Sightings and news to week ending 22 March 2026

Image Tundra Bean Goose on the Rushy

Come and see our wild Kingfishers! 

We now two pairs of Kingfishers digging holes or refurbishing nest sites and viewable from the hides, please be very quiet in the Duck Decoy Hide and Kingfisher Hide to help them settle in and remain calm. In a good season we expect two broods per pair but a third attempt is not unheard of. The best time to see them is now, catch them whilst they are pairing up, actively digging and while they begin to lay eggs, once incubation of the eggs begins the male will visit with fish for the female, the visits increase when the chicks hatch with both then feeding young until they fledge (leave the nest).  You might walk into a hide and the birds are present and showing superbly or have to wait until one visits.

It can be quiet for a week or two until they decide to nest again. Timing will help with a successful sighting, they are small birds so carefully look in the low trees and branches as they are often sat nearby. We will have Guides in the Hides present on and off to help you spot one. 

Please note that the hide windows are closed up, any photographs taken will be through glass. The South Finger nest bank is around 40-45m from the hide, the Decoy bank is around 60m. We will clean the windows around the birds incubation period, when it's a quiet period, we will clean them. 

WeBS Count 22 March 

Sunday 22 March

South Lake

A Peregrine Falcon took something on South Lake which created a lot of nervous attention from the birds present, even the Crane pair and geese took notice. 

The 94 Black-tailed Godwits and 9 Avocets all departed when the Peregrine appeared. 16 Cattle and a Little Egret were loafing in the trees before leaving for the fields. 6 Cormorant, 37 Shoveler, 63 Teal, 20 Greylag and 14 Canada Geese. On the deep lake a pair of Little Grebe were vocal. 

Estuary Tower

136 Wigeon, 24 Teal, 2 Avocet and 18 Shoveler on the scrape, 162 Russian White-fronted and 2 Barnacle Geese, 25 Shelduck, 25 Curlew, 5 Lapwing, Red Kite, 24 Oystercatcher, 15 GBB Gull, 3 Crane, Dark-bellied Brent Goose with 35 Canada Geese.

Tack Piece

Spoonbill, 82 Teal, 4 Mute Swan, 16 Shelduck, 17 Russian White-fronted Geese, 74 Shoveler, 210 Wigeon, 3 Pintail, 4 Moorhen, 5 Mallard, 90 Barnacle, 2 Greylag and 2 Canada Geese.

Saturday 21 March 

Decoy Hide

5 pairs Tufted Duck, 1 pair Gadwall, 5 Shelduck, 2 Greylag Geese, 2 Mute Swans.

Kingfisher Hide

male Kingfisher with fish calling, 2 pairs Tufted Duck, 1 pair Teal, Marsh Harrier over, Cetti’s Warbler, Blackcap and Chiffchaff singing

Grounds

Male Pochard on Eider Pool, Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming 

Top New Piece

77 Wigeon, 18 Shelduck, 28 Shoveler, 1 Reed Bunting, 3 Gadwall, 48 Teal, 3 Tufted Duck,,15 Greylag Geese, 6 Canada Geese

South Lake

21 Black-tailed Godwit, 6 Avocet, 10 Shoveler, 3 Gadwall, 54 Teal, 2 Oystercatcher, 23 Tufted Duck, 3male 1 female Pochard, 14 Cormorant, 1 Little Grebe

Tack Piece

41 White-fronted geese, 2 Spoonbill, 107 Barnacle geese, 2 Oystercatcher, 1 Avocet, 60 Shoveler, 155 Wigeon, 13 Pintail, 42 Teal, 6 Shelduck, 1 Cetti's Warbler

Dumbles

1 Marsh Harrier, 140 White-fronted geese, 2 Barnacle geese, 140 Wigeon, 7 Avocet, 2 Skylark, 18 Curlew, 2 Oystercatcher, 1 Redshank, 2 Lapwing, 1 Dark Bellied Brent goose, 3+ Chiffchaff and 3 male Blackcap

Friday 20 March

Zeiss Hide

1 Great Egret, 90 Wigeon, 75 Teal, 12 Tufted Duck, 12 Shoveler, 2 pair of Gadwall and 29 Shelduck. 10 Redshank, and a pair of Avocet. Female Marsh Harrier hunting reeds

South Lake

Crane pair Ruby and her un-ringed mate on Duck Marsh, 3 Avocet, 6 Redshank, 11 Black-tailed Godwit, 20 Tufted, 5 Pochard, Little Grebe. Gulls mostly Black Headef with a few Herring. Also present Teal and Shoveler

South Finger

Great Egret, 2 Chiffchaff , Cetti's, and Bullfinch.

Kingfisher Hide

Female Kingfisher at nest bank. pair of Gadwall

Dumbles

Brent Goose, Tundra Bean goose, 170 Whitefronts, 2 Little-ringed plovers, 20 Oystercatchers, Peregrine, 2 Marsh Harriers, Red Kite, 27 Curlew, 15 Great Black-backed Gulls, 4 Avocets.

Decoy

2 Kingfishers

Thursday 19 March

Wigeon (pictured) are now down to around 500 birds on the reserve. 

South Lake

From Discovery Hide there was 1 Gadwall, 41 Teal, 24 Shoveler, 1 Pochard, 4 Shelduck, 4 Mallard, 5 Tufted Duck, 2 Cattle Egret, 2 Oystercatcher, 10 Canada Geese, 5 Greylag Geese, 13 Cormorant, 11 Common Gull, 76 Black-headed Gull and 1 Kingfisher.

Top New Piece

From Zeiss Hide there were 11 Greylag Geese, 5 Canada Geese, 5 Tufted Duck, 30 Shoveler, 88 Wigeon, 41 Teal, 9 Shelduck, 2 Coot, 2 Black-headed Gull, 1 Ruff and 12 Rook.

Kingfisher Hide

There were 4 Gadwall, 2 Mallard, 1 male Kingfisher, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 2 Coot, 1 Moorhen, 1 Great Tit, 2 Blue Tit, 3 Chaffinch. On the Bottom New Piece there were 24 Greylag and 2 Mute Swan.

Pill Box Pool

Visible from Estuary Tower, 27 Wigeon still, 1 Gadwall, 4 Tufted Duck and 4 Teal.

Martin Smith Hide

There were 9 Wigeon, 7 Teal and 6 Shoveler.

Tack Piece

From the Robbie Garnett Hide there were 320 Wigeon, 47 Shoveler, 1 Redshank, 6 Pintail, 2 Spoonbill, 14 Teal, 2 Gadwall, 43 Barnacle Geese and 1 Great Egret.

Rushy

Out on the Rushy there were 75 Tufted Duck, 3 Teal, 10 Pintail and 7 Pochard.

Dumbles

From Estuary Tower, 2 Barnacle Geese were with 189 White-fronted Geese, 19 Oystercatcher were on the river edge along with 13 Great Black-backed Gull, 5 Curlew, 68 Wigeon, 19 Teal, 9 Shoveler and 2 Avocet.

Wednesday 18 March

Rushy

From the Peng and Rushy Hides there was 1 Redshank, 2 Avocet, 80 Tufted Duck, 5 Mute Swan, 4 Pochard, 35 Shelduck and 32 Black-headed Gull.

Kingfisher Hide

From Kingfisher Hide there were 2 Stock Dove, 2 Kingfishers, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker on the feeders, 4 Roe Deer, and Cetti’s Warbler heard calling too.

Top New Piece

From Zeiss Hide on the water there were 94 Wigeon, 124 Teal, 16 Shoveler, 12 Tufted Duck, 14 Shelduck, 1 Avocet, 1 Redshank and 1 Snipe flushed by a Marsh Harrier overhead.

Tack Piece

From Robbie Garnett Hide there were 400 Wigeon, 28 Teal, 84 Shoveler, 2 Tufted Duck, 2 Pintail, 2 Gadwall, 3 Spoonbill and 12 Shelduck.

South Lake

Quiet for waders first thing from Discovery hide with 27 Avocet, 19 Shoveler, 2 Oystercatcher, 41 Tufted Duck, 8 Pochard, 58 Teal, 1 Great Crested Grebe and 3 Common Gull.

Withy Bed/Estuary Walkway

2 Peacock butterflies in the Withy bed, and Brimstone Butterflies have been seen around site too.

Dumbles

From Estuary Tower there were 189 White-fronted Geese plus the two Barnacle Geese, 2 Cranes- Oakie and Sherbert, 2 Avocet, 2 Lapwing, 11 Oystercatcher on the river edge to the South, 10 Shoveler, 18 Teal, 3 Shelduck, 4 Canada Geese, 3 Shoveler, 2 Gadwall and 34 Wigeon. The first Wheatear of the year was near Middle Point ( a male).

Tuesday 17 March

Tack Piece

Three Spoonbill, a few hundred duck, mostly Wigeon but Pintail, Shoveler and Teal among them, 16 Redshank, 2 Buzzard, a Little-ringed Plover called in briefly

Estuary Tower

The Dark-bellied Brent Goose plus 189 Russian White-fronted Geese and 2 Barnacle Geese, Peregrine on the Dumbles, 2 Avocet on the scrape and 130 on foreshore with Mediterranean, 15 GBBG, LBBG, 12 Herring, 70 Common and 90 Black-headed Gulls, 4 Oystercatcher, 18 Curlew + GC Grebe over high tide.

South Lake

Pair of Crane on the duck marsh. All the Avocets and Black-tailed Godwits departed to the estuary, likely due to a hunting raptor. 

Duck Decoy

Pair of Kingfisher in courtship and nest hole digging.

Kingfisher Hide

Pair of Kingfishers around the nest bank + Little Grebe and 12 Teal. Three Red Kite over around midday. Seven Roe Deer and 25+ Greylag in the Bottom New Piece with 3 Lapwing. 

Monday 16 March

Rushy Hide/Peng Observatory

One of the two Spoonbills (image above MJM) called in to feed but returned to Tack Piece. 11 Black-tailed Godwit, 3 Redshank, 2 Oystercatcher, Lapwing, 14 Pintail, 15 Pochard + flocks of Mute Swan, Shelduck, Tufted Duck and Mallard. A Tundra Bean Goose was present over the lunchtime period but flew off toward South Lake (image below MJM). 

Duck Decoy

Pair of Kingfishers at the nest bank, 2 Cormorants and Tufted Ducks. 

Tack Piece

Now three Spoonbills, 92 Shoveler, 393 Wigeon, 6 Pintail, 3 Curlew, 2 Redshank, c30 Teal, Pied Wagtail. an early Swallow was feeding near Robbie Garnett Hide. 

Pillbox Pool

34 Wigeon, a few Teal and Tufted Ducks.

Long Ground Pool

11 Shoveler, Tufted Ducks, Cormorant and Coot and Moorhen.

Estuary Tower

Dark- bellied Brent Goose, adult breeding plumage Mediterranean Gull with Common and Black-headed Gulls on the Severn mud, 3 Cranes, 188 Russian White-fronted Geese with 2 Barnacle on the Dumbles, 2 Avocet, 10 Shoveler and Teal on the scrape.

South Lake

147 Avocet includes 3 colour ringed birds (Red H9 and two others which we are trying read), 69 Shoveler, 14 Black-tailed Godwit, Little Grebe, c70 Teal, c40 Tufted Duck, Cormorants, Herring, Common and Black-headed Gulls.

• Share this article