Sightings and news to week ending 8 March 2026
Sunday 8 March
Dumbles
1 Peregrine, 11 Cranes, 151 White Fronted Geese
Dumbles Scrape
2 Shelduck, 28 Shovelers,390 Wigeons, 20 Teals, 2 Oystercatchers, 4 Avocets
Kingfisher Hide
2 Kingfishers, 1 Water Rail, juvenile Goshawk, Great Egret, 4 Gadwall, 11 Teal, 2 tufted Ducks, moorhen, 3 coots, 1 Great spotted Woodpecker, 2 Cettis warblers, chiff Chaff
Top New Piece
15 Shelduck, 12 Shoveler, 63 Wigeon, 149 Teal, 1 moorhen, 3 Lapwing, 138 Black-tailed Godwits,
Decoy
2 Kingfishers, 4 Cormorants, 1 Moorhen, 8 Tufted Ducks, 8 Mallards, 5 Shelducks, 1 Mute Swans
Rushy
2 Oystercatchers, 17 Bewick Swans,
South Lake
24 Shovelers, 4 Gadwalls, 92 Teals, 16 Tufted Ducks, 113 Avocets, 2 Black-tailed Godwits, 1 Common Gull, 7 Herring Gulls, 7 Cormorants
Pillbox Pool
83 Wigeon, 4 Teal, 2 Tufted Ducks
Saturday 7 March
Tack Piece
560 Wigeon, 80 Teal, 33 Shoveler, 34 Shelduck, 3 Pintail, 10 Tufted Duck, 5 Pochard, 7 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Oystercatcher, singles of Spoonbill, Curlew, Pied Wagtail: Grey Heron over, Cetti’s Warbler from Robbie Garnett Hide
Top New Piece
77 Wigeon, 10 Shoveler, 107 Teal, 43 Shelduck, Cetti’s singing
Dumbles
260 Wigeon, 20 Teal, 36 Shoveler, 5 Pintail, 4 Avocet, 173 White-fronted Goose, 6 Curlew, 6 Crane, 6 Greater Black-backed Gull, Ross’s Goose in the Barnacle flock, singles of Great Egret, Pheasant, Chiffchaff, Chaffinch
Kingfisher Hide
female Marsh Harrier on Bottom New Piece/Top New Piece hedge, 22 Teal and a pair of Gadwall in the channel
Decoy Hide
Pair of Kingfishers, 17 Tufted Duck, 2 pairs Shoveler, Grey Heron.
Welcome Ramp
Kingfisher has been flying up and down the ditch below the welcome ramp all morning
Discovery hide
152 Avocet, 130 Black-tailed Godwit ,26 Shoveler, 3 Oystercatcher, 75 Teal,16 Gadwall, 9 Pochard, 8 Tufted Duck,16 Shelduck, 7 Cormorant, 3 Dunlin
Friday 6 March
Tack Piece
Spoonbill, 2 Avocet, 8 Redshank, 8 Mute Swan, 71 Shelduck, 959 Wigeon, 76 Teal, 60 Shoveler, 16 Pintail, 12 Tufted Duck, 5 Pochard
Pillbox Pool
60 Wigeon, 5 Teal. Long Ground Pool - 2males 1 female Pochard, 37 Shoveler, 32 Tufted Duck.
Dumbles
9 Common Crane (7 unringed & Oakie+Sherbert), 169 White-fronted Goose + 2 Barnacles. 85 Barnacles + Hybrid & Ross’s, 73 Canadas. 13 Shoveler, 7 Teal, 2 Shelduck on scrape. ~200 Golden Plover over. 2 Oystercatchers, 24 Curlew, Peregrine.
South Lake
33 Shoveller, 23 Tufted, 8 Pochard, Little Grebe, 2 Egyptian Geese, 10 Common Gull amongst BHG and Herring Gull. 16 Redshank, 136 Black-tailed Godwit and 185 Avocet. Pair of Oystercatchers, 5 little Egrets.
Top New Piece
12 Shoveller,55 Wigeon, 20 Teal, 51 Shelduck,3Lapwing
Spinney
Gt Spot and Rookery in full noisy swing.
South Finger and Kingfisher Hide.
Chiffchaff, several in song. Treecreeper, Water Rail, Cettis warbler.
Pair of Tufted Ducks and pair Gadwall. 3 Roe Deer and female marsh harrier sat on a post at the back of Bottom New Piece
Thursday 5 March
South Lake
From Discovery Hide there were 165 Avocet, 113 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Oystercatcher, 8 Gadwall, 43 Shoveler, 19 Pochard, 21 Tufted Duck, 4 Shelduck, 17 Canada Geese, 6 Greylag, 11 Cormorant and 1 Great Crested Grebe.
We have now completed the works on the deep lake which included coppicing willows along the back shoreline and deploying a new Tern raft! We really look forward to seeing if it gets any interest as we move into the Spring. This was our last chance to complete vegetation management on the South Lake as breeding season rapidly approaches, Avocet and Black-headed Gull numbers are increasing and the Cranes have been revisiting their territories.
Top New Piece
From Zeiss Hide there were 5 Canada Geese, 23 Greylag Geese, 77 Wigeon, 193 Teal, 21 Tufted Duck, 3 Gadwall, 41 Shoveler, 18 Shelduck, 15 Lapwing, 1 Reed Bunting, 1 Skylark, 10 Black-headed Gull, 3 Herring Gull and 4 Carrion Crow.
Kingfisher Hide
On the feeders there was 1 Great tit, 2 Long-tailed tit, 2 Blue tit, 2 Chaffinch and 1 Blackbird. Elsewhere there were 4 Wood Pigeon, 2 Tufted Duck, 7 Gadwall, 12 Teal, 1 Coot, 1 Grey Heron, 1 Mute Swan and 1 Little Egret.
Wednesday 4 March
Decoy Hide
One pair of Kingfishers were seen by the bank
Kingfisher Hide
In the four score field there were 6 Roe deer and among the hedgerows there was a Treecreeper and Cetti's Warbler too.
Top New Piece
From Zeiss Hide there were 45 Shoveler, 114 Teal, 88 Wigeon and 1 Little Egret.
South Lake
First thing in the morning there were 196 Avocet, 202 Black-tailed Godwit, 4 Oystercatcher, 10 Gadwall, 45 Shoveler, 47 Tufted Duck, 93 Teal, 64 Pochard, 1 Little Grebe and 6 Common Gull all seen from Discovery Hide.
Tack Piece
One Spoonbill, 14 Curlew, flocks of Wigeon with Teal, Pintail and Shoveler.
Rushy Hide/Peng Observatory
21 Bewick's Swans and 2 Whooper Swans still.
Estuary Tower over high tide
There were c80 Golden Plover and Meadow Pipit overhead, 13 Cranes, the first Sand Martin of the season was seen heading North East, 188 Russian White-fronted Geese and 2 Barnacle Geese, 12 Great Black-backed Gull, Redshank, 33 Curlew, Buzzard, 5 Cormorant, 20 Pintail, c60 Teal, c70 Wigeon, Chiffchaff and Reed Bunting.
Tuesday 3 March
South Lake- *Please note that we are likely to have a work party along the shore of deep lake in the next couple of days, coppicing willows and preparing the deep lake islands for the coming breeding season, also deploying a tern raft*.
Please note that the final winter season commentated Wild Bird feed is on Friday 6 March.
Further Bewick's Swan departures, down to 21 at least one site. The neck collared cygnet Aggi 341T left at around 11pm last night and is currently near Whittlesey in the Fens.
Tack Piece
13 Curlew, 15 Redshank, a few hundred Wigeon and 70 Teal.
Top New Piece
Spoonbill present early but moved, perhaps now on Tack Piece. Also 8 Lapwing and 2 Redshank.
Estuary Tower
Over the tide, Sanderling, 2 Little Stint, 23 Dunlin, Avocet, 11 Curlew, 11 Oystercatcher, 12 GBB Gull, adult b/p Mediterranean Gull drifting on Severn with BH and Common Gulls, 6 Pintail with 80 Wigeon and 70 Teal + Canada, Barnacle, Ross's and the hybrid Geese. Over the tide there were Sanderling, 2 Little Stint, 23 Dunlin, Avocet, 11 Curlew, 11 Oystercatcher, 12 GBB Gull, adult breeding plumage Mediterranean Gull drifting on Severn with Black-headed and Common Gulls, 6 Pintail with 80 Wigeon and 70 Teal + Canada, Barnacle, Ross's and the hybrid Geese.
Estuary Tower
Female Merlin along seawall, Peregrine, 2 Avocet, 2 Whooper and 21 Bewick's Swans, 38 Shelduck, 188 Russian White-fronted Geese, 3 Crane, c200 Wigeon and c100 Teal on the scrape with 2 Avocet, a few Skylarks, Goldcrest + singing Chiffchaff in the hedge.
Monday 2 March
Rushy Hide/Peng Observatory
Pair of Whooper Swans and 40 Bewick's Swan very early morning, pair with cygnet departed early leaving the 37 to mid-morning, female Mandarin among the ducks, pair of Oystercatcher, and 2 Lapwing.
Estuary Tower
80 Russian White-fronted Geese on the Dumbles, the rest of the flock (c100) distantly to to NE in Stall House Ground. 50 Dunlin, 28 Curlew, 10 GBB Gull, 160 Wigeon, 150 Teal and the 174 Barnacle, Ross's and two hybrids on the foreshore and Severn.
South Lake
Adult Mediterranean Gull among the Black-headed Gulls, large flock of Avocet and Black-tailed Godwit on the scrape.
Top New Piece
Hunting Marsh Harrier, another on fence post in Bottom New Piece, 5 Lapwing, 70 Wigeon, 50 Teal, 4 Shoveler, Coot and Moorhen.
Tack Piece
Spoonbill on the shore opposite Robbie Garnett Hide, 300 Wigeon, 60 Teal, Shoveler, Gadwall and pair of Coot. 15 Redshank.
