Sightings and news to week ending 28 December 2025

Sunday 28 December

Tack Piece

Tundra Bean Geese reported at 11:00 from Robbie Garnett Hide, they flew shortly afterwards. A real winter spectacle out on the Tack Piece today with Golden Plover, Lapwing, Dunlin, Curlew, Wigeon, Teal, Pintail, 1 Pink-footed Goose and Bewick's Swans.

Top New Piece

One Marsh Harrier 

South Finger Walkway 

Fieldfare and Redwing in the treetops.

Rushy Lake 

40 Bewick's Swans present first thing for the feed. 25 others were spotted throughout surrounding fields. 

Decoy Boardwalk

One Firecrest.

South Lake 

One Green-winged Teal. 

Saturday 27 December

Tack Piece

From Robbie Garnett Hide there were 300 Dunlin, 1500 Lapwing, 2000 Wigeon, 1000 Teal, 26 Shoveler, 15 Pintail, 45 Golden Plover, 18 Ruff, 3 Redshank, 1 Little Stint and 4 Tundra Bean Geese were seen at 11:40.

South Lake

From Discovery Hide six Cranes flew over the Duck Marsh, 1 Green-winged Teal, 54 Avocet, 339 Teal, 45 Shoveler, 66 Pochard, 52 Tufted Duck, 1 Grey Heron and 5 Gadwall.

Bottom New Piece

On the Bottom new Piece there were 56 Lapwing, 1 Ruff, Water Rail, Marsh Harrier, Fieldfare and Redwing flock and 23 Greylag.

Top New Piece

From Zeiss Hide there was 1 Great Egret, 346 Teal, 1 Ruff, 10 Shoveler, 6 Tufted Duck, Cetti’s Warbler, 6 Wigeon, 1 Red Kite, 20 Shelduck, 500 Lapwing and 46 Golden Plover.

Estuary Tower

There was 1 flythrough Sparrowhawk,1 Peregrine, 1 Goshawk that was initially in the hedgerow then flew to rear of Tack Piece, 3 Crane, 182 Barnacle and 1 Ross’s Geese, 1 Marsh Harrier and 5 Dunlin.

Decoy Hide

Looking onto the Decoy pool there were 13 Teal, 2 Tufted Duck and 4 Shoveler.

South Finger Walkway

Along the walkway there were Bullfinch and Fieldfare in the trees.

Tin Shed Ground

Looking over the reedbed, 9 Cranes including 3 unringed and Oakie & Sherbert were seen and 56 Greylag Geese.

Kingfisher Hide

On the water there were 4 Gadwall, 1 Little Grebe and 3 Teal.

Friday 26 December

Afternoon

By the afternoon, 5 Tundra Bean Geese had been spotted before they flew north west and we welcomed some more Bewick's swans bringing the total to 70, 3 of which are cygnets. 

Morning

Rushy Lake 

After an influx over the last few days we now have 63 Bewick's swans on site.

Estuary Tower

Three distant Tundra Bean Geese viewable from Estuary Tower.

South Finger Walkway 

Flock of 80 Redwing moving along the treetops.

Wednesday 24 December

South Lake 

There were 27 Cattle Egret roosting at the back of the Deep Lake and 14 Avocet. 

Kingfisher Hide 

On the water there were 12 Gadwall, 24 Teal, 2 Little Grebe and 3 Roe Deer.

Van de Bovenkamp Hide 

There were 40 White-fronted Geese on the Tin Shed Field. 

Rushy Pen

Five new Bewick's Swan arrivals today including a new cygnet.

Tack Piece

Very busy Tack Piece today with Wigeon, Teal , Pintail, Lapwing, 70 Black-tailed Godwit, Dunlin, Golden Plover, Ruff and a Peregrine. 

Tuesday 23 December

Withy Bed/Tack Piece hedge between Martin Smith and Robbie Garneet Hides

Firecrest, 4 Goldcrest and Chiffchaff at around 0900am. 

Tack Piece

64 Russian White-fronted Geese + flocks of Canada and Greylag Geese, 18 Ruff, 1000s of waders including Lapwing, Dunlin and Black-tailed Godwit but being flushed regularly by a hunting Peregrine so are very mobile, 800 Teal and 400 Wigeon. 

South Lake

Really busy but being disturbed by raptors, 24 Avocet, (includes a color ringed bird), 582 Dunlin, 500 Lapwing, 89 Black-tailed Godwit, 15 Cormorant, 140 Teal, 80 Pochard just some of the birds present..

Rushy Hide/Peng Observatory

Now up to 39 Bewick's Swans with some new arrivals (one cygnet), flocks of 60 Redshank and 12 Ruff, 100 Pochard, 230 Tufted Duck, 60 Pintail.

Estuary Tower

Dark-bellied Brent Goose with the Canada/ Barnacle Geese on the Dumbles + Peregrine, the usual Ross's Goose, Snow x Bar-headed and two Barnacle x Canada Geese hybrids also present.

Monday 22 December

1,989 Teal counted from the hides today.

Rushy Hide/Peng Observatory

63 Redshank, 8 Ruff, 180 Lapwing, Black-tailed Godwit, 35 Bewick's Swans, 8 Ruff, 63 Redshank + flocks of Mallard, Pochard, Tufted Duck, Shelduck and Pintail.

Tack Piece

Drake Green-winged Teal among the 957 Teal on the deeper water scrape and then resting on the central flood. Flocks of Wigeon, Shoveler, Pochard, Tufted Duck, Lapwing, Dunlin, Black-tailed Godwit, a few Curlew including red over black right above and lime left above. Two Marsh Harrier, 2 Buzzard and a Peregrine all hunting the area.

Withy Bed

Chiffchaff and Goldcrests

South Finger

Lots of thrushes, mainly Redwing and Fieldfare on the berries + Goldcrests, Water Rail on the reedbed rides.

South Lake

Two Egyptian Geese in the tall trees on east side, 22 Avocet, 300+ Black-tailed Godwit, 300 Lapwing, 146 Teal.

Estuary Tower

Five Cranes mid to late morning. Water Rail below the hide on Tack Piece side. Single Russian White-fronted Goose among the Greylag and Barnacle Geese plus the Ross's, Barnacle x Canada and Snow x Bar-headed Geese, the rest appear to be feeding on Goose House Ground, most out of view behind the plum grove. Best viewed from the centre tower. 1000+ duck on the Severn, 51 GBB Gull on the foreshore roost with 305 Curlew. 900 Golden Plover and 400 Dunlin on the mudflats at low tide.

Pair of Russian White-fronted Geese with 10 juveniles. Tack Piece, MJM.

• Share this article