Sightings and news to week ending 9 November 2025
Image- taken from Rushy Hide- Temminck's Stint with other species on one of the islands on the Lower Pond. Will it remain with us and overwinter?
*Please note*
We have began to feed birds here from Monday 3 November, it'll take a couple of weeks to settle the wildfowl back in to this routine. The waders and gulls may lift and fly over into the Tack Piece briefly but return soon after. Initially, we will be feeding mornings only but introducing an afternoon feed soon. The commentated feeds will begin when the time is right, look out for announcements here and on the main webpages.
We have a malfunctioning light (keeps flashing) in the Rushy, the facilities team may need to go out in the next two days to repair or disconnect.
Work parties continuing with screen building and fence work near Martin Smith Hide and vegetation cutting along the Rushy Lane (Duck Decoy side) again this week. We are not in view of the birds.
Tractor mowing in South Finger Reedbed today, likely to be tractor mowing in Long Ground/Canoe Trail tomorrow (7 November).
Sunday 9 November
Tack Piece
Twelve Russian White-fronted Geese NW corner, 195 Greylag, 101 Canada Geese, 38 Redshank, Spotted Redshank, large gathering of Golden Plover and Dunlin over high tide, c300 Wigeon, c140 Teal with Shoveler and Pintail.
South Lake
Female Goldeneye, adult Mediterranean Gull with the Black-headed Gulls + Common, LBB, GBB and Herring Gulls, c45 Black-tailed Godwit, c50 Lapwing, flocks of Cormorant, Pochard, Tufted Duck, Teal and Shovelers. Green Sandpiper on Duck Marsh from Hogarth Hide.
Withy Bed/Decoy Wood
Yellow-browed Warbler seen again today with the tit flock + a Treecreeper, a few Chiffchaffs and Goldcrests.
Martin Smith Hide
At least 5 Snipe. Kingfisher early morning.
Duck Decoy
45 Fieldfare over SW.
Estuary Tower
Merlin, 2 Marsh Harrier, Peregrine, Buzzard all seen on or in the vicinity of the Dumbles today, 134 Greylag, 269 (Lower Dumbles) +210 (Upper Dumbles) Canada and 183 Barnacle Geese als Ross' Goose, x2 Barnacle x Canada, x3 Canada x domestic, Snow x Bar-headed Geese. Also flocks of Avocet, Curlew, Dunlin and Golden Plover especially over high tide and 1780 Lapwing.
Saturday 8 November
South Lake
26 Tufted ducks, 16 Pochard (14m, 2f), 10 Gadwall, 231 Teal, 77 Shoveler, 2 Shelduck, 1 Little Grebe, 166 Lapwing, 104 Dunlin, 24 Black-Tailed Godwits, 1 Ruff, 2 Grey Heron, 10 Cormorant, 350 Black Headed Gulls, 1 Mediterranean Gull, 6 Herring Gull, 4 Common Gull, 8 Lesser Black Back Gulls. Plus Greylags, Grey and Pied Wagtail
Dumbles
10 Russian White-fronted Geese, Brent Goose, 350+ Dunlin, 200+Avocet, 34 Curlew, 14 Crane, 5 Little Egret, 8 Greater Black-backed Gull, 2 Cormorant, singles of Peregrine Falcon, Grey Heron, Great Egret, Lesser Black/backed Gull, Wigeon flock on river
Kingfisher Hide
Bittern
Bottom New Piece
56 Lapwing, 1 Ruff, Water Rail, Marsh Harrier. Fieldfare, Redwings, Little Grebe, Crane Gemma (Red/white/red)
Top New Piece
1 Great Egret, 346 Teal, 1 Ruff, 10 Shoveler, 6 Tufted Duck, Cetti's Warbler
Tack Piece
Three Spotted Redshank, 5 Ruff, 31 Redshank, 150+ Dunlin, 650 Lapwing, 130 Teal, 45 Wigeon, 2 Golden Plover, singles of Snipe and Curlew
Decoy Hide
Kingfisher
Friday 7 November
Estuary tower
Merlin on cross fence briefly at 0935. Five Egyptian geese to the North of Dumbles
Kingfisher Hide
Bittern in the reedbeds, two Little Grebe, a Song Thrush in full song, Cetti's Warbler, Chiffchaffs and Goldcrest in the hedges and trees and 68 Greylag Geese on the fields.
South Lake
302 Teal, 12 Pochard, 77 Shoveller,71 Tufted. 19 Cormorant, 20 Black Head Gulls
Rushy
Temminck’s stint, 2 Snipe, 99 Teal, 1 Kingfisher, 23 male Pochard, 9 Pintail, 1 Cormorant, 200+ Lapwing
Zeiss Hide
Juvenile Marsh Harrier on prey. 375 Teal, 26 Black-Tail Godwit, 2 Shoveler, Cetti's Warbler and Reed Bunting
Hogarth Hide (duck marsh)
5 Snipe, 58 Teal, 12 Shoveler, Grey Heron, 5 Moorhen
Robbie Garnett Hide
344 Wigeon, 35 Redshank, 3 Spotted Redshank, 2 Snipe, 371 Teal, 12 Ruff, 6 Shoveler, 1 Dunlin, 6 Pintail, 1 Little Stint.
Martin Smith Hide
5 Snipe, Water Rail, Cetti’s Warbler, Shoveler, Teal, Greylag, 4 Moorhen
Thursday 6 November
Rushy Hide/Peng Observatory
36 Redshank, 2 Spotted Redshank, Dunlin, Avocet, 10 Snipe, 4 Black-tailed Godwit and c120 Lapwing visiting, 20 Pochard and 50+ Tufted Duck, 12 Pintail and a Wigeon among the Mallards and Teal.
Estuary Tower
Peregrine stirring up the waders, as a result most only seen in flight- Curlew Sandpiper and 6 Sanderling with c80 Dunlin, 3 Grey Plover, 20+ Ruff, Bar-tailed Godwit, 150+ Avocet floating on the tide. 71 Great Black-backed Gull, 40 Pintail and c70 Wigeon, Shelducks, Curlews and 8 Cormorants, Great and 6 Little Egrets. Lots of geese on the Dumbles.
Tack Piece
200+ Wigeon.
Top New Piece
Drake Goosander
Wednesday 5 November
Kingfisher Hide
Yellow-browed Warbler reported again.
Tack piece
2 White-fronted Goose
Kingfisher Hide
2 Little Grebes, 10 Gadwall, 20 Cranes flew towards the Dumbles
Rushy
Temmincks Stint
South Lake
58 Tuted Duck, 10 Pochard, 17 Black-Tailed Godwit, 18 Shoveler, 2 Snipe, 165 Teal
Zeiss
287 Teal, 3 Marsh Harriers, 12 Shoveler
Tuesday 4 November
Estuary Tower
A Leach's Petrel was off Middle Point (North) but seems to have been taken by the flock of large gulls that were pursuing it, hunting Peregrine disturbing waders, chasing a Bar-tailed Godwit, 12 Sanderling flew past S, settled for a time, then flew North, a Curlew Sandpiper with Dunlin, 700 Golden Plover.
2+ Brambling flew over, 15 Cranes and 2 R. White-fronted Geese among the Canada/Greylag/Barnacle goose flock, 2 Marsh Harrier, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, Linnets and Skylarks, 41 Great Black-backed Gulls in the roost with a probable 3rd winter Yellow-legged Gull, 100+ Avocet and 29 Pintail on the river.
Rushy Hide/Peng Observatory
The Temminck's Stint still on lower islands with 30 Redshank, Snipe, Lapwing, Black-tailed Godwits, Pintail, Teal, Pochard.
Tack Piece
c400 Wigeon, 8 Redshank as well as Teal and Shoveler. Two Russian White-fronted Geese relocated here from the Dumbles.
Rushy Hide
The Temminck's Stint continues to visit the lower pond islands this morning (image a typical view of this tiny wader among 21 Redshank, Ruff, 6 Snipe, 8 Black-tailed Godwit plus Pintail, Gadwall, Pochard, Tufted Duck, Mallard, Teal and Shelducks.
Estuary Tower
Two Marsh Harriers, a Raven and Kestrel roaming the fields, floods and scrapes. Among the flocks of Canada, Barnacle and Greylag Geese, a Pink-footed and Ross's Goose on the Dumbles with 2 Russian White-fronted Geese + Peregrine on the foreshore posts.
Top New Piece
Bittern seen from Van de Bovenkamp Hide
South Lake
Busy with the commoner gull species this morning + flocks of Lapwing and Black-tailed Godwit, Pochard, Tufted Duck, Teal and Shoveler.
Tack Piece
Six Redshank, 400 Wigeon, 200 Teal and 10 Pintail.
