Sightings and news to week ending 18 January 2026
Sunday 18 January
First Oystercatcher of the year on the estuary.
Grounds
Eight Redpoll and 30 Siskins with the Goldfinches.
Kingfisher Hide
At least 88 Russian White-fronted Geese on the Bottom New Piece.
South Lake
111 Tufted Duck, 59 Pochard, 24 Shelduck, 78 Mallard, 41 Avocet, 7 Black-tailed Godwit, 33 Black-headed Gulls, 2 Mute Swan, 7 Cormorant, 14 Shoveler, 10 Gadwall, 219 Lapwing, 154 Teal, 6 Greylag, 10 Gadwall, Herring Gull, 6 Coot.
Estuary Tower
362 Wigeon, 51 Teal, Dunlin, 15 Shoveler, 3 Pintail and 2 Mallard on the Dumbles scrape.
Tack Piece
Marsh Harrier and Peregrine hunting, 5 Dunlin, 7 Curlew, 630 Lapwing, 20 Mllard, 4 Shelduck, Barnacle Goose, 466 Wigeon, 237 Teal, 27 Shoveler, 8 Pintail, 9 Redshank, 23 Greylag, 160 Canada Geese, 10 Mute Swan, 49 Bewick's Swans at 0845hrs.
Rushy Hide/Peng Observatory
Single Avocet, 107 Shelduck, 66 Pochard, 166 Tufted Duck, 259 Mallard, 35 Pintail, 21 Coot, 4 Moorhen, 76 Greylag, 8 Canada Geese, Wigeon, female Mandarin, 216 Lapwing, 12 Teal and 5 Bewick's Swans at 0830hrs but 60+ at the 1600hrs feed.
WeBS Count
Visibility and disturbance by raptors affected the totals.
| Canada Goose | 721 | ||
| Barnacle Goose | 132 | ||
| Greylag Goose | 323 | ||
| Pink-footed Goose | 1 | ||
| White-fronted Goose (Greenland - flavirostris) | 94 | ||
| Mute Swan | 139 | ||
| Bewick's Swan | 84 | ||
| Shelduck | 216 | ||
| Mandarin Duck | 1 | ||
| Shoveler | 76 | ||
| Gadwall | 41 | ||
| Wigeon | 1403 | ||
| Mallard | 642 | ||
| Pintail | 96 | ||
| Teal | 1158 | ||
| Pochard | 125 | ||
| Tufted Duck | 441 | ||
| Little Grebe | 2 | ||
| Grey Heron | 3 | ||
| Little Egret | 1 | ||
| Cormorant | 13 | ||
| Water Rail | 8 | ||
| Moorhen | 87 | ||
| Coot | 86 | ||
| Oystercatcher | 1 | ||
| Avocet | 42 | ||
| Lapwing | 2785 | ||
| Golden Plover | 338 | ||
| Curlew | 64 | ||
| Black-tailed Godwit | 7 | ||
| Ruff | 4 | ||
| Dunlin | 1075 | ||
| Snipe | 18 | ||
| Redshank | 17 | ||
| Black-headed Gull | 33 | ||
| Great Black-backed Gull | 6 | ||
| Herring Gull | 7 | ||
| Ross's Goose | 1 | long staying, over summering of dubious origin | |
| Hybrid goose | 4 | ||
| Great White Egret | 1 | ||
| Crane | 13 |
Saturday 17 January
Grounds
Fieldfare and Redwings
South Finger Reedbed
Water Rail
Kingfisher Hide
5 Roe Deer and 10 Greylag Geese on Four Score, 5 Teal and 2 Gadwall in Channel, on Bottom New Piece there is a Pink Footed Goose in with the 124 Canadas, 2 Greylag Geese, 3 Lapwing
Decoy Hide
2 Cormorants fishing, 19 Tufted Duck
South Lake
65 Avocet, 162 Teal,38 Lapwing, 4 Shoveler, 9 Gadwall,23 Tufted Duck, 1 Common Gull, 7 Cormorant, 38 Pochard seen from Discovery hide
Top New Piece
509 Teal, 131 Canada Geese, 17 White Fronted Geese, 64 Greylag Geese, 6 Shelduck, 2 Shoveler seen from Zeiss Hide
Dumbles
3000+ Lapwing, 395 Wigeon, 10 Teal, 200+ Golden Plover, 8 Shoveler, Ross’s Goose in Barnacle flock, 2 Greater Black-backed Gull, Peregrine Falcon, Marsh Harrier, Grey Heron, Goldcrest, Merlin seen from Estuary Tower
Tack Piece
4000+ Lapwing, 1500+ Dunlin, 400+ Wigeon, 300+ Teal, 34 Bewick’s Swan, 47 Redshank, 24 Ruff, 27 Tufted Duck, 17 Pintail, 17 Shoveler, 15 Pochard, Golden Plover, Snipe, Pied Wagtail, Song Thrush seen from Robbie Garnett Hide
Friday 16 January
Estuary walkway
Fire Crest
Dumbles
135 White-fronted Geese, Pink-footed Goose with the Canada Geese & Ross’s Goose with the Barnacle Geese, 9 Cranes.
Tack Piece
17 Ruff, 18 Redshank, 17 Black Tailed Godwit, 200+ Golden Plover & 100+ Dunlin amongst 1000+ Lapwing. 15 Pochard, 8 Shelduck, 9 Pintail, 2 Buzzard and 6 White-fronted Geese from Robbie Garnet Hide
20 Wigeon, 13 Teal, 3 Shoveler, 5 Canada Geese seen from Martin Smith Hide
South Lake
Flock of 15c Siskin feeding in Alder by the bridge.
36 Avocet, 17, Black tailed Godwit ,100c Lapwing, 23 Tufted Duck, 35 Teal, 67 Pochard (7fem 60male). Flock of feeding Siskin and Goldfinch (~30) seen at Hogarth Hide
Long Ground Pool
1 male pochard, 2 Shelduck, 83 Tufted Duck.
Bottom New Piece
226 Teal, 35 Wigeon, 15Shelduck,10 Gadwall, GWE and Oakie and Sherbet a pair of common Crane seen from Zeiss
South Finger
Fieldfare, 3 Bullfinch, Chaffinch, Tits, Goldcrest and 2 Tree Creeper
Kingfisher Hide
Juvenile Goshawk, 2 Water Rail, Teal, Shoveler, Gadwall and 3 Roe
Thursday 15 January
Dumbles
From Estuary Tower there were 450 Lapwing, 1 Pink-footed Goose, 2 Buzzard, Barnacle Goose flock with 1 Ross's Goose, Curlew on the river, 2 Marsh Harrier, Chiffchaff, Skylark, Wigeon and Teal also. Looking North from the tower towards the Goose fields, the White-fronted Goose flock were just visible, feeding.
Estuary Walkway
Along the walkway there were 3 Bullfinch spotted as well as 30 Siskin, 6 Redpoll by the pond dipping area and 1 Water Rail between Willow and Knott Hides.
Tack Piece
From Robbie Garnett Hide there were 65 Bewick's Swans, 11 Ruff, 9 Redshank, Lapwing, Wigeon, Shelduck, Teal, Shoveler, Tufted Duck, 1 Black-tailed Godwit, Dunlin, 3 Little Stint and 1 Buzzard.
Car Park
First thing this morning Song Thrush, Bullfinch and Cetti's Warbler were heard and seen.
Rushy
21 Bewick's Swans came along to the morning feed, joined by 47 Pochard, 115 Tufted Duck and 1 Avocet.
South Lake
From Discovery Hide there were 75 Teal, 2 Shelduck, 3 Shoveler, 5 Gadwall, 147 Lapwing, 43 Black-headed Gull, 22 Avocet, 15 Black-tailed Godwit, 9 Cormorant, 65 Pochard, 23 Tufted Duck, 20 Mallard and 2 Coot.
Top New Piece
From Zeiss Hide and Van de Bovenkamp Hide there were 172 Teal, 16 Wigeon, 8 Shoveler, 1 Coot, 2 Mallard, 31 Shelduck, 14 Greylag and 1 Great Egret.
Kingfisher Hide
From Kingfisher Hide there were 7 Gadwall, 6 Mallard, 5 Blue Tit, 1 Chaffinch, 1 Moorhen, 1 Little Grebe and a male Bullfinch made an appearance just before lunch.
Wednesday 14 January
Kingfisher Hide
From Kingfisher Hide there were 2 Little Grebe, 8 Gadwall, 1 Buzzard and 142 White-fronted Geese were seen on the Bottom New Piece.
South Finger Walkway
There was 1 Water Rail seen by the Dragonfly pool.
Top New Piece
From Zeiss Hide there were 189 Lapwing, 20 Shelduck, 50 Wigeon, 48 Teal, 4 Shoveler and 1 Marsh Harrier.
South Lake
From Discovery Hide there were 90 Tufted Duck, 2 Egyptian Geese, 200 Lapwing and 24 Shoveler.
Dumbles
From the Estuary Tower on the Dumbles scrape there were 164 Wigeon and 6 White-fronted Geese that then flew to join the main flock on the Bottom New Piece, Lapwing, Dunlin, Shoveler too.
Estuary Walkway
There was 1 Goldcrest seen and 1 Woodpecker heard drumming in the Decoy wood. By the Estuary Shoreline there were 9 Redpoll in the Alders at 14:20.
Tuesday 13 January
Withy Bed
A Firecrest was seen again with at least 2 Chiffchaff, as well as some showy Redwing and Blackcap in the hedge.
Tack Piece
A Juvenile Goshawk was seen hunting ducks over scrape there were also Ruff, Redshank, Curlew, Golden Plover, 500 Lapwing, Wigeon, Teal and Tufted Duck on the deeper flooded scrape. A peregrine also made an appearance.
Estuary Walkway
Along the walkway there were Fieldfare in the hedgerows and Redwing in trees by the Martin Smith Hide.
Dumbles
From the Estuary Tower there were 160 Barnacle Geese visible, and, in the afternoon, 17 cranes visited the Dumbles.
South Lake
From Discovery Hide there were 18 Avocet, 26 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Common Gull, 193 Teal, 34 Pochard, 1 Little Grebe as well as Lapwing, Black-headed Gull, Cormorant, and Tufted Duck.
Top New Piece
On the scrapes from Zeiss Hide, 24 Shelduck, 149 Teal, 15 Wigeon, 4 Shoveler. Feeding on the field edges there was a mixed flock of 35 Fieldfare and Redwing, and a Buzzard was perched on the seawall. Late in the morning the Goshawk was seen again.
Kingfisher Hide
On the water there were 2 Little Grebe, 6 Gadwall, a Cormorant was perched on the dead tree and a Grey Heron was fishing in the reeds. There were also 3 Roe Deer in the Bottom New Piece and Cranes were heard from afar.
Monday 12 January
Image: view over the Tack Piece to Ox Piece/Goose House Ground and beyond to Frampton on Severn church
Kingfisher Hide
Two Little Grebe and a few Teal on channel and pond, Water Rail feeding with Moorhens in Bottom New Piece gateway, Fieldfares and Redwings in the trees. Great and Blue Tits, Great Spotted Woodpecker and Chaffinches on feeders.
Rushy Hide/Peng Observatory
86 Bewick's Swans at dawn with the pair of Whooper Swans returning at dusk.
Car Park
A flight of 100+ Russian White-fronted Geese in the dark out to entrance road fields early morning to the north and again at 1650hrs when they took flight and headed for the Tack Piece. Around 50 called in on Tack Piece at 1030hrs but returned soon after.
Decoy Boardwalk
Siskin and Redpoll with Goldfinch flock, Long-tailed Tits moving through
Duck Decoy Pond
Great Egret.
Grounds/Matrix
Redwings, Fieldfares, Song Thrush, Goldcrest.
Estuary Tower
Water Rail in corner of Tack Piece, Pink-footed Goose with Canada Goose flock on Lower Dumbles.
Tack Piece from Stephen Kirk and Robbie Garnett Hides
Chiffchaff, 37 Redshank, 13 Ruff, 300 Wigeon, 240 Teal + Curlew, Lapwing, Golden Plover and Dunlin flocks.
South Lake
At the south end from Hogarth Hide, two Mistle Thrush in the Loopway trees, two Egyptian Geese perching in the tall trees on east side of South Lake but moved to the Canal Ground flood. 17 Avocet, 51 Black-tailed Godwit, 200 Lapwing, 12 Cormorant, flocks of Pochard, Tufted Ducks, Shoveler and Gadwall.
Top New Piece from Zeiss Hide
Bittern flew from island on the fleet to reeds to SW of Van de Bovenkamp hide
Dumbles
From Estuary Tower 16 Tundra Bean Geese arrived at 14:10, also single Little Stint feeding on the scrape edge and single adult Dark-bellied Brent Goose was on the Dumbles Edge. Thirteen Cranes feeding among the Canada/Barnacle Geese plus Ross's, Snow x Bar-headed and Barnacle x Canada Geese. 100s of Dunlin and Lapwing also present.
Estuary Walkway
Firecrest seen feeding in the Withy bed near Willow Hide, also seen were Goldcrest and 2 Chiffchaff. Nearby a Water Rail from Willow Hide.
