Sightings and news to week ending 14 December 2025

Sunday 14 December

Estuary Tower

Eleven Cranes, five Roe Deer, Golden Plover, Lapwing and Dunlin flocks on the floods and saltpans, 100s of Greylag, Barnacle and Canada Geese with Snow x Bar-headed, two Barnacle x Canada, two Canada x farmyard and the Ross's Goose.

Robbie Garnett Hide to Martin Smith Hide

Goldcrests and Chiffchaffs along the path and hedge. Snipe at the latter. 

Tack Piece

The Russian White-fronted Geese arrived to feed mid-morning, at least one Little Stint among the Dunlin on the central flood and 100s of Lapwing and Golden Plover joining Black-tailed Godwits, Curlew, Ruff and Redshank. The floods and scrape holding a good sized flock of Wigeon and Teal with Shoveler, Shelduck and Pintail. Male Marsh Harrier quartering the fields to the North. 

Saturday 13 December

Bottom New Piece

13 Gadwall, 1 Little Grebe, Fieldfare and Redwing in South Finger walkway trees, 3 Roe Deer seen from Kingfisher Hide

Top New Piece

8 Greylags on BNP, 554 Teal, 8 Wigeon, 4 Shoveler, 1 GBB gull, 2 Roe Deer, Peregrine on Dumbles post, 9 Greylags, 19 Lapwing, 5 Shelduck seen from Zeiss Hide

Tack Piece

1500+ Lapwing, 150+Dunlin, 1500 Golden Plover, 12 Ruff, 8 Redshank, 950 Teal, 380 Wigeon, 8 Shoveler, 10 Pintail, 46 White-fronted Goose, 4 Egyptian Goose 2 Marsh Harrier seen from Robbie Garnett Hide

Estuary Tower walkway

Firecrest seen outside Robbie Garnett Hide/ Willow Hide

South Lake

57 Tufted Duck, 37 male 6 female Pochard, 28 Shoveler, 197 Teal, 29 Gadwall, 8 Cormorant, 1 Black-Tailed Godwit, 1 Grey Heron, 1 Dunlin, 166 Lapwing, Shelduck hybrid

Dumbles

2 Marsh Harrier, 1 Buzzard, 1 Peregrine, 1 male Stonechat, 12+ Fieldfare, 1 Skylark, 46 Whitefront, 6 Long Tailed Tit, 140 Wigeon and 200+ Lapwing seen from Estuary Tower Hide

Friday 12 December

Welcome Ramp

Cetti Warbler singing and showing well

Decoy Hide

22 Tufted Duck, 10 Teal, 3 Shoveler

South Finger Walkway

Fieldfare in trees above

Kingfisher Hide

12 Gadwall along channel, 2 Roe Deer on Bottom New Piece

Zeiss Hide

7 Wigeon, 6 Tufted Duck, 365 Teal, 12 Shelduck, 15 Lapwing. 134 Canadas and 1 Greylag on Bottom New Piece

South Lake

11 Cormorant, 52 Shoveler, 353 Teal, 68 Gadwall, 288 Lapwing 24 male 3 female Pochard, 21 Tufted Duck

Dumbles

Brent goose, Ross' Goose, Pink footed Goose, Peregrine, 200 Lapwing

Tack Piece

1 White-fronted Goose, 3 Bewick Swans, 77 Wigeon, 158 Teal, 20 Pochard, 22 Tufted Ducks, 50 Golden Plover, 6 Snipe, 20 Redshank, 8 Ruff, Marsh Harrier hunting

Rushy Hide

26 Bewick Swans, 40 Shelducks, 105 Tufted Ducks, 12 Pintails, 1 Grey Wagtail

Thursday 11 December

Rushy Hide/Peng Observatory

218 Tufted Duck, 76 Pochard and 47 Pintail.

Tack Piece

42 Mallard, 1 Wren, 300 Wigeon, 964 Teal, 100 Pintail, 3 Pochard, 20 Shoveler, 179 Greylag Geese, 48 Canada Geese, 1 Barnacle Goose, 4 Bewick Swans, 20 Redshank, 2 Moorhen, 2 Cettis Warblers, 2 Marsh Harriers, 2 Buzzards, 20 Ruff, 50 Redshank, Snipe from Martin Smith Hide.

South Lake

293 Black-tailed Godwit, 271 Teal, 33 Gadwall, Mallard, Pochard and Tufted Ducks with 15 Cormorants, 33 Dunlin, 470 Lapwing, 2 Egyptian Geese, GBB Gull, 19 Shelduck, 11 Pochard, 29 Shoveler, female Ruddy x S. African Shelduck

Estuary Tower

49 Russian White-fronted Geese in the Ox Piece field, Sanderling and 25+ Avocet on the Severn on rising tide + 300 Dunlin, 200 Curlew, 50+ GBB Gull and 100s of Canada/Barnacle/Greylag + hybrids.

South Finger

Bittern early morning in cut channel to left of viewing screen, flew to back of settling pool

Dumbles

Peregrine, Buzzard, 7 Cranes but flew across to Awre, 26 Avocet floating on the tide, 286 Curlew, 79 Black-tailed Godwit, 87 GBB Gulls on the foreshore, 668 Lapwing and c120 Dunlin, Pink-footed Goose with 865 Canada Geese, 186 Barnacle + Ross's Goose

Wednesday 10 December

South Lake

438 Black-tailed Godwit, 69 Shoveler, 256 Teal, 28 Gadwall, Mallard, 53 Pochard and 34 Tufted Ducks with two Egyptian Geese, Ruddy x S. African Shelduck. 

Rushy Hide

100 Pochard and 28 Pintail

Tack Piece

The path between Martin Smith and Robbie Garnett Hides produced two Firecrest again this morning as well as Chiffchaffs and the usual passerines. 

Rushy Hide

28 Bewick' Swans between here and the Tack Piece.

Goose House Ground

49 Russian White-fronted Geese this morning, they can be tricky to view if behind the grove of trees and hedge, Martin Smith Hide looking North is best or wait until midday when they can visit the Tack Piece.

Tack Piece

21 Ruff, 55 Redshank, 326 Black-tailed Godwit among the 1500 ducks and 500 Canada/Greylag Geese present this morning plus 300 Starlings, Marsh Harrier and Sparrowhawk.

Tuesday 9 December 

Tack Piece

28 Bewick's Swans, 30 Redshank, 15 Ruff, 350 Wigeon, 850+ Teal, 141 Pintail + flocks of Greylag and Canada Geese and small numbers of Shoveler.

Estuary Tower

49 Russian White-fronted Geese in the Ox Piece field (look over hedge at back of Tack Piece to NE), Sanderling and 25+ Avocet on the Severn on rising tide + 300 Dunlin, 200 Curlew, 50+ Great Black-backed Gull and 100s of Canada/Barnacle/Greylag Geese + hybrids and Ross's Goose.

South Lake

Male Goldeneye, 293 Black-tailed Godwit, 60 Teal, Gadwall, Mallard, Pochard and Tufted Ducks with 15 Cormorants, female Ruddy x South African Shelduck with 5 Shelducks.

Rushy Hide

100 Pochard and 28 Pintail among the ducks present.

Monday 8 December WeBS Count

At least one, probably two Firecrest between the Martin Smith Hide and Robbie Garnett Hide early morning. At least a dozen are still about the site. 

Our highest count of Russian White-fronted Geese (49) for this winter season were in the Goose House Ground. 

South Finger reed/filtration beds- a Bittern early morning in the cut channel to left of viewing screen, it flew to the back (SE)of settling pool. 

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