Sightings and news to week ending 12 April 2026
Upcoming Events
Birding for Beginners - Friday 17 April
Wild History Walk - Friday 17 April
Guided Birdwatch Walk - Saturday 18 April
Sunday 12 April
Rushy
2 Redshank, 1 Spotted Redshank, 1 Grey Heron 2 Barnacle Geese, 1 pochard
Top New Piece
6 Canada Gese, 2 Mute Swans, 28 Shelduck, 2 Gadwall, 11 Teal, 1 Great Egret
South Finger
Canada Goose, 2 Teal, 4 Tufted Ducks, 2 Stock Doves, 2 Moorhen, 2 Coot, 1 Buzzard. Lots of Sedge, Reed and Cettis Warblers singing along the walkway
South Lake
Greenshank, 4 Shoveler, 8 Gadwall, 14 Tufted Ducks, flock of Sand Martins, 2 Oystercatchers, 44 Avocets, 103 Black-tailed Godwits, 328 Black-headed Gulls, 3 Herring Gulls, 3 Cormorants
Decoy
Canada Goose, 4 Greylag Geese, 2 Shelduck, 14 Mallard, 9 Tufted Ducks
Dumbles
Dark Bellied Brent Goose, 13 Canada Geese, 4 Greylag Geese, 3 Lapwings, 4 Shelducks, 2 Avocets, 2 Oystercatchers and a flock of Sand Martins
Tack Piece
24 Barnacle geese, 1 Tundra Bean goose, 25 Mute swans, 28 Shoveler, 2 Oystercatchers, 1 Spoonbill
Estuary Walkway
Sedge warblers, Reed Warblers, Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs singing
Saturday 11 April
Decoy Hide
2 Kingfisher, 6 Shelduck, 2 Shoveler.
Kingfisher Hide
No sign of any Kingfisher activity so they could be incubating now. 3male 1 female Tufted Duck, 1 male Gadwall, Reed, Sedge and Cetti’s warblers singing
Top New Piece
26 Shelduck, 1 Great Egret, 45 Teal, 2 Oystercatcher, 1 pair Tufted Duck, 2 pairs Gadwall
Tack Piece
4 Yellow Wagtails, 22 Barnacle Goose, 48 Shoveler, 21 Shelduck, 24 Teal, 2 Gadwall, 2 Pintail, 2 Wigeon, 3 Oystercatcher, single Spoonbill, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Cetti’s, Reed and Willow Warblers singing along Estuary walkway
Dumbles
22 Shelduck, 2 Gadwall, 2 Teal, 8 Avocet, 4 Greater Black-backed Gull, 2 Curlew, 2 Pheasant, 3 Stock dove, Swallows and Sand Martins passing through, singles of Willow Warbler, Marsh Harrier, Buzzard.
South Lake
118 Black-tailed Godwits, 38 Avocets, 2 pairs of Oystercatchers, 19 Gadwall, 23 Teal, 12 Shelduck, 8 Tufted, 207 BH Gulls.
Whitethroat, Blackcap and Willow Warblers singing by Hogarth hide
Friday 10 April
Long Ground Pool
5 Gadwall, Willow Warbler heard, 6 Tufted Duck, 7 Canada and 5 Greylag Geese.
Dumbles Scrape
10 Avocet, 9 Teal.
Estuary Walkway
Sedge Warblers singing all along the walkway.
Dumbles
A few Canadas and Greylags with one or two Shelduck.
Martin Smith Hide
Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler.
Tack Piece
Tack Piece - 38 Shoveler, 1 Spoonbill, 26 Teal, 1 pair Wigeon, 1 pair Pintail, 14 Greylag Geese, 13 Barnacle Geese, 22 Shelduck, 1 pair Gadwall seen from Robbie Garnett Hide
Knott Hide
Reed and Sedge Warblers singing
South Lake
87 Avocet,1 Black-tailed Godwit, 3 Oystercatchers. Plenty of Black-Headed Gulls on the nesting islands and 10 loafing Herring Gull
Hogarth Hide
Crane on territory and churring Whitethroat to right of hide entrance
Top New Piece
15 Sand Martin, 4 Gadwall, 4 Pair of Shoveler, 29 Shelduck, 32 Teal.
2 Redshank and singles of Black-tailed Godwit and partial breeding plumage Spotted Redshank
South Finger
Cettis warbler, Reed Warbler, Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Great Spotted Woodpecker
Kingfisher Hide
Sedge and Reed Warbler, 1 pair of Tufted Ducks, 3 Roe Deer
Thursday 9 April
Wednesday 8 April
Rushy
One Redshank, 1 Spotted Redshank, 2 Avocet, 1 Oystercatcher, 1 Grey heron and 1 Blackbird.
Dumbles
Ten Teal, 15 Avocet, 1 Lapwing, 18 Greylag and 37 Canada Geese, 3 Shelduck and 1 Skylark.
Long Ground Pool
Nine Tufted Duck, 4 Shelduck, 12 Canada and 19 Greylag Geese and 2 Moorhen.
Tack piece
33 Teal, 9 Wigeon, 6 Gadwall, 5 Mallard, 1 Pintail, 17 Shelduck, 75 Shoveler, 11 Tufted Duck, 42 Barnacle, 15 Greylag and 6 Canada Geese, 1 Spoonbill, 2 Oystercatcher and 2 Reed Bunting.
Knott Hide
Two Canada Geese, 1 Mute Swan, 1 Coot, 1 Cetti’s Warbler and 6 Shelduck.
Martin Smith Hide
Six Teal, 1 Shelduck, 2 Coot, 1 Moorhen, 2 Canada Geese and 1 Sedge Warbler.
Willow Hide
Two Goldfinch, 1 Chaffinch, 1 Cetti’s Warbler, 1 Reed Warbler, 1 Chiffchaff and 1 Blackcap.
Kingfisher Hide
Four Reed Warbler, 1 Buzzard, 2 Tufted Duck and 2 Blackcap.
Top New Piece
Seven Redshank, 2 Oystercatcher, 18 Shelduck, Sedge Warbler singing, 12 Tufted Duck, 8 Shoveler, 2 Reed Bunting and 4 Lapwing.
South Lake
21 Tufted Duck, 1 Little Grebe, 1 Cattle Egret, 44 Avocet, 1 Goshawk, 6 Gadwall, 8 Shelduck, 2 Oystercatcher and 25 Teal.
Tuesday 7 April
Tack Piece
The Juvenile Spoonbill was still about, Redshank and 2 Wigeon too.
Dumbles
8 Cranes were seen from Estuary Tower including Oakie and Sherbert, 8 Avocet were on the scrape, a Little Egret, Willow Warbler, 2 Red Kite and Buzzard, 1 Little Ringer Plover was seen at 13:45 as well.
Rushy
Throughout the day a Little Ringed Plover, Common Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper and Tundra Bean Goose were all spotted.
Knott Hide
In the morning 2 Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler, Cetti’s, Reed Bunting and a swimming Grass snake was also seen.
Alder Walk
Up in the trees there was 1 Greenfinch and 2 Blackcap.
South Lake
The Cranes, Ruby and her unringed mate were seen throughout the day with 28 Avocet, 6 Oystercatcher and a Green Sandpiper.
South Finger Walkway
Along the Walkway towards Kingfisher hide 2 Blackcap and Willow Warbler were heard singing.
Bottom New Piece
There were 6 Redshank, 4 Roe Deer, 2 Lapwing and a pair of Stonechat on the hedge.
Kingfisher Hide
The male Kingfisher was seen feeding the female a fish, 3 Tufted Duck and 2 Gadwall were seen too.
Top New Piece
From Zeiss Hide there were 3 Gadwall, 9 Shoveler, 2 Lapwing, 4 Tufted Duck, 13 Teal, both male and female Marsh Harrier as well as 1 Curlew on the scrape first thing in the morning.
Monday 6 April
Tack Piece
1 Spoonbill, 5 Crane, 2 Pintail, Shoveler and Teal
Dumbles
On the Scrape there were 6 Avocet, 2 Buzzard, 1 Peregrine, 1 Sand Martin, 2 Teal, 1 Dark-bellied Brent Goose. Middle point fence line and then the Dumbles edge a Wheatear. In the hedgerow surrounding the Tower there was a male Bullfinch, female Blackcap, Willow Warbler seen and heard and Linnet too.
Top New Piece
Seen from Zeiss Hide there was 1 Ruff, 4 Redshank, 15 Shelduck, 21 Teal, 8 Shoveler, Reed Bunting, Peregrine and Buzzard.
South Finger Walkway
Two Willow Warbler, 4 Cetti’s Warbler, Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Tree Creeper were spotted.
Kingfisher Hide
On the water there were 4 Tufted Duck, the pair of Kingfisher were sat to right of the nest bank and 2 Roe Deer were on the Bottom New Piece.
