Skip to content header Skip to main content Skip to content footer

Sightings and news to week ending 12 October 2025

Sightings and news to week ending 12 October 2025

Rising tides this week will peak at over 10 metres at Sharpness, we hope to offer the waders additional roosting and feeding options around the scrapes,  an attempt to attract them in from the Severn to coincide with the Wild Wader Celebration on Tuesday 7 and Wednesday 8 October. See https://www.wwt.org.uk/wetland... for more details. 

Image- Ringed Plover and Dunlin (MJM).

*Please note that you may encounter seasonal work, various infrastructure and habitat projects are ongoing about the reserve from the end of September through to November, we may have machinery such as excavators or tractors working near to hides, birds will move to other quieter areas of the reserve*. 


Sunday 12 October

WeBS Count

Canada Goose342
Barnacle Goose185
Greylag Goose185
Pink-footed Goose1long staying over summering bird with Canada Geese
Mute Swan120
Shelduck239
Mandarin Duck2
Shoveler120
Gadwall26
Wigeon85
Pintail16
Teal1575
Pochard10
Tufted Duck214
Little Grebe7
Bittern2
Grey Heron15
Little Egret17
Cormorant21
Water Rail5
Moorhen62
Coot69
Avocet165
Lapwing254
Golden Plover480
Grey Plover19
Ringed Plover26
Curlew131
Bar-tailed Godwit5
Black-tailed Godwit119
Ruff18
Curlew Sandpiper1
Sanderling15
Dunlin360
Little Stint4
Snipe24
Green Sandpiper3
Redshank10
Spotted Redshank3
Kingfisher3
Black-headed Gull174
Mediterranean Gull1
Common Gull3
Great Black-backed Gull19
Herring Gull54
Lesser Black-backed Gull19
Ross's Goose1long staying (years) over summering with Barnacle Geese
Hybrid goose3Snow x Bar-headed Barnacle x Canada x2
Black Swan1
Glossy Ibis2
Spoonbill1
Cattle Egret2
Great White Egret1
Crane18

Saturday 11 October

Martin Smith

2 Glossy Ibis, 2 Water Rail

Dumbles

Pink Footed Goose with the Canadas, Cranes 12 unringed, Wendy & Albert, Oakie & Sherbert, Kia & Pepe.
Top New Piece - Ruby & her unringed mate

Rushy

2 Green Sandpiper, Spotted Redshank 1, 78 Teal, 2 Ruff, 8 Redshank, 1 Little Grebe, 5 Snipe, 2 Shoveler

South Lake

12 Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Avocet, 42 Shoveler, 2 Shelduck, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Cetti's,2 Redshank, c200 Teal,44 Black-headed gull, 9 Cormorant, 55 Tufted Duck ,14 Pochard,1 Water rail

Mid Point

58 Curlew, 31 Shelduck, 8 Cranes, 6 Greater Black-backed Gull, 4 Grey Heron, 3 Little Egret, 100+ Dunlin, Ross’s Goose in Barnacle flock, singles of Cormorant and Spoonbill

Top new Piece

1 Bittern, 1 Pintail, 5 Shoveler, 6 Wigeon, 390 teal, 260 Lapwing, 103 Black-Tailed Godwit, 2 Snipe, 3 Redshank, 16 Ruff, 2 Cormorant, 1 Grey Heron, 1 Cettis Warbler, 2 Crane flew towards Dumbles, 1 Marsh Harrier

Kingfisher Hide

2 Kingfishers, 5 Shoveller, 1 Teal, 1 Tufted Duck, 1 Little Grebe, 35 Lapwing

Big Pen

3 Pintail, 1 Black Swan


Friday 10 October

Martin Smith

2 Glossy Ibis, 1 water rail

South Lake

1 Mediterranean Gull, 4 Egyptian Geese, 250c Black Head Gulls, 1 Great Black Back Gull, 2 Snipe, 1 Avocet, 1 Black-Tailed Godwit, 12 Redshank, 4 Spotted Redshank, 170 Teal, 33 Shoveller, 106 Tufted, 18 Pochard

Top new Piece

1 Bittern, 549 Teal, 11 Pintail. 14 Ruff, 93 Black-Tailed Godwit, 2 Redshank, 125 Lapwing, 1 Dunlin and a Cettis

Rushy Hide - Green Sandpiper

WWT Zeiss Hide. Update on waders as tide reaches its peak. 200c Dunlin, 4 Greenshank, 2 Sanderling, 1 Curlew Sand and 1 Little Stint

Mid-point

1 Peregrine,1 Leach’s Petrel, 19 Grey plover, 4 Greenshanks, 12 Bar-tailed godwits, 2 Great crested grebes, Peregrine, Med gull, 5 sanderlings, 270+ Golden plover, 250+ Dunlin/Ringed plover, 3 Stonechats, Little stint, Spoonbill, 126 Curlew, 5 Pintail, 20 Cranes, 2 Rock pipit, 16 Cattle Egret

South Finger

Cettis and Water Rail

Kingfisher Hide

2 Roe Deer and 3 Teal

Long Ground Pool - 15 Shoveler, 36 Teal. 10 Teal at left hand end Stephen Kirk hide.

Dumbles - Buzzard on river edge, 13 Greylags


Thursday 9 October

Martin Smith hide

2 Glossy Ibis, Water rail

Top New Piece

2 Bitterns, Marsh Harrier, 9 Ruff, 13 Ringed plover, 2 Little Stint, 185 Dunlin, 278 Golden Plover, 84 Black-tailed Godwit, 3 Spotted Redshanks

summer walkway

9 Redwing, Yellowhammer

Tin shed field

9 Cattle Egret with the Long horn cattle, 2 Water Rail heard calling and 3 Roe Deer

Kingfisher hide

5 Roe deer

South Lake

10 Snipe. 20 Redshank, 8 black-tailed Godwit, Ruff, Avocet, Black Swan

Dumbles

11 Cranes, Dunlin flock, 300 Golden Plover, Curlew,

Wednesday 8 October

Martin Smith

2 Glossy Ibis

Zeiss Hide

390 Dunlin, 51 Golden Plover, 20 Ruff, 48 Avocet, 2 Curlew Sandpiper, 1 Little Stint, 320 Lapwing, 145 Black-tailed Godwit, 1090 Teal, 3 Redshank,10 Sanderling, 2 Bittern

South Lake

48 Avocet, 137 Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Mediterranean Gull, 17 Pochard, 2 Pintail, 96 Tufted Duck, 18 Shoveler, 1 Common Gull, 193 Teal and 1 Marsh Harrier

Middle Point

97 Curlew, 15 Bar-tailed Godwit, 7 Little Egret, 30 Avocet, 3 Cormorant, 3 Spoonbill, 1 Great Egret, Peregrine, flock of 500 small waders (including Golden Plover)

Summer walkway

Yellowhammer and Cettis warbler

Pill box pool

1 Green sandpiper, stonechat

Rushy

1 Spotted Redshank

Tuesday 7 October

Martin Smith

2 Glossy Ibis, Grey Wagtail,

Shepherd’s Patch

40+ Cattle Egret

Decoy Hide

22 Tufted Duck, 55 Mallard, 3 Cormorant, Grey Heron

Mid point

Four Whooper Swans (three adults and a juvenile),100+ avocets, 200+ Golden Plover, 16 Ruff, 100+ Lapwing, Bar- Tailed Godwits, Curlew, Flock of avocets, Marsh Harrier and Buzzard.

South Lake

Sparrowhawk, 6 Siskin, 1 Avocet,

Top New Piece

3 Spoonbills, 2 Bitterns,


Monday 6 October

Tack Piece (*note that seasonal cutting will take place here this week, likely to begin on 7-9 October).

73 Wigeon with the Teal flock + a few Shoveler and a Black-tailed Godwit.

Martin Smith Hide (*note that seasonal cutting will take place here this week, likely to begin on 7-9 October).

Two Glossy Ibis feeding on the island that was cut last month.

South Lake

At least 13 Avocet, 47 Lapwing and a Spotted Redshank among the Black-tailed Godwits, four Cattle Egret in the afternoon plus an Egyptian Goose. 

Top New Piece

Bittern reported, Spoonbill, 12 Ruff with 255 Lapwing and Teal flock, a few Wigeon, Pintail and Shoveler. Marsh Harrier hunting over. 

Estuary Tower

Two Whooper Swans on Top New Piece. On the foreshore- 3 Spoonbill, at least 21 Grey Plover, 2 Bar-tailed Godwit, flocks of Curlew, Ringed Plover, Dunlin, Avocet, Shelduck, GBB and other Gulls, Barnacle and Canada Geese + Pink-footed Goose.

Middle Point

Three Little Stint, a Curlew Sandpiper, flock of 200 Golden Plover, 12 Sanderling, 21 Grey Plover. 

Rushy Hide

Five Spotted Redshank, 12 Redshank, 23 Lapwing, 18 Snipe, a Green Sandpiper, a Ruff and a range of duck sp. Little Egret following the Cormorants, a few Pied and a Grey Wagtail. 

  • Share this article