rushy Hide but also seen in the birches opposite rickyard building.
Tack Piece
Spoonbill, 34 Shoveler, 320 Wigeon, 60 Teal, 20 Redshank, 9 Curlew, 6 Pintail, singing Chiffchaff and Reed Buntings.
Estuary Tower
188 Russian White-fronted Geese with the two Barnacle Geese, 11 Pied Wagtail, 2 Avocet, 2 Oystercatcher, 198 Wigeon, 18 Shoveler, 2 Pintail and 50 Teal on the scrape + hunting Peregrine. A few Greylag and Canada, Barnacle, Ross's and two hybrid Geese on saltmarsh.
Long Ground Pool from Estuary Tower
33 Shoveler and 18 Pochard among the other ducks present.
Pill Box Pool
Four Shoveler, 22 Teal, c40 Wigeon.
South Lake
Four Oystercatcher, 142 Avocet, 202 Black-tailed Godwit on the scrape. Counts from both Hogarth and Discovery Hide; 2 Little Grebe, 32 Gadwall, 129 Shoveler, 38 Pochard + flocks of Tufted Ducks, Mallard and Teal.
Grounds
A few Siskins about.
Saturday 28 February
Estuary Walkway
Firecrest
Dumbles
2 Peregrine, 1 Marsh Harrier flythrough, 1 Snipe, 1 Redwing, 2 Avocet, 2 Oystercatcher, 1 Little Stint, 300 Wigeon, 40 Dunlin, 6 Skylark, 1 Lapwing, 2 Bewicks swan, 27 Whitefront geese, 2 groups Barnacle 64 & 80, 5 Pied Wagtail
Tack Piece
1 Spoonbill, 650+ Wigeon, 32 Whitefront geese, 12 Barnacle Geese, 1 Buzzard, 35 Redwing, 8 Shoveler, 6 Pintail, 1 Peregrine flythrough, 2 Roe Deer from Robbie Garnett hide
2 Whooper swan, 56 Bewicks swan 4 juvenile, 19 Pintail, 26 Pochard 6 female, 200+ Tufted including the chocolate tufty.
Top New Piece
127 Teal, 4 shoveler, 6 Gadwall, 113 Wigeon, 18 Lapwing, 4 Shelduck, 1 Marsh Harrier, 2 Egyptian geese flew onto TNP flushing all the Teal & Wigeon, Cetti’s singing from Zeiss Hide
Kingfisher Hide
9 Tufted Duck, 1 pair Gadwall, 1 pair Teal, 1 Roe Deer on BNP
Decoy Hide
Kingfisher in front of bank, 12 Mallard, 6 Tufted Duck, 2 pairs Shoveler, 2 Mute Swan, 2 Greylag geese
South Lake
Male Goldeneye, 2 Egyptian geese, 30 Pochard, 7 Tufted, 122 Shoveler, 3 Gadwall, 41 Teal, 1 Shelduck, 2 Little Grebe, 95 Black-headed gulls, 10 Herring gulls, 4 Oystercatcher, 119 Avocet, 188 Black-tailed Godwits, 79 Common Gulls, 9 Cormorant.
Friday 27 February
Dumbles
56 White front Geese, 2 Barnacles (182 flock), Chiffchaff signing, 166 Barnacles & Ross’s Goose, 29 Pintail, 12 Shelduck, 12 Shoveler, 518 Wigeon, 52 Teal, 2 Oystercatcher, 8 Pied Wagtails
Long Ground pool
78 Tufted Duck, 9 male 5 female Pochard, 8 Shoveler, 1 Cormorant.
Pillbox Pool
29 Wigeon, 3 Tufted duck, 4 Teal
Tack Piece
126 White-fronted Goose, 1 Spoonbill, 13 Redshank, 30 Shoveler, 5 Ruff, 600+ Wigeon, 3 Curlew, 27 Shelduck, 3 Pochard, 10 Pintail, 7 Tufted Duck, 1 Gadwall, 142 Teal, 1 Buzzard seen from Robbie Garnett Hide
South Finger Walkway
Cettis warbler and Chiffchaff in song, Water Rail
Kingfisher Hide
Cettis warbler , Teal and Gadwall, 4 Roe and 2 Hare
Top New Piece
2 Marsh Harrier (m&f), Peregrine, 16 Avocet, 10 Tufted duck, 150 Wigeon ,82 Teal, 5 Gadwall, Cettis warbler, Reed Bunt, 32 Shelduck
South Lake
146 Avocet, 161 Black-tailed Godwit, 48 Shoveler on Duck Marsh. 8 Tufted Duck, 49 Pochard (34m 15f), 200c Black Headed Gulls, 1 Lesser Black Back Gull, 4 Common Gulls, 19 Herring Gull
Pair of Oystercatchers
Thursday 26 February
Estuary Tower
Female Merlin on seawall to north but flew inland toward Rushy, 172 Russian White-fronted and 2 Barnacle Geese on the Dumbles + the flock of 162 Barnacle, Ross's and Snow x Bar-headed and Barnacle x Canada Geese on saltmarsh with Canada Geese, 2 whooper swans, Peregrine Falcon, 94 wigeon, 136 teal, 1 marsh harrier, 5 cranes, 30 shoveler, 1 skylark, 1 peregrine, 2 pintail, 35 golden plover, 2 oystercatchers, goldcrest, dunnock, 1 cettis warbler, Chiffchaff singing in scrub.
Rushy Hide/Peng Observatory
37 Bewick's Swans but all flew out to estuary, two settled on Dumbles and a few have returned. Two Oystercatcher, 2 Lapwing and 8 Redshank + reduced numbers of ducks, 39 pintail, 4m & 11f Pochard, 1 wigeon, 2 gadwall, 109 tufted ducks, 54 Shelduck, 57 teal, 2 shoveler, 12 mute swans
Tack Piece
Spoonbill 350 Teal, 33 Shoveler, 12 Tufted ducks, 510 Wigeon, 1 Buzzard, 10 Pintail, 9m 2f Pochard, 2 Redshank and Ruff along the shore.
Estuary Walkway
Blackcap singing, male siskin
Kingfisher
3 Blue tit, 1 Great tit, 1 Gold finch, 1 Chaffinch, 4 Tufted duck, 4 Gadwall, 3 Coot, 4 Teal, 1 Little grebe, 1 Carrion crow, 1 Cetti’s warbler, 1 Chiff chaff
Top New Piece
31 Canada geese, 1 Greylag geese, 181 Teal, 5 Tufted duck, 16 Shoveler, 99 Wigeon, 5 Gadwall, 2 Mallard, 1 Marsh harrier, 4 Mute swan, 36 Shelduck, 4 Black headed gull, 2 Herring gull seen from Zeiss
South lake
2 Canada geese, 16 Greylag, 80 Teal, 19 Gadwall, 67 Shoveler, 24 Tufted duck, 23 Pochard, 4 Mallard, 2 Oystercatchers, 136 Avocet, 113 Black-tailed godwit, 8 Cormorant, 6 Coot seen from Discovery
Wednesday 25 February
Top New Piece
Cetti's Warbler, 36 Shelduck, 120 Wigeon, 16 Shoveler, 3 Avocet, 168 Teal, Reed Bunting, 152 Russian White-fronted Geese on the Dumbles but mobile today. A Merlin noted today.
South Lake
Pair of Cranes present again for a time, 70 Pochard, 12 Tufted Duck, 4 Oystercatcher, 169 Avocet, 180 Black-tailed Godwit, 64 Shoveler and 186 Teal.
Kingfisher Hide
Little Grebe, Gadwall, Teal, Tufted Duck, Snipe, Lapwing, two Great Egret.
Duck Decoy
Pair of Kingfisher at the nest hole, look across pond to SW. Siskins and Goldfinches in the Alders from the boardwalk.
Tack Piece
Spoonbill still asleep on the scrape shore, around 300 Wigeon, a few Pintail and Shoveler, 60 Teal, 80 Golden Plover flying over high, 23 Russian White-fronted Geese with the two Barnacle Geese
Estuary Tower
A Red Kite flew through today. Marsh Harriers passing by regularly. Two Little Stint again. Nine Cranes.
Two sub-song singing Redwing, Peregrine on a kill, 111 Russian White-fronted Geese on the Dumbles with 34 on the Severn sands, Wigeon, Teal and Shoveler on Dumbles scrape with a few Pied Wagtails feeding on shore and Skylarks on the Dumbles.
Tuesday 24 February
So far today only around 120 Lapwing seem to be on site, 158 counted yesterday and over 1000 on Sunday.
Tack Piece
Spoonbill, 6 Ruff, 27 Redshank, c360 Wigeon, 50 Teal, 3 Pintail, a few Shoveler + Pochards and Tufted Ducks arriving on the flooded scrape. Image of the two Barnacle and 64 Russian White-fronted Geese on the central flood before they moved to the Dumbles.
Withy Bed
Chiffchaff singing + Goldcrests along pathway hedge.
Pill Box Pool
Cetti's Warbler, Dunnock and Chaffinch all singing, 40 Wigeon, a few Shoveler, Teal and Tufted Duck.
Duck Decoy
Male Kingfisher at the nest bank (images below), 15 Tufted Duck, Cormorant, 14 Mallard, 2 Coot.
South Lake
Five Lapwing, 4 Oystercatcher, 122 Avocet, 144 Black-tailed Godwit, adult Mediterranean Gull (image below) with 170 Black-headed Gulls, 16 Herring Gull, LBB Gull, Pochards, Tufted Ducks, Teal and Shovelers. 32 Cattle Egret called in.
Estuary Tower
Juvenile Peregrine, 6 Lapwing, scrape busy with Wigeon and Teal but no sign of the Garganey as yet, 6 Pied Wagtail, Ross's Goose with Barnacle Geese and the two hybrids plus Canada and Greylag Geese. Plenty of movement as the Russian White-fronted Geese decide where to feed, at one stage 64 Russian White-fronted Geese on Tack Piece with the two Barnacle Geese, c40 on Stall House Ground, 45 on Dumbles and 16 on the Severn, (last count at 0900hrs there were 72 on the Dumbles.
Rushy Hide/Peng Observatory
Two Whooper Swan, Bewick's Swans down to 70 with apparent departure of 14 birds in recent days, female Mandarin, 35 Pintail, 2 Oystercatcher, 30 Pochard, 200 Tufted Duck.
South Finger
Two Little Grebes, pair Mute Swan, 2 pairs of Tufted Duck, pair of Coot, drumming GS Woodpecker, singing Blackbird, pair of Gadwall, two singing Chiffchaff, pair of Teal along the fleet. Singing Reed Bunting S Finger Reedbed. Both Song Thrush and Treecreeper singing in Spinney Wood. A Red Kite flew over the Bottom New Piece and a male Bullfinch was also seen mid-morning.
Monday 23 February
Further departures of birds but so far the Bewick's Swans and Russian White-fronted Geese remain with us. Some clear evening and southerly winds forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday nights, perhaps this will be the window.
Tack Piece
Still busy but not the numbers of birds we have become accustomed to this winter, the Spoonbill remains. 300 Wigeon, 100+ Teal, 3 Bewick's Swans, 15 Russian White-fronted Geese, 4 Ruff, 3 Curlew, 11 Redshank, 3 Pintail and Firecrest near the perimeter fence gate.
Duck Decoy
Kingfisher near the nest bank.
Estuary Tower
193 Russian White-fronted Geese- 178 on Dumbles and 15 on Tack Piece with the two accompanying Barnacle Geese. Again, no sign of any Tundra Bean or Pink-footed Geese today. Peregrine, Greylag, Canada, Barnacle, Ross's and the two hybrid Geese, Little Stint on the scrape shore with Wigeon, Teal and Shoveler. Sanderling with the Dunlin over high tide. Drake Garganey again.
Grounds
Siskins and Goldfinches feeding in the many Alder trees, Grey Wagtail and drake Goldeneye with the collection birds (Goldeneye and Eiders).
South Finger
Chiffchaff again singing from the trees along the pathway plus a couple of Goldcrests. Little Grebe from Kingfisher Hide.
Top New Piece
200 Dunlin and 80 Lapwing roosting on the islands and shore of the flood. c60 Wigeon and 70 Teal + a few Shoveler along the fleet
South Lake
Flock of Avocet and Black-tailed Godwits on the scrape with two pairs of Oystercatcher, 80+ Common Gulls, 30 Herring, single Lesser Black-backed with the Black-headed Gull, juvenile Peregrine on a kill on one of the islands spooking everything. The drake Goldeneye appeared here mid-morning. Kingfisher flew across toward grounds.
