Image- Whinchat, Ox Piece Wild headland- MJM
Upcoming Events
Birding for Beginners 28 September 2026
Guided Birdwatch Walk 29 September 2026
Seasonal habitat work, essential maintenance and farming
*Please note that you may encounter farming activity, seasonal habitat management, infrastructure maintenance or survey work around the reserve. This can include the use of machinery. We typically work in one area at a time with a large team to get the job done quickly and safely. We manage the other wetland areas to offer a quiet place to feed and rest, short-term localised disturbance is possible. Our birds simply move to another spot for a time and return once we finish, the first phase of work in the Rushy led to outstanding views of waders on the Tack Piece.
It's important to allow quiet during the evenings and very early mornings when birds are roosting so most work is carried out when a full team is on site between 0800-1630hrs. This work is essential for biodiversity and the annual cycle of the reserve and also to keep the place operational, pumps, filter, pipes and much more need attention. This work also allows us to keep views open to our scrapes and lakes following the breeding season.
*Note that we intend to work on the South Lake this coming week*
Work begins on Tuesday 22 to Thursday 24 September, we will be on the scrapes and deep lake working on the islands, some additional tractor work possibly on Friday, this is likely to be out of view and not cause any disturbance.
Sunday 27 September
South Finger Reedbed
7 Wigeon and 28 Gadwall.
Top New Piece from Zeiss Hide
Two Pectoral Sandpipers late morning to early afternoon, eleven Spotted Redshank, 3 Knot, 21 Ruff, juvenile Wood Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper, 260 Dunlin, adult and juvenile Little Stint, 24 Ringed Plover, 61 Lapwing, 2 Golden Plover, 2 Snipe, 7 Wigeon, 70 Teal, Marsh Harrier, 7 Pintail.
Estuary Tower/Dumbles/Middle Point- over high tide
Six Commic (two adult and four juveniles) and two juvenile 2 Arctic Terns, 4 Spoonbill (one remained), Bar-tailed Godwit, 2 Grey Plover, 2 Wigeon, 20 GBB Gull, 27 Little Egret, 5 Grey Heron, 130 Starling, 13 Crane, Oystercatcher, 17 Skylark, 4 Peregrine.
Late afternoon five Golden Plover on the mudflats.
Rushy Hide/Peng Observatory
Four 4 Ruff, 3 Redshank, 5 Snipe, 10 Wigeon (but left), 7 Pintail, 29 Gadwall, 2 Greenshank, Great Egret, Green Sandpiper, 25 Lapwing, Little Grebe, Grey and Pied Wagtails, 11 Shoveler and two Glossy Ibis called in but flew off low NE.
South Lake
160 Black-tailed Godwit, Green Sandpiper, 2 Snipe, Ruff, 79 Shoveler, 12 Lapwing, Little Grebe, flocks of Teal, Tufted Duck and Gadwall, 9 Cormorant, 4 Pochard. The Wood Sandpiper was here late afternoon.
Saturday 26 September
South Lake Discovery hide
221 Black-tailed Godwits, 11 Ruff, 1 Redshank, 5 Snipe, 22 Lapwing, 100 Shoveler, 6 Tufted, 197 Teal, 2 Grey Heron, 5 Cormorant, 1 Little Grebe
Top New Piece
Two Pectoral Sandpipers in the afternoon, likely to be the original bird from last Thursday that continued over the weekend and the other from Saul Warth on Friday. Two Little Egret with 13 Cattle Egret, Cetti’s warbler singing, 4 Ruff, 73 Dunlin, 22 Lapwing, 129 Teal, 1 Marsh Harrier Green Sandpiper calling2 Little Egret with 13 Cattle Egret, Cetti’s warbler singing, 4 Ruff, 73 Dunlin, 22 Lapwing, 129 Teal, 1 Marsh Harrier Green Sandpiper calling
Grounds
Long Tailed Tits moving through, Goldcrests calling in the Swamp Cypress trees.
Tack Piece
13 Cattle Egret roosting on the back fleet, 1 with the Longhorns, Cetti’s warbler heard.
Bottom New Piece
6 Gadwall, 2 Roe Deer
Grounds
Long Tailed Tits moving through, Goldcrests calling in the Swamp Cypress trees.
Kingfisher Hide
6 Gadwall, 2 Roe Deer on BNP.
South Finger Reedbed
32 Gadwall, 6 Wigeon
South Finger Reedbed
32 Gadwall, 6 Wigeon.
Friday 25 September
Top New Piece
Marsh Harrier causing disturbance, 10 Cattle Egret,1 Great Egret, 2 Golden Plover & a Knot amongst Lapwing, Pink-foot with Canadas. Still 16 Ruff, 3 Snipe, Green Sandpiper, Greenshank, 3 Black-tailed Godwit. Marsh Harrier & Kestrel
Kingfisher hide
2 Kingfishers and a Raven
South Lake
108 Black - tailed Godwit, Cattle Egret on causeway, single Common Gull among 25 Black Headed Gulls, 21 Tufted ducks, 1 Pochard and 54 Shoveler
South Finger
Very quiet in the Reed beds. Cettis Warbler heard and 15 Gadwall in the open water
Bottom New Piece
3 Roe Deer
Long Ground Pool
31 Teal, 7 Shoveler
Dumbles
132 Greylag, 103 Barnacle plus Ross’s, 27 Canada geese, 67 Lapwing, 3 Ruff
Mid Point
Beautiful morning. Spoonbill, 6 Ringed Plover, 13 Dunlin, Bar-tailed Godwit, Ross’s & Pink-foot with Barnacles, Great & 3 Little Egret, 4 Pintails, Crane, 35 Curlew, Meadow Pipit
Tack Piece
3 Cattle Egret, 1 Green Sandpiper, 171 Teal, 6 Blackwit, 3 Snipe, 101 Greylag and 4 Canada geese
Rushy
4 Black - tailed Godwit, 7 Redshank, 3 Ruff, 3 Spotted Redshank, 1 Greenshank, 8 Snipe, 59 Teal, mix of duck, Lapwing and geese on top pool
Thursday 24 September
Top New Piece
A juvenile Pectoral Sandpiper was new-in today. It was feeding with Snipe in the taller vegetation in the bay opposite the Zeiss Hide and didn't flush when the Marsh Harriers were hunting over. Beware of the small reeves in the Ruff flock, at least 18 are present as well as 5 Golden Plover, 10 Knot and a Green Sandpiper with the Lapwing flock. A flock of 33 Cattle Egret are among the Longhorn herd. This part of the grounds opens at 0930hrs.
Bottom New Piece
Two Skylarks.
South Finger Extension
From the Kingfisher Hide, there were 15 Gadwall, 1 Shoveler, 2 Mute Swans, and 2 Cetti's Warblers calling.
Rushy Hide
A Female Pintail on the top pond.
Middle Point
Spoonbill, 2 Great Egrets, 5+ Little Egrets, 10+ Grey Herons and a multitude of Curlews feeding in the tidal pools and creeks.
Wednesday 23 September
Middle Point
A Sedge and Cetti's Warbler, 4 Reed Bunting, 3 Stonechat, 3 Swallow, 2 Skylark, 16 Meadow Pipit, Spoonbill, 10 Little Egret, 11 Grey Heron, 350+ Canada Geese, 12 Crane, 8 Ringed Plover, 17 Curlew, c30 Dunlin and 60 Avocet.
Estuary Tower
Dunnock, 14 Curlew, 75 Lapwing, 5 Skylark, 88 Canada Geese, 23 Barnacle Geese, 22 Greylag Geese and a Green Sandpiper feeding in the Long Ground Pool.
Tack Piece
A Green Sandpiper, 3 Ruff, 2 Pied Wagtail, 6 Cattle Egret and a large flock of Greylag Geese.
Rushy Hide/Peng Observatory
Four Garganey, 3 Spotted Redshank, 3 Redshank, 8 Snipe, Green Sandpiper, 5 Ruff and Grey Wagtail.
Decoy Hide
A Cetti's Warbler, 13 Tufted Duck, 6 Gadwall, 4 Shoveler and a juvenile Little Grebe.
South Lake
187 Black-tailed Godwit, 3 Snipe, 79 Shoveler and 24 Tufted Duck.
Top New Piece
52 Cattle Egret, 292 Teal, 72 Shoveler, Spotted Redshank, 4 Greenshank and 24 Ruff.
Tuesday 22 September
Entrance road fields
25 Cattle Egret
Fifty Acre seawall
First returning Merlin.
Top New Piece
Three Yellow Wagtail, 11 Knot, Water Rail.
Monday 21 September
A Woodlark was reported flying over the Tack Piece.
Green Woodpecker around the Rickyard building.
Top New Piece
Bittern
Rushy Hide/Peng Observatory
Four Garganey, 6 Spotted Redshank, 4 Greenshank, 4 Ruff, 4 Black-tailed Godwit, 5 Redshank, 8 Snipe, Little + Great Egret, flock of Teal, Shoveler, Gadwall.
Tack Piece
Two Spotted Redshank, c40 Teal, Golden Plover flying around calling.
Estuary Tower/Middle Point
Spoonbill, Great and 3 Little Egrets in tidal pools and creeks, c50 Dunlin with 3 Sanderling, 3 Wigeon, 326 Shelduck, Peregrine and Yellow Wagtail with cattle on the Dumbles + 30 Meadow Pipit and 15 Skylark, 7 Reed Bunting at the point.
Top New Piece- 4 Ruff, c70 Teal, Pintail and a few Shoveler.
South Finger Reed/Filtration Beds
From the viewing screen- 2 Wigeon, 4 Teal, 38 Gadwall feeding on duck weed, 3 male Blackcap, 5 Chiffchaff with tit flock or on berries
