Sightings and news to week ending 19 April 2026

Upcoming Events

Birding for Beginners - Friday 17 April

Wild History Walk - Friday 17 April

Guided Birdwatch Walk - Saturday 18 April

Birdsong Walk - Sunday 3 May

Birdsong Walk - Monday 4 May

Image- Willow Warbler from Willow Hide in a Willow! MJM.

South Lake

Singing Common Whitethroat along the bank near Hogarth Hide.

Estuary Tower

A Grasshopper Warbler again reeling in the scrub below the hide. A female Marsh Harrier on the Dumbles and a male over Top New Piece but both roaming the reserve. 

Tack Piece

The majority of the ducks were to be found here. A singing Lesser Whitethroat on far side of field. Four Cranes flew over (image-MJM).

WeBS (Wetland Bird Survey) Count 19 April 

Highlight was a calling Bearded Reedling that dropped in to foreshore reeds for around a minute, then towered high and headed NE. 

Saturday 18 April

Rushy

Cattle egret, little egret, Grey Heron, Redshank, Spotted Redshank, Pied Wagtails

South Lake

Knot, 79 Black-tailed Godwits, 30 Avocets, Little Grebe, 8 Cormorants, Black-headed Gulls

Top New Piece

Spoonbill, Marsh Harrier

Decoy

Cuckoo Calling, Kingfisher seen briefly, male and female Blackcaps feeding in the trees

Knott Hide

Great views of Sedge warblers and Reed Warblers

Dumbles

Dark-bellied Brent Goose, Common Sandpiper, Sand martins, House Martins and swallows. Grasshopper Warbler heard calling from in front of the Estuary Tower

Friday 17 April

Rushy

Little Ringed Plover, Swallow and House Martin feeding over with Sand Martins.

Dumbles

Whimbrel, Spoonbill, 3 Bar-tailed Godwit, Knot, Sanderling, 11 Dunlins, 12+ Common ringed plovers, 29 Oystercatcher, 18+ Curlews, Dark Bellied Brent Goose, Buzzard, Peregrine, 13 Cranes, 30+ Avocets

Tack piece

Tundra bean goose, Little ringed Plover, Common Sandpiper

South Lake

87 Avocets, 83 Black-tailed Godwits, 10 Shelduck, 11 Gadwall, 5 Tufted Duck, 5 Teal, 1 Oystercatcher, 4 Cormorant

Top New Piece

22 Shelduck, 21 Teal, 2 Gadwall

Kingfisher Hide

2 Gadwall, 2 Tufted Duck, Brimstone moth, Chiffchaff, Sedge and Cetti’s warblers singing.

Decoy Hide

9 Shelduck, 7 Tufted Duck, 1 Cormorant, 2 Shoveler.

Thursday 16 April

Rushy Hide

Swallow and House Martin feeding over with Sand Martins.

Top New Piece

Common Sandpiper on the islands. 

Tack Piece

Spoonbill and Little-ringed Plover on the shore of the scrape. 50+ Sand Martin feeding over. 

Estuary Tower

Tundra Bean Goose on the Dumbles with the Greylags, the Dark-bellied Brent was on the foreshore with Canada Geese + at least 14 Ringed Plover, 1 Curlew, 1 Sanderling and 8 Dunlin over high tide, gull roost (no sign of Kumlien's Gull seen just downriver yesterday). Five Curlew and 20 Oystercatcher on the Lower Dumbles and at least 7 Lapwing. 

Wednesday 15 April

South Lake

Peregrine and Buzzard disturbed the waders but a flock of 94 Black-tailed Godwit and 82 Avocet present, Little-ringed Plover, 4 Oystercatcher.

Top New Piece

Marsh Harrier, 24 Teal, 10 Shelduck, Little Egret.

Kingfisher Hide

Kingfisher along channel.

Rushy Hide/Peng Observatory

Spotted Redshank on the top pond islands.

Tack Piece

Spoonbill, Tundra Bean Goose, Common Sandpiper, 2 Oystercatcher, 2 Pied Wagtail, 1 drake 2 duck Wigeon, 3 pairs of Pintail among the Tufted Duck, Shoveler, Teal, Barnacle and Greylag Geese. A drake Goosander was seen here but flew off toward South Lake. 

Estuary Tower

13 Dunlin, 21 Ringed Plover, single Sanderling and Dunlin but put up by 2 Peregrines. Flock of 29 Oystercatcher and a few Lapwing on Lower Dumbles, 2 Oystercatcher, 2 pairs of Avocet, 2 pairs of Teal on Upper Dumbles scrape, 50 Sand Martins feeding over. A Common Tern was seen over the foreshore from the Zeiss Hide. A couple of Swifts feeding over. 

Tuesday 14 April 

First three Swifts (one pictured -MJM) of the year feeding over the reserve

Tack Piece

Tundra Bean Goose with two Greylags + Common Sandpiper on scrape shore.
South Lake/Car Park- 4 House Martin with Sand Martin flock.

Estuary Tower

Dark-bellied Brent on the Dumbles with 24 Barnacle and Canada Geese, 8 Lapwing, 6 Skylark, 4 Avocet, 2 Redshank, 15 Oystercatcher on the Upper and Lower Dumbles, 30 Sand Martin and 10 Swallows feeding over, Spoonbill on Top New Piece but flew

Rushy Hide

Spotted Redshank and Black-tailed Godwit on the lower pond, 47 Black-headed Gull, 11 Teal + Mallard, Gadwall and Shelduck.
Tack Piece- 61 Shoveler, 4 Pintail, 2 Wigeon, 11 Gadwall, 10 Teal, 22 Shelduck and singing Reed Warblers.

Willlow Hide

Singing Willow Warbler, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Reed and Cetti's Warbler.
Kingfisher Hide- 10 Cranes on the Four Score ground.
Top New Piece- 45 Teal, 7 Shoveler, 7 Gadwall, 2 pairs of Avocet, pair Black-headed Gull.

South Lake

118 Avocet, 26 Teal, 11 Gadwall, 6 Shoveler, 81 Black-tailed Godwit, Tufted Ducks, Cormorants, Black-headed and Herring Gulls, Greylags, Canada Geese, Coot and Moorhen. A Black-headed x Mediterranean Gull hybrid was among the gulls. 

Monday 13 April

Rushy

A Common sandpiper feeding along the far shoreline.

Tack Piece

One Spoonbill continues to sleep on edge of scrape.

Dumbles

3 unringed Crane, 4 Curlew on the grass edge, Dark-bellied Brent Goose, passage of Sand Martin, 10 Avocet on islands from Tower, 6 Lapwing. Three Blackcap in the Hedgerow below the Estuary Tower.

South Lake

84 Avocet beginning to nest, 98 Black-tailed Godwit, 3 Oystercatcher, 4 Tufted Duck.

Hogarth Hide

A Whitethroat continues to sing from brambles to right of hide.

Zeiss Hide

18 Teal, 4 Shelduck, 6 Shoveler, 4 pair of Tufted Duck, Sedge Warbler and 1 Spotted Redshank.

South Finger Walkway

Cetti’s, Reed, Sedge, Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler all heard.

Kingfisher Hide

Eleven Roe Deer, pair of Tufted Duck, Reed Warbler and Reed Bunting, whilst in the Spinney there was a drumming Great Spotted Woodpecker.

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