Sightings and news to week ending 4 January 2026
Sunday 4 January
Estuary Tower
Fifteen Tundra Bean Geese again plus 100s Canada and Barnacle Geese, Snow x Bar-headed and Barnacle x Canada hybrids, a Pink-footed and Ross's Goose and two Canada x farmyard? hybrids. Peregrine and Buzzard with Marsh Harrier also noted.
Rushy Hide/ Peng Observatory
83 Bewick's Swans at dawn (five juveniles including the German neck-collared) 2 adults left at the feed were off the Dumbles, likely to be new-in. They were joined by a Whooper Swan but what is likely to be the latter returned later.
Van de Bovenkamp Hide
Early morning 90 Russian White-fronted Geese in Tin Shed Ground (look east) with Greylags but all seemed to move to the Tack Piece. Fieldfares, Redwings along hedge, 2 Reed Bunting and Water Rail in the South Finger Reedbed, Snipe on Top New Piece side.
Decoy/Withy Bed
Two Blackcap, Siskins over, Great spotted Woodpecker drumming.
Tack Piece
At times, three Little Stint with Dunlin, some Golden Plover and Lapwing. 111 Russian White-fronted Geese. Two Snipe from Martin Smith Hide.
South Lake
15 Cattle + 3 Little Egret early morning, c35 Avocet, 1000+ birds on the open water and ice of the deep lake including Teal, Gadwall, Tufted Duck, Pochard, Little Grebe, Shoveler, Mallard, Lapwing, 4 Egyptian Geese, a female South African Shelduck or hybrid, Greylags and a few Canada Geese.
Kingfisher Hide
Two Little Grebe with a few Teal on the open water. A few Bullfinches in the plum trees.
Duck Decoy
Frozen, only the passerines on offer here today.
Long Ground Pool
One small area of open water with a few ducks.
Pill Box Pool
c40 Wigeon on one open section of water.
Entrance Road fields
Single adult Pink-footed and White-fronted Goose with the Greylag flock on South Middle.
Spinney Wood
Treecreeper.
Grounds
Kingfisher in the unfrozen part of the matrix
Saturday 3 January
Estuary walkway
Firecrest
Marsh Garden Boardwalk
Great Egret at center end of canoe Safari channel
Tack Piece
15 Tundra Bean Geese close to Stephen Kirk hide. 4 Russian White fronted Geese, 1500+ Wigeon, 400+ Teal, 190 Dunlin, 115 Golden Plover, 6 Shoveler, singles of Little Stint, Grey Heron, Pied Wagtail, Ruff and Barnacle Goose
Top New Piece
5 Shelduck, 7 Cranes flew over towards the Dumbles, 816 Lapwing stood on the ice.
South Finger Walkway
Redwing, Treecreeper and Bullfinch.
Tin Shed Ground
2 Roe Deer
Kingfisher Hide
12 Teal, 2 Gadwall, 1 Roe Deer on BNP
Decoy
15+ Redwing and 1 drumming Great Spotted Woodpecker from Decoy boardwalk
Dumbles
120 Wigeon, 109 Teal, 4 Shoveler, 2 Pink-footed Goose, 10 Greater- Black-backed Gull, 5 Crane, Ross’s Goose in the Barnacle flock
Friday 2 January
Estuary Walkway
Firecrest still showing
Top New Piece
2 Great White Egret, 180 Teal, 20 Shoveller, 100c Lapwing roosting in grass seen from Zeiss Hide
Kingfisher Hide
Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming, Fieldfare and Redwing , Teal , Little Grebe and Water Rail. 3 Roe Deer
Estuary Tower Pillbox Pool
64 Wigeon, 25 Teal.
Long Ground Pool
5 Teal, 2 Shelduck, 4 Mute Swan
South Lake
100 Lapwing with 250 c Dunlin.
8 Avocet, 2 Redshank, 21 Tufted, 73 Pochard and 40 Shoveller
Tack Piece
8 Ruff, 3 Redshank, 4 Roe Deer, large mixed flock of Wigeon, Lapwing, Teal, 9 Tundra Bean Geese and Shoveler inc Little Stint seen from Robbie Garnett Hide
Dumbles
1 White Front, 2 Pink foot Geese, 353 Canada Geese, Peregrine, 162 Barnacle geese plus Ross’s, 3 unringed Cranes.
Dumbles Scrape
308 Wigeon, 50 Teal, 6 Shoveler.
Happy New Year, welcome to 2026
Top New Piece
Bittern again in the reeds and weeds on the bank near the only open water late morning. Seen from Van de Bovenkamp Hide.
Entrance Road Fields
A second newly arrived adult Pink-footed Goose with 71 Russian White-fronted Geese.
Rushy Hide/Peng Observatory
Around 79 Bewick's Swans on site. Flocks of Pochard, Tufted Duck, Shelduck, Mallard, Teal, Pintail, Coot and Moorhen, Greylag and Canada Geese all present.
Tack Piece
Peregrine attacking the ducks regularly, waders are in and out with 450 Golden Plover, 500 Lapwing, 120 Dunlin, 4 Snipe + Redshank and Ruff. c60 Fieldfare in NE corner.
Two Firecrests and 2 Chiffchaff in the scrub/willows between Martin Smith Hide and Robbie Garnett Hide at approx 08:45am + Blackcap in ivy in Decoy and near Peng Obs. Water Rail from the 'holes in the wall' btw Willow and Knott Hide, small flock of Wigeon at latter. Little Stint with the Dunlin, the usual Pink-footed Goose with the Canada Geese, 20+ Russian White-fronted Geese, 8 Ruff, Redshank, a Goshawk flew in low from east and settled in the hedge/plum grove.
South Finger
Water Rail under the Kingfisher nest bank, Little Grebe and a few Gadwall, Teal and Shoveler.
Treecreeper along the pathway hedge.
A few Redpolls in the central grounds alder trees, matrix area.
12 Tundra Bean Geese flew in and were on Bottom New Piece for around an hour, flew back toward the Severn.
Estuary Tower
A male Marsh Harrier and three Buzzards over the fields to North. 15 Cranes on the Dumbles with single Russian White-fronted Goose, 240 Canada, the Ross's, Snow x Bar-headed, two Canada x farmyard, Barnacle x Canada hybrids and Barnacle Goose flock.
Flock of Wigeon and Teal on the scrape.
End of the year.
We have noted at least 186 bird species within our recording area this year.
Wednesday 31 December
Grounds
Ten Siskin in the alder trees
Van de Bovenkamp Hide
Eight Tundra Bean Geese on the Top New Piece this afternoon.
Estuary Tower
Green-winged Teal with 300 Teal, Wigeon and Shoveler on the Long Ground Pool. 99 Russian White-fronted Geese on the Dumbles plus three Cranes.
Kingfisher Hide
14 Russian White-fronted Geese flew out of Bottom New Piece with 30 Greylag towards Dumbles, makes it 113 of former on site. Two Little Grebe with the Teal and Gadwall on the channel.
Tack Piece
Some large areas remained ice free, please take care with movement and talk quietly, the birds are very close and easily spooked.
At least 15 Ruff, 300 Golden Plover, 300 Dunlin, a few Redshank, 500 Wigeon and 500 Teal, Shoveler, Shelduck and Pintail. Some Russian White-fronted Geese were grazing here in the afternoon. Buzzard on the trees and Peregrine hunting over.
Rushy Hide/Peng Observatory
Top pond mostly ice free, lower pond frozen
At least 76 Bewick's Swan identified on site today, now four juveniles including the German ringed cygnet with a yellow collar. Black-headed and two Herring Gulls, Pochard, Tufted Duck, Shelduck, Pintail, Shelduck, Mallard, Teal, Coot and Moorhen.
South Lake
27 Cattle Egret first thing with 17 still at 09:45am, they gradually left through the morning to feed in the fields, 39 Avocet, really busy with ducks on deep lake Pochard, Tufted Duck, Teal, Shoveler, Gadwall, Mallard, Coot, Moorhen, Cormorant and Lapwing.
Martin Smith Hide
A few Teal on the little open water. Firecrest from the main path, made it's way towards the Decoy with it or another later near Robbie Garnett Hide.
Tuesday 30 December
Dumbles
Merlin being mobbed by Crows and at least eleven Cranes.
The Russian White-fronted Geese are once again scattered, about 30 in the fields N of entrance road and 18 in Canal Ground (only viewable from towpath). The rest of the flock remain unlocated so far today.
Stephen Kirk Hide
Firecrest in the bankside scrub at approx 9am.
South Finger
Thirty Chaffinch, Bullfinch, Wren, Song Thrush, Redwing, Fieldfare, Dunnock, Reed Bunting, Teal, Little Grebe and Teal most sightings from the Kingfisher Hide.
Loopway/Hogarth Hide bridge
Two Siskins with c40 mobile Goldfinch
South Lake
Single Snipe, 36 Avocet, 46m 3f Pochard, 120 Teal, Grey Heron, 2 Egyptian Geese, 6 Cormorant, Common, Herring and Black-headed Gulls + flocks of Tufted Ducks, Gadwalls and Shoveler.
Tack Piece
Peregrine hunting over, 1000s of waders repeatedly flushing here and from the Ox Piece/Goose House Ground floods- Redshank, Ruff, Curlew, Golden Plover, Lapwing and Dunlin, c500 Wigeon and 500 Teal with Pintail, Shoveler and c130 Canada Geese.
The Russian White-fronted Geese have been feeding in the fields between South Lake and the canal, a few family parties and pairs in other fields, 90-100 on site.
Eight Tundra Bean Geese on the Dumbles in the afternoon then flew NE past Estuary Tower.
Top New Piece
A drake Falcated Duck x Eurasian Teal hybrid among the 100s of Teal.
Pond Zone (adjacent to the Decoy)
Four Lesser Redpoll feeding in the tall birch trees.
Path between Robbie Garnett and Stephen Kirk Hide
Firecrest early morning before moving into Withy bed and toward the Decoy
Rushy Hide/Peng Observatory
Busy with birds all day with Bewick's Swans coming and going to the fields and floods, lots of noise and activity, around 80 birds noted so far following this weeks arrivals. At least three juveniles are now on site although this is very low in relation to adult birds.
South Lake
40 Avocet included three color ringed birds- #1.Yellow flag F3 over yellow L above, Yellow R above, #2. Blue flag C6 over yellow L above, yellow R above. #3. Yellow over blue R above, orange over lime L above.
A flock of 40+ Cattle Egret with around 7 Little Egrets early morning, they flew out to the fields on East side of canal to feed
The drake Green-winged Teal was again with 200 Eurasian Teal but these birds were not present early morning, 6 Black-tailed Godwit, a few Dunlin + Shoveler, Pochard, Tufted Duck, Gadwall, Cormorants and 2 Grey Herons. Two Egyptian Geese in the trees on East side of South Lake.
Tack Piece
The waders were up and down with much attention from Peregrine Falcons, a Little Stint continues to visit the central flood, 300 Golden Plover, 500 Dunlin, Ruff, Redshank, Curlew and Lapwing flocks on and off as they hop from field to field. 500 Wigeon, 500 Teal with Shoveler and Pintail onthe scrape and floods and 150 Canada Geese.
Estuary Tower- Peregrine on the foreshore.
