Sightings and news to week ending 12 July 2026
Image- breeding plumage Spotted Redshank, South Lake, MJM.
Upcoming Events
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
Fully open for the summer, from after 0815hrs to 1630hrs each day. Please allow time to return. Enjoy.
Sunday 12 July
South Lake
Immature Spoonbill on the causeway with 2 Lapwing, plus 8 Cormorant, 4 Little Grebe, 188 Gadwall, 10 Shoveler, 93 Teal on deep lake, Green Sandpiper, 84 Black-tailed Godwit were on the scrape until flushed by a Peregrine (see images below).
Top New Piece
Wood Sandpiper on the mud, 3 Spotted Redshank, at least 13 Ruff, four Dunlin, 1 Snipe, 4 Green Sandpiper, 13 Redshank, 11 Black-tailed Godwit including the colour ringed bird plus 22 Lapwing with 78 Lapwing on the Bottom New Piece.
Tack Piece
Five Grey Heron, 4 Green Sandpiper, Yellow Wagtails, 24 Gadwall, 5 Lapwing.
Estuary Tower
Dumbles- 3 Yellow Wagtail with the cattle, 2 Cranes on the seawall and Great Egret on the Severn.
Pillbox Pool
Green Sandpiper
Saturday 11 July
South Finger Reedbed
1 Mute Swan, 2 Coot, 2 Reed Warbler, Grey Heron
Kingfisher Hide
1 Mute Swan, 2 Mallard, 1 Reed Warbler, 1 Reed Bunting, 1 Juvenile Kingfisher, 1 Moorhen, 1 Grey Heron, 3 Long-tailed tits and 1 Little Egret
Top New Piece
10 Mallard, 2 Shelduck, 7 Gadwall, 6 Teal, 100 Lapwing, 1 Spotted Redshank, 1 Redshank, 3 Ruff, 1 Green Sandpiper and 5 unringed Cranes
South Lake
2 breeding plumage Spotted Redshanks, 8 Redshank, 2 Lapwing, 2 Ruff, 5 Black-tailed Godwit, 1 juvenile Crane, 8 Teal, 100 Gadwall, 6 Tufted Duck, 7 Cormorants, Shovelers, 14 Mallards, 1 Pochard, 1 Pied Wagtail, 1 Little Grebe
Rushy hide
6 Avocet (2 juvenile), Tufted duck with 5 ducklings.
Robbie Garnett hide
2 Heron, 2 Reed Warbler, 13 Barnacle geese, 1 Lapwing and 1 Green Sandpiper
Summer Walkway
2 Wren (dust bathing), 12+ Painted Lady, 8 Marbled White, 6 Swallow near Pillbox, 2 Skylark and 3 Stonechat on cross-fence.
Mid-point
on the river, 40+ Curlew, 2 Bar-tailed Godwit, 1 Spoonbill. 4 flyover Yellow Wagtail and a Kestrel hunting the Dumbles.
Friday 10 July
Estuary Shoreline Garden
Red-veined Darter Dragonflies and a Clouded Yellow Butterfly were spotted outside the restaurant.
Middle Point
Six Heron, 14 Curlew, Reed Bunting in the reed bed and 2 Oystercatcher.
Tack Piece
Four Green Sandpipers and a family of 3 Kestrel were hunting and a large flock of Goldfinch were feeding on the thistle heads.
Decoy Hide
Kingfishers active throughout the day.
Top New Piece
Two Kestrels overhead and a pair of Crane, 2 Spotted Redshank, 20 Redshank, 92 Lapwing, 9 Ruff, 2 Green Sandpiper and a Treecreeper in the Spinney wood. Ten Cranes were on the mud in the afternoon while the farmer was mowing the Dumbles.
South finger Walkway
Blackcap and Chiffchaff singing.
Grounds
A lone Spoonbill and 2 Red Kite were spotted flying overhead in the afternoon.
Thursday 9 July
Car Park
Great Spotted Woodpecker, Blackcap family, Reed Warbler, Common Whitethroat and Chiffchaff family.
Avocet, 2 Oystercatcher, singles of Tufted Duck, Gadwall, Pochard, Redshank, Lapwing along with broods of Avocet, Gadwall, Tufted Duck and Shelduck.
Tack Piece
Three Green Sandpiper, 1 Hare and 11 Lapwing.
Summer Walkway
Meadow brown, Gatekeeper, Ringlet, Marbled White and Large White butterflies. Sand Martin, Skylark, Linnet and 32 Goldfinch.
Dumbles and River
Two Kestrel, 2 Great Egret, 1 Spoonbill and 35 Curlew on the mud.
Pill Box Pool
One Kingfisher fishing.
South Finger Reedbed
Two Mute swan, 2 Coot, 2 Mallard with broods of 7 and 5 ducklings and 2 Reed warbler.
Kingfisher Hide
One Mute swan, 2 Mallard, 1 Reed Warbler, 1 Kingfisher, 1 Reed Bunting and 1 Moorhen.
Bottom New Piece
65 Lapwing, 2 Cranes - Oakie and Sherbert and 1 Buzzard.
Top New Piece
One Grey Heron, 1 Little Egret, 1 Reed Bunting, 1 Pied wagtail, 5 Reed Warbler, 3 Skylark, 15 Shoveler, 1 Shelduck, 74 Lapwing, 9 Ruff, 18 Redshank, 2 Spotted Redshank and 1 Green Sandpiper.
South Lake
Three Gadwall, 1 Cormorant, 1 Tufted Duck with 3 ducklings, 3 Coot, 3 Lapwing and 1 Green Sandpiper.
Decoy
Kingfisher taking fish into the nest bank.
Wednesday 8 July
Top New Piece
Three Spotted Redshank, 12 Redshank, 9 Ruff, 16 Lapwing, 7 Crane, 1 Green Sandpiper and 1 Ringed Plover.
Dumbles
Two Crane, 2 Skylark, 23 Curlew, 1 Marsh harrier, 4 Magpie and 3 Goldfinch below the tower.
Middle Point
One Reed Bunting calling, 1 Reed Warbler, 2 Little Egret and 1 Great Egret on the river.
Pill Box Pool
One Great Egret and 2 Reed warbler.
Tack Piece
Two Great Egret, 2 Green Sandpiper, 1 Spotted Redshank, 2 Avocet, 4 Lapwing, 2 Barnacle Geese, 41 Greylag Geese, 2 Pied Wagtail, with 1 juv, 1 Grey Wagtail, 1 Grey Heron and 6 Mallard.
Kingfisher Hide
Goshawk seen flying by in the morning, 2 Kingfisher, 2 Little Egret and 1 Reed Bunting.
South Lake
One Green Sandpiper, 2 Oystercatcher, 2 Little Grebe (1 adult and 1 juvenile), Crane family seen through the day.
Decoy Hide
Male Kingfisher seen bringing fish to the nest bank.
Tuesday 7 July
Top New Piece
At least three Little-ringed Plover, 4 Green Sandpiper, flock of Redshank and Lapwing with the Spotted Redshanks and Ruff also visiting.
Bottom New Piece
2 Cranes and 30+ Lapwing.
Martin Smith Hide
Bittern seen here this morning
South Lake
Ten mobile adult Ruff (single Reeve) , adult Greenshank (pictured with Oystercatchers), 3 Spotted Redshank, 8 Black-tailed Godwit (including colour ringed- Orange over Black L + Orange over stained white? darvic letter E above), 2 Green Sandpiper, 2 Oystercatcher, pr Crane + juvenile.
Estuary Tower
Pair of Common Tern with juvenile on the mud with 454 Black-headed Gulls, 4 Dunlin + Curlews, and Shelducks, Green Sandpiper on the Dumbles Scrape.
Tack Piece
Six Green Sandpiper, 13 Lapwing, Great Egret, Teal and Gadwall.
Monday 6 July
South Lake
Three breeding plumage Spotted Redshanks, 32 Redshank, 6 Lapwing, 4 Green Sandpiper, 9 Ruff, 3 Little-ringed Plover (1 juvenile), 13 Black-tailed Godwit, 20 Teal, 112 Gadwall, 2 Tufted Duck broods, 9 Cormorants + Shovelers and Mallards.
Kingfisher Hide
Two Cranes (Evie + 1) in Bottom New Piece.
Top New Piece
Two juvenile Little-ringed Plover, 45+ Lapwing, 10 Redshank, Snipe.
Tack Piece
Six Green Sandpiper, 18 Teal, 4 Redshank, 7 Gadwall, Great Egret and Grey Heron.
Estuary Tower
Six Cranes on the Dumbles + Great Egret flew past. Green Sandpiper on the Dumbles scrape.
Rushy Hide/Peng Observatory- growing broods of Avocet, Tufted Duck, Gadweall, Black-headed Gull and Shelducks.
