Latest sightings
Ducks moving in
Our Reserve Team have been working hard over the last few weeks on the Rushy Pen and along the Holden Walkway hides, and the ducks are really appreciating our efforts. The Martin Smith Hide is providing great views of Pintail, Wigeon, Teal and this morn
12 October 2016
Foggy morning, limited sightings
A misty start hampered the hide rounds so we won't have too much to report, work continues in the Rushy Pen and Robbie Garnett, Stephen Kirk and Knott Hides so a bit of disturbance is likely, these areas are a bit quiet at the moment anyway. South Lake T
10 October 2016
Pectoral Sandpiper...
A new bird arrived on the reserve today- a juvenile Pectoral Sandpiper, this long distance migrant breeds in Arctic Canada and Far Eastern Siberia but is an annual visitor to these shores. This is the first record for the reserve in 2016, we usually recor
9 October 2016
Todays Sightings
Generally a little quiet with north winds and clear skies allowing migrants to move through. Zeiss Hide Over 700 Teal here this morning and an impressive 460 Wigeon. There were 12 Ruff and 2 Redshank among 250 Lapwing. A big flush may have been the Goshaw
8 October 2016
Moulting through
Its a great time to test your duck ID skills as the flocks of Teal, Wigeon, Pintail, Tufted Duck and Shoveler are moulting into their finery for the winter. The Shoveler especially have been showing really well in front of the Discovery Hide on the So
7 October 2016
Overnight arrival
A third White-fronted Goose was out on The Dumbles this morning, much to the disappointment of the two who arrived yesterday as they spent a short while trying to chase the bird off from their immediate vicinity. They'd best get used to company, fingers
7 October 2016
A Yellow-browed Warbler at last and winter geese
Hearing news of so many Yellow-browed Warblers having arrived in the UK and even the West country we were expecting to finally see one here. This morning Andy and Gordon were on the hide rounds and heard and spotted a Yellow-browed Warbler in the canoe
5 October 2016
67 species...
On the advanced birding session this morning I was reliably informed by one attendee that was diligent enough to take notes that we had recorded 67 species of bird from 0800-midday. Holden Tower Over high tide... 55 Shelduck, 200 Wigeon, 10 Pintail, 9 Gre
4 October 2016
First Redwings of the autumn...
With the easterly airflow and now being October we saw the first 4 Redwing of the autumn flying over the visitor centre. The Black-tailed Godwit flock on site has increased to 372, a single Siskin and Greenfinch were on the move over Middle Point. Rushy P
3 October 2016
Grounded passerines...
The wet weather of the previous two days and misty conditions this morning have delivered a variety of migrant passerines (perching birds). The saltmarsh and foreshore fields had at least 240 Meadow Pipit, 25+ Reed Bunting, 3 Wheatear, 110 Linnet and a fe
2 October 2016
Spoonbill
Zeiss Hide Fewer small waders coming in on the tide this morning but good views of the Spoonbill which became more mobile later. Still 1 Greenshank and Spotted Redshank, 11 Ruff. Teal count up yet again with 1325 here and around 1800 on the whole site. So
1 October 2016
High Tide and Waders
Zeiss Hide Good high tide this morning pushed a lot of Ducks and Waders onto the Top New Piece. There were over 1200 Teal with a scattering of Pintail and Shoveler among them, 150 Wigeon were grazing in the field when another 150 were flushed from the est
30 September 2016
More stints...
A quick hide round between 0800 and 0930 produced the following species of note.... Zeiss Hide/Top New Piece At least 5 juvenile Little Stint feeding on the (left-hand) gravel island in the SW corner of flood. Among the 1000+ Teal at least 4 Dunlin, 2 adu
29 September 2016
Spoonbill is still here but elusive...
South Lake Black-tailed Godwit 128, Redshank 30, Ruff 6, Greenshank 1, Lapwing 213, Shoveler 39, Great Crested Grebe. Zeiss Hide/ Top New Piece Redshank 10, Spotted Redshank, Curlew Sandpiper, 10 Dunlin, 350 Lapwing, 500 Teal, Cetti's Warbler, Wigeon 68,
28 September 2016
Spoonbill again...
Spotted Crake and Hen Harrier- Again no sign of either today, they have probably moved on. Holden Tower The adult Spoonbill was viewable from the Holden Tower at 0800hrs feeding in the main channel near the Zeiss Hide, unfortunately when I got to the To
27 September 2016