Sightings and news to week ending 5 July 2026
Image- Cranes flying over the Goose House Ground, MJM.
Upcoming Events
Wild History Walk - Saturday 4 July
4x4 Photo Safari - Thursday 16 July
The Urban Birder's 20th Anniversary: Guided Birding Walk - Tuesday 21 July
Guided Birdwatch Walk - Tuesday 4 August
Birding for Beginners - Wednesday 5 August
Summer Walkway
Fully open for the summer, from after 0815hrs to 1630hrs each day. Please allow time to return. Enjoy.
Sunday 5 July
Decoy Hide
Male Kingfisher bringing fish into the nest.
Kingfisher Hide
Barn Owl at the nest box and flying along the hedge.
Wild Safaris
Two Corn Buntings seen this morning. Both Crane families and three juvenile Marsh Harriers. A Green-eyed (Norfolk) Hawker was seen in the afternoon.
Top New Piece
Bittern seen again. Female Marsh Harrier, 36 Redshank including juveniles, 2 Spotted Redshank (moved to South Lake), 3 Green Sandpiper, Snipe, 6 Little-ringed Plover, 53 Lapwing, 3 male Ruff, Gadwall with brood of 5, Mallard with brood of 6, Crane on the seawall.
South Lake
Common Tern, Common Sandpiper and 3 Spotted Redshanks on the wader scrape mid-morning. Six Ruff early morning.
Tack Piece
Broods of two and six Gadwall, 3 Green Sandpiper, 3 Lapwing, 7 Teal. A Red Kite over this morning.
Estuary Tower
100s Black-headed Gulls, Great Egret, Grey Heron and Curlews on the Severn. A few Sand Martins buzzing about the tower and Dumbles with House Martins.
Rushy Hide
At least ten juvenile Avocets with adults on the lower pond. Brood of five Gadwall, a few broods of Tufted Duck and a Redshank.
Saturday 4 July
Morning safari
One Marsh Harrier, Kestrel, crane family Wendy, Albert and 2 juveniles as well as a flock of 30 Black-tailed Godwits flying downriver on high tide.
Afternoon Safari
Two Marsh Harrier including 1 Juvenile, 3 Buzzard, 1 Red Kite, 6 Little Egret, 1 Great Egret, 2 Cormorant, 10+ Redshank, 5 Heron, Emperor dragonfly, Black tailed Skimmers, Common and Ruddy Darters and loads of butterflies.
Rushy
Nine Avocet with 4 juveniles, Black-headed Gull chicks, Shelduck family with 7 chicks.
Tack Piece
Little Egret, 9 Barnacle Geese, Grey Heron, 3 Lapwing, Green Sandpiper.
Middle Point
32 Curlew, 2 Cormorant, 6 Oystercatchers, juvenile Stonechats on fence.
Martin Smith hide
One Little Egret, 2 Heron and 1 Reed Warbler.
South Lake
11 Shelduck, 11 Ruff, 28 Redshank, 1 Spotted Redshank, 1 Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Common Sandpiper, 38 Teal, 1 Avocet, 1 Oystercatcher, 4 Cormorant, 55 Gadwall.
Estuary Tower
One Bittern flew into the area behind the Pillbox near the Long Pool. Skylarks singing and Swallows over Dumbles, 2 Sedge Warbler and 1 juvenile as well as a male Blackcap in the bushes beneath tower.
Kingfisher Hide
Cranes Oakie & Sherbert on the Bottom New Piece.
Top New Piece
55 Lapwing, 1 Oystercatcher, 1 Little Ringed Plover, 1 Green Sandpiper, 17 Redshank, 2 Ruff, 3 Dunlin, a Bittern was seen flying towards Kingfisher Hide and 1 Little Egret.
Friday 3 July
Tack Piece
6 Green Sandpiper, 6 Lapwing, 1 Little Egret, 5 Teal, 7 Gadwall, 3 Reed Warbler young being fed in front of hide, 1 Black Swan
Dumbles
4 Cranes
Long Ground Pool
Bittern flew out towards Zeiss hide, Little Egret and Oystercatcher
South Finger
2 Reed Warbler in song, . Jay yelling at something, and a Blackcap.
Check out the Buddleia bush for butterflies over the path and the pool for dragons
Top New Piece
36 Redshank (2 juveniles), 2 juveniles Little Ringed Plover, 2 Spotted Redshank, 51 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Dunlin, 8 Ruff, 2 Green Sandpipers, 20 Lapwing, 4 Little Egret and Sedge Warbler
South Lake
Blackcap and Whitethroat feeding in the bushes outside Hogarth Hide
Large flock 60+ loafing Gadwall and coot. Several fledged Black Headed Gull juveniles on causeway
Summer Walkway
5 Marbled White, 3 Large Heath, 2 Gatekeeper, 1 Small White, 1 Stock Dove fly over.
Thursday 2 July
South Lake
One Kingfisher, 9 Mallard, 2 Coots with chick, 8 Tufted Duck with 4 chicks, 2 Green Sandpiper, 2 Grey Heron, 9 Shelduck, 5 Shoveler, 6 Teal, 7 Gadwall, 4 Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Avocet, 2 Oystercatcher, 1 Crane, 1 Pochard, 3 Cormorant and 9 Canada Geese.
Bottom New Piece
One Skylark, 4 Crows and 1 Crane with 1 juvenile.
Top New Piece
Eight Mallard, 1 Coot, 6 Shelduck, 13 Gadwall, 11 House Martin, 1 Reed Bunting, 1 Grey Heron, 36 Redshank, 2 Spotted Redshank, 90 Lapwing, 7 Ruff, 2 Black-tailed Godwit and 11 Black-headed Gull.
South Finger Walkway
Singles of Reed Warbler, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Greylag, Little Grebe and Blackcap.
Kingfisher Hide
Two Mute Swans with 4 Cygnets, 1 Reed Bunting, 3 Gadwall, 1 Moorhen and Kingfishers seen through the day.
Car Park
Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Common Whitethroat, Sand Martin and Reed Warbler.
Rushy
16 Tufted Duck, 2 Oystercatcher, 25 Gadwall and 21 Avocet.
Tack Piece
Three Green Sandpiper, 1 Little Ringed Plover, 4 Shoveler, 1 Curlew, 3 Lapwing and 16 Barnacle Geese.
Summer Walkway and River
Two Linnet, 12 Skylark, Stonechat and 1 juvenile, 1 Sparrowhawk, 25 Curlew, 1 Redshank, 6 Oystercatcher, 40 Avocet, 1 Scarce Chaser Dragonfly and 36 Marbled White Butterflies. Through the day 5 Cranes were seen on the Dumbles. One of the juvenile Bittern was spotted exploring its surroundings throughout the day!
Wednesday 1 July
Summer Walkway
Gatekeeper, Small Tortoiseshell and Marbled White.
Kingfisher Hide
Bittern seen in flight along the fleet.
Top New Piece
Spotted Redshank, 8 male and female Ruff, 30+ Redshank, 2 broods of Gadwall (6 and 8). Bittern seen from Zeiss Hide a few times. The Quail was singing again near to the Zeiss Hide.
Tack Piece
Spotted Redshank, Ruff, Snipe, 6 Green Sandpiper, 5 Little-ringed Plover, 2 Redshank, 12 Gadwall, 3 Shoveler.
South Lake
Three Red Kites over the fields between here and the canal.
Tuesday 30 June
South Lake
Six male Ruff (probably the Top New Piece birds moving but needs checking), 30 Redshank, 1 Avocet, 1 Green Sandpiper, 1 Lapwing, 4 Oystercatcher, 40 Black-headed Gull, 120 Gadwall, 8 Shoveler, 32 Teal, 19 Black-tailed Godwit, 5 Little Grebe, 6 Cormorant
Tack Piece
Five Little-ringed Plover (two juveniles), 6 Green Sandpiper, 5 Lapwing, 3 Little Egret, 15 Gadwall including female with 2 ducklings, Mallard with 6 ducklings.
Middle Point
Three Reed Bunting on fence + male singing, Brown Hare, 12 Curlew, 2 Black-tailed Godwit, 10 Oystercatcher, 8 Ringed Plover, 4 GBB Gull, Herring, Lesser Black-backed and Black-headed Gulls, 13 Lapwing, 3 Great Egret, 6 Little Egret on the foreshore
Top New Piece
Seven Ruff (6 breeding plumage males and one adult reeve), 2 Spotted Redshank, 22 Redshank Inc juvenile, 1 Snipe, 3 Green Sandpiper, 1 and Dunlin, 2 Oystercatcher, 64 Lapwing, 61 Teal. Flock of 30+ Sand Martins includes what looks to be a partially leucistic individual with a pale tail plus House Martins and Swallows, also the partially leucistic Lapwing, female Marsh Harrier hunting over.
Bottom New Piece
Single Crane viewable.
Monday 29 June
Top New Piece
Male Quail calling from the field near to Zeiss Hide, male Ruff, 21 Redshank including at least one chick, 10 Lapwing, two broods of Gadwall, c30 Teal, singing Reed Bunting and Warblers.
Bottom New Piece
Crane in the field.
Estuary Tower
Crane in the long grass on the Dumbles, 3 Swifts feeding with large hirundine flock (80 birds Sand and House Martin and Swallows) over.
Summer Walkway
Three juvenile Stonechat on Middle Point fence plus Swallows and Goldfinches, singing Reed Buntings and Reed Warblers.
South Lake
Two breeding plumage Spotted Redshank, 4 Ruff, 31 Redshank, 53 Black-tailed Godwit, 4 Oystercatcher, 1 Avocet, Lapwing, 2 Green Sandpiper, c20 Teal, c130 Gadwall, 5 Little Grebe, a couple of broods of Tufted Duck.
Middle Point
16 Curlew, 4 Oystercatcher, 4 Cormorant, 4 Little Egret, 2 GBB Gull, a few Herring and Lesser Black-backed Gulls on foreshore over high tide. Singing Reed Buntings and Reed Warblers.
