Sightings and news to week ending 17 May 2026
Image Shelducks with ducklings
Wildflower Walks - Wednesday 3 and Friday 5 June
4x4 Photo Safari - Wednesday 17 June
Summer Walkway
We are hoping to open the summer walkway as soon as possible. We are currently monitoring a Crane that has been using the area as a safe place whilst it moults. To reduce stress to this flightless bird and give it space we are delaying opening the path. We will be carrying out essential maintenance when the opportunities arise whilst giving the bird space. Thank you for your understanding.
Sunday 17 May
Duck Decoy Hide
Pair of Kingfisher busy feeding young today.
Rushy Hide
At least two 2cy Mediterranean Gulls among 178, Black-headed Gulls, two broods of Shelduck, 5 pairs Moorhen, 2 pairs of Coot, drake Shoveler.
Estuary Tower
The Bittern was seen a couple of times as it flew to or from Top New Piece. Dark-bellied Brent with 60 Canada Geese, 8 Shelduck, Common, 12 Great Black-backed, 10 Lesser Black-backed and 28 Herring Gulls on foreshore. Three Cranes late morning.
Tack Piece
Tundra Bean Goose with the Greylag Geese. The breeding plumage male Ruff was on the central flood with 15 Dunlin, 8 Ringed Plover, 2 Sanderling that came in over high tide and a Pied Wagtail. A pair of Teal, three drake and female Shoveler and a drake Wigeon joined the Gadwall.
Saturday 16 May
63 Avocet, 4 Shelduck plus brood of 12, 3 Med Gull 2 c/y
Tack Piece
10 Tufted Duck, 10 Gadwall, 7 Shelduck, 2 Shoveler, 2 Pochard, 12 Mute Swan, 8 Little Ringed Plover, 10 Dunlin, singles of Great Egret, Barnacle Goose, Ruff, Pied Wagtail, Skylark
Dumbles
17 Shelduck, 2 Teal, 6 Greater Black-backed Gull, singles of Little Egret, Crane, Grey Heron, Sedge Warbler
Knott Hide
Bittern
Decoy Hide
16 Shelduck, male Kingfisher in front of bank.
Kingfisher hide
male Kingfisher no fish, left of bank (10.30am)
Tin Shed Ground
1 Cattle Egret with the Long Horn Cattle
Top New Piece
7 Avocet, 35 Shelduck, Crane Sherbert relieved Oakie on the nest, 2 Redshank, 13 Gadwall, Sedge and Reed Warblers singing.
South Lake
70-Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Redshank, 27 Avocet, 1 Grey Heron, 35 Gadwall, 2 Oystercatcher, 11 Shelduck, 9 Shoveler, 3 Cormorant, 33 Tufted Duck, 1 Little Grebe, Cetti's Warbler
Friday 15 May
Top New Piece
Bittern flew to Knott Hide reedbed (8.45am), Male Ruff, 46 Avocet, 2 Redshank, 44 Shelduck, 15 Gadwall, 2 Shoveler, 2 Tufted Duck. Crane on nest. Roe Deer. Reed Warbler.
Knott Hide
Booming Bittern heard 9.15am
Long Ground Pool
9 Tufted Duck, 2 Gadwall, 5 Greylag Geese, 2 Canada Geese
Dumbles
3 Unringed Cranes with the 4th moulting Crane still using the Summer Walkway as a hideaway, Tundra Bean Goose, Brent Goose, Peregrine flew over
Estuary Walkway
Kingfisher with fish flew towards Decoy
Tack Piece
47 moulting male Gadwall, 10 Tufted Duck, 1 male Pochard, 1 male Shoveler, 12 Shelduck, 1 pair Skylark
Kingfisher Hide
Male Kingfisher brought fish into the tunnel. Abundant Reed & Sedge Warbler plus Blackcap, Whitethroat, Chiffchaff, Chaffinch. 4 Tufted Ducks, Goldfinch, Long Tail Tit, 2 Swift, House Martin, Little Egret. 2 Redshank and Roe Deer on Bottom New Piece.
Rushy
4 1st summer Mediterranean Gulls on the Rushy causeway
Thursday 14 May
South Lake
Five Tufted Duck, 6 Gadwall, 4 Greylag Goose, 3 Canada Goose, Oystercatcher family with 2 chicks, 1 Reed Warbler, 2 Cranes with 1 chick, 66 Black-tailed Godwit, 21 Avocet and 1 Little Grebe.
Top New Piece
Six Tufted Duck, 1 Coot, 6 Gadwall, 34 Avocet, 37 Shelduck, 1 Mallard, 2 Cranes (on nest), 5 Redshank, 1 Ruff, 1 Greylag Goose, 2 Reed Warbler, 1 Swallow, 1 Coot and 2 Black-headed Gull.
Bottom New Piece
One Mute Swan, 1 Gadwall, 2 Roe Deer, 2 Magpie, 3 Wood Pigeon and 1 Reed Warbler.
Pill Box Pool
One Little Grebe
Dumbles
From Estuary Tower, 1 Tundra Bean Goose, 1 Dark-bellied Brent Goose and 1 Common Sandpiper.
Rushy
Five Mediterranean Gull, 2 Shelduck with brood of 12 ducklings, 3 Swift, 1 Pochard, 9 Tufted Duck, and 72 Avocet.
Car Park
Common Whitethroat, Cuckoo, Chiffchaff, Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Blackcap, Lesser Whitethroat, Long-tailed Tit, Cetti's Warbler and Oystercatcher.
Wednesday 13 May
Dumbles
Dark-Bellied Brent Goose, 148 Shelduck, 7 unringed Cranes and Oakie, 1 Oystercatcher, 1 Common Tern
Tack piece
Pied Wagtail, 6 Avocets, 1 Oystercatcher, 2 Tufted Duck, 23 Gadwall, 22 Shelduck
Knott Hide
Bittern, Willow Warbler
Decoy
2 Blackcap, 2 Swallows, 1 Kingfisher, 1 Cuckoo, 4 Tufted Duck, 2 Gadwall, 4 Shelduck, 2 Mute swans
South Lake
1 kingfisher, 2 Shoveler, 10 Gadwall, 18 Tufted Ducks, 2 Oystercatchers, 30 Avocet, 70 Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Cranes & chick, 2 Dunlin, Snipe
Rushy
Two 2cy Mediterranean Gulls, 66 Avocet
Top New Piece
Male Ruff, 22 Avocet, 32 Shelduck, 2 Redshank, 4 Tufted Ducks, 6 Gadwall, Crane (Sherbert) on nest, Bittern flew towards Knott Hide, 7 Cattle Egrets
Kingfisher Hide
Male Kingfisher taking fish into the nest
Tuesday 12 May
Estuary Tower
Bittern visible moving between Top new Piece Reedbed and the Reedbed in front of Knott Hide. Grasshopper Warbler and Sedge Warbler heard singing in the Hedgerow along the Summer Walkway. 5 Cranes on the Dumbles including Sherbert first thing.
Van De Bovenkamp
16 Cattle Egret with the Longhorn cattle in the Tin Shed Ground. A Kingfisher fishing in the South finger reedbed spotted too.
Top New Piece
From Zeiss Hide 1 Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Common Sandpiper and 1 Ruff on the second island, with a Marsh Harrier overhead too.
Monday 11 May
Kingfisher update
Both the Kingfisher Hide and Duck Decoy Hides are currently a great place to catch up with activity, regular feeding visits by both pairs of Kingfishers as they feed young in the nest holes.
South Lake
Two 2cy Mediterranean Gulls on the rocks + the busy Black-headed Gull colony, 3 pairs of Oystercatcher, 58 Black-tailed Godwit, a different Spoonbill to the bird that has been around for some time, 50 Avocets, drake Teal with three ducks, a few Shoveler and Gadwall about the scrape. Tufted Ducks on deep lake. Pair of Cranes with single chick from Hogarth Hide, one chicks went missing over the weekend, possibly the result of predation or siblicide. Two Common Sandpipers, Four breeding plumage Cattle Egrets also seen.
Top New Piece
Pair of Teal, 3 drake and female Shoveler, Crane, pair of Oystercatcher, 3 pairs of Redshank, 6 pairs of Avocet.
Tack Piece
Pair of Oystercatcher, drake Wigeon with the Gadwall, 2 pairs of Avocet
Estuary Tower
A Fox was systematically searching for Redshank/Lapwing/Skylark nests on Lower Dumbles, a few Roe Deer were about as well. 10 Cranes viewable (three on Top New Piece at the NE end and seven on the Dumbles), 2 Greenshank were feeding on the far side of Severn in the run-off channel but were flushed by Peregrine or falcon hybrid, the Dark-bellied Brent Goose with again with Canada Geese on foreshore, the Tundra Bean Goose was with Greylags on Dumbles.
Once again, the Bittern flew from the pillbox pool reeds to the Top New Piece ditch and back.
