Sightings and news to week ending 21 December 2025

Sunday 21 December Winter Solstice

Withy Bed/Decoy

Firecrest

Rushy Hide/Peng Observatory

10,000 + Starlings in a fantastic murmuration over the Tack Piece/Decoy this evening. 

33 Bewick's Swans (one cygnet) + c30 Redshank, 100s of Lapwing Tufted Duck, Pochard and Shelduck, c 60 Pintail.

Tack Piece

Disturbed by hunting raptors so little in the way of count. Very busy with Teal, Wigeon, Pintail, Shoveler, Ruff, Redshank, Lapwing, Dunlin, Black-tailed Godwits, Greylag and Canada Geese + 2 Marsh Harrier, Buzzard + Peregrine

South Finger Reedbed

Water Rail from the viewing screen + singing Song Thrush.

Kingfisher Hide

Gadwall, Shoveler and Teal feeding in the channel between Four Score Ground and Bottom New Piece + Marsh Harrier at the latter.

South Lake

23 Avocet, 420 Black-tailed Godwit, a Little Stint flew out toward the Tack Piece, 5 Dunlin among the 100s Lapwing, 20 Cormorant and Pochard, Tufted Ducks, Gadwall and Teal.

Saturday 20 December

Kingfisher Hide

11 Teal, 13 Gadwall, 2 Little Grebe, Fieldfare in walkway trees, 3 Roe Deer

Bottom New Piece

52 Canadas, 60 Greylags Geese

Top New Piece

121 Canadas, 70 Greylag Geese, 500+ Teal, 5 Wigeon

Dumbles

1 Sparrowhawk, 7 Crane, 2 Reed Bunting, 42 GBB Gull, 51 Barnacle. On river - 200+ Wigeon, 30 Pintail, 3 Heron seen from the Estuary Tower

Tack Piece

3881 Lapwing, 920 Golden Plover, 12 Ruff, 18 Redshank, 396 Black-Tailed Godwits, 6 Curlew*, 610 Dunlin, 29 Whitefronts, 510 Wigeon, 1710 Teal, 38 Shoveler, 19 Tufted, 1 Pochard, 1 Buzzard and 1 Marsh Harrier

Discovery hide

19 Avocet,182 Teal, 85 Shoveler, 45 Lapwing, 18 Gadwall, 19 Cormorant, Heron, 12 Pochard

Friday 19 December

South Lake

22 male 5 female Pochard, 14 Tufted Duck, 220 Teal, 2 Pintail, 16 Cormorant, 32 Gadwall, 1 Wigeon, hybrid Ruddy Shelduck, 11 Avocet, 172 Lapwing, 68 Shoveler, Sparrowhawk and Siskin seen from Discovery hide

Zeiss Hide

472 Teal, 24 Greylag Geese, 2 Great Black Back gull, 2 Shelduck

Canoe Safari area

Great egret

Decoy Hide

21 Tufted Duck, 1 Mute Swan 13 Mallard, 5 Teal

Kingfisher Hide

22 Gadwall, 20 Teal, Fieldfare

Tack Piece

Little Stint, 500+ Dunlin, 25 Bewick Swans, 341 Black-tailed Godwit, 66 Redshank, 26 Ruff, Marsh Harrier & Sparrowhawk causing havoc plus 1000+ waterfowl seen from Robbie Garnett Hide

Dumbles

2 Crane & 2 White-fronted Goose, 127 Curlew, Bar-tailed Godwit, 22 Great Black Back gull, c400 Canada, 175 Barnacles + Ross’ Geeese, 500+ Dunlin, 500+ Lapwing, c1200 Wigeon & Pintail on estuary, 1000+ Golden Plover seen from Estuary Tower

Thursday 18 December

Rushy Hide

There were 26 Bewick's swans at the time of the feed, 91 Shelduck and 1 Tawny Owl flew over the Lake early morning.

Kingfisher Hide

Two Little Grebe, 20 Redwing, 3 Roe Deer on the Four Score field with another 3 on the Bottom new Piece.

South Finger Walkway

There was a Kingfisher fishing in the Reedbed just behind the first Dragonfly pool.

South Lake

Among Herring and Black-headed Gulls there were 18 Common Gull, 5 Avocet, 1 Grey Heron, Pochard, Tufted Duck and Lapwing.

Zeiss Hide

On the Top New Piece there was 1 Great Egret fishing, 300 Teal and 3 Roe Deer.

Dumbles

From Estuary Tower there was 1 Dark-bellied Brent Goose, 1 Pink-footed Goose with the Canada and Greylag Geese, 17 Curlew and Wigeon, Teal and Pintail out on the river.

Tack Piece

From Robbie Garnett hide 1 Marsh Harrier, 48 Redshank, 21 Ruff and 1 Sparrowhawk.

Wednesday 17 December

South Lake

From Discovery Hide there were 2 Avocet, Black-tailed godwit, 74 Shoveler, 160 Tufted Duck, 21 Cattle Egret, 46 Pochard, 26 Gadwall, 3 Egyptian Geese, 300 Lapwing and 86 Teal.

Top New Piece

From Zeiss Hide there were 439 Teal, 10 Wigeon, 3 Pintail, 8 Shelduck, 1 Brent Goose, 1 Pink-footed Goose and 5 Shoveler. Later in the afternoon there were 22 Bewick's visible, 11 Cranes and a Marsh Harrier. 

Tack Piece

From Robbie Garnett Hide there were 30 Redshank, 4 Ruff, 80 Black-tailed Godwit, 16 Curlew and large flocks of Lapwing and Dunlin were flushed by a Peregrine. 

Kingfisher Hide

On the water there were 20 Gadwall, 2 Little Grebe and 2 Great Egret. Later in the afternoon there was a mixed flock of 50 Fieldfare and Redwing as well as a male Stonechat by the seawall. 

Decoy Boardwalk

Two Firecrest have been spotted this morning as well as a small flock of Linnet.

Tuesday 16 December

Spinney Wood

Treecreeper spotted.

Kingfisher Hide

On the water there were 14 Gadwall, 8 Teal, 2 Little Grebe, 2 Cetti's Warbler and 1 Water Rail.

South Finger Walkway

Along the Walkway there were 30+ Fieldfare in the trees and 2 Water Rail in the Dragonfly Pool.

Bottom New Piece

Visible from Kingfisher Hide there were 4 Grey Heron and 4 Roe Deer.

Top New Piece

From Zeiss Hide there was 1 Great Egret.

Monday 15 December

South Lake

From Discovery Hide there were 210 Lapwing, 18 Dunlin, 320 Teal, 81 Shoveler, 49 Tufted Duck, 45 Pochard, 52 Gadwall, 6 Shelduck, 8 Cormorant, 5 Moorhen, 3 Coot, 3 Egyptian Geese, 24 Black-headed Gull and 1 Mute Swan.

Top New Piece

There was a male Marsh Harrier around and about, most of the Teal and Wigeon from the Top new Piece were flushed first thing in the morning.

Kingfisher Hide

Two Little Grebe were fighting over a fish on the water in front of the Hide, with 14 Gadwall, 5 Teal, 5 Blue Tit, Fieldfare and Redwing in the trees and both male and female Stonechat were spotted too.

South Finger Walkway Willow screen

There were 2 Water Rail in the Reed bed and a Bittern in the ditch by the settling pond.

South Finger Walkway

A Bittern was also seen in Dragonfly Pond further along the walkway, in full view.

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