Sightings and news to week ending 30 November 2025
*Internal Drainage board work continues across the reserve this week as well as pollarding coppicing and removing of ditch blocking trees.
Friday 28 November
Kingfisher Hide
14 Gadwall, 1 Shoveler, 1 Little Grebe
Top New Piece
3 Otters,22 Lapwing, 113 Greylags, 455 Teal, 1 Little Egret, 17 Dunlin, Cetti’s Warbler heard, 1 Grey Heron seen from Zeiss
Sparrowhawk and Bittern seen from Van de Bovenkamp hide
South Lake
35 Blackwit, 2 Redshank, 63 Dunlin, 11 Cranes flying north, 187 Teal, 303 Lapwing, 45 Shoveler, 7 Cormorant, 6 male 2 female Pochard, 1 Common Gull
Decoy Hide
6 Shoveler, 11 Tufted Duck
Tack Piece
1 Buzzard, 6 Mallard, 7 Teal, 3 Shoveler, 241 Wigeon, 2 Bewick Swans, 23 White Front Geese, 337 Lapwing, 770 Golden Plover, 18 Curlew, 3 Little Stint, 1 Moorhen, 1 Cetties, 2 Pied Wagtail, 1 Grey Wagtail
2 Firecrest seen outside Robbie Garnett Hide
Willow Hide
3 Mallard, 7 Teal, 1 Moorhen and flocks of long tailed tits, blue tits, goldcrests
Pill Box Pool
47 Wigeon, 2 Mallard, 4 Teal
Dumbles
500+ Canada geese, 163 Barnacle Geese, 1 Ross' Goose, 157 Lapwing, 230 Lapwing, 1 Marsh Harrier
Thursday 27 November
Estuary Tower
On the Dumbles scrape there were 3 Little Stint mid morning.
South Lake
From Discovery Hide there were 145 Lapwing, 8 Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Redshank, 2 Grey Heron, 1 Common Gull, 2 Lesser black-backed Gull, 2 Ruff, 17 Dunlin and 1 Spotted Redshank.
Kingfisher Hide
Three Otters were seen at 11:55 in the pond to the right of the Hide, they then headed towards the Top New Piece and away into the reeds.
Estuary Walkway
A Firecrest was seen again near Robbie Garnett Hide.
Wednesday 26 November
Large parts of the reserve are frozen this morning. Please take extra care with being quiet near the hides, birds are close and have fewer open water options. Thank you.
Dumbles
From Estuary Tower there was a Reed Bunting, 83 Greylag Geese, 507 Canada Geese, and 77 Barnacle Geese.
Tack Piece
From Robbie Garnett Hide, 29 Curlew were on the field with 24 Lapwing, 50 Wigeon, 16 White-fronted Geese, 100 Greylag and 45 Golden Plover. Two lovely Firecrest were seen just outside the hide, they seem to me moving up and down the Estuary Walkway treeline.
Martin Smith Hide
Visible were 96 Lapwing, 2 Cetti's Warbler, 75 Greylag, 3 Shelduck, 18 Golden Plover, 12 Curlew and 1 Robin.
Rushy Lake
There were 22 Bewick's Swans at the feed this morning, a total of 28 have been seen this week, the latest arrivals were Gastro and Roux. Around 250 Dunlin sat on the ice before flying to the Tack Piece.
Top New Piece
From Zeiss Hide there were 156 Lapwing, 100 Dunlin, 2 Black-tailed Godwit, 4 Ruff, 1 Water Rail, 1 Buzzard and 3 Roe Deer.
South Lake
From Discovery Hide 300 Lapwing were spotted along with 4 Dunlin, 2 Cattle Egret, 1 Little Egret, 1 Sparrowhawk and 3 Black-tailed Godwit.
South Finger
Another Firecrest seen from Van de Bovenkamp Hide
Tuesday 25 November
Tack Piece
Two Little Stint + 400 Dunlin, 5 Ruff, 32 Russian White-fronted Geese among the Greylag/Canada, Marsh Harrier and Sparrowhawk, flocks of Curlew, Wigeon and Teal.
Estuary Tower
Four Sanderling on the Severn during the incoming tide, 32 Great Black-backed Gull, Peregrine, 2 Crane, flocks of Canada and Barnacle Geese with Snow x Bar-headed Goose and Ross's Goose.
Rushy Hide/Peng Observatory
28 Bewick's Swans at dawn, most have moved out to the fields to feed. 70+ Pochard and 200 Tufted Duck early morning.
Monday 24 November
Withy bed
Two Firecrests along the pathway near the gate/Spinney Wood.
Rushy Hide/Peng Observatory
Still 26 Bewick's Swan on site and visiting here as well as the Dumbles, entrance roads fields and Tack Piece.
Estuary Tower
39 Russian White-fronted Geese on the Severn sands then moved to the Tack Piece, also 3 Ruff, Little Stint and numbers of Golden Plover, Lapwing and Dunlin building for the day.
South Lake
Although flushed by an unseen raptor, the majority of the birds returned, the lake was/is busy with ducks and waders, at least 20 Gadwall, 200 Teal + 32 Black-tailed Godwit, Redshank, 37 Avocet (includes dark blue flag J9 over yellow L above, Yellow R above) and c70 Dunlin and 200 Lapwing.
Tack Piece
78 Curlew feeding in the wet field including the following- white flags L over blue above, blue R above (ring combinations 02, 28 and 73).
