Sightings and news to week ending 16 March

An ongoing record of what's been seen around the reserve.

Check out our Pollinator Walks that start on the 20th of March.

Sunday 16 March

WeBS Count Wetland Bird Survey

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Saturday 15 March

Car Park

Greenfinch calling, Chiffchaff singing.

Decoy Hide

10 pairs Tufted Duck and an extra female, 1 pair Shelduck, Coot on nest, 1 pair Gadwall and 2 male Shoveler.

Discovery Hide

94 Avocet, 28 Gadwall, 6 Black-tailed Godwit, 53 Shoveler, 47 Teal, Cranes Ruby and her mate, 1 Oystercatcher, 12 Tufted Duck, 14 Cormorant, 8 male, 2 female Pochard. 1 Mediterranean Gull on the right-hand side of hide. Also, Lesser redpoll in the Alders outside the hide.

Robbie Garnett Hide

2 Whooper swans, 828 Wigeon, 60 Teal, 11 Shelduck, 47 Shoveler, 10 Tufted duck, 6 Pintail, 2 Pochard, 2 adult & 2 juvenile Cranes, 2 Curlew, 2 Redshank, 2 Avocet and 4 Oystercatcher.

Pillbox pool

87 Wigeon, 8 Teal, 1 Tufted and a Song Thrush in the Withy bed.

Estuary Tower

121 Wigeon, 10 Shoveler, 28 Teal, 46 Shelduck, 11 Curlew, 2 Avocet, 1 Oystercatcher, 93 Barnacle geese, 1 Ross's, 131 White-fronted Geese, 2 Herring, 6 Lesser Black-backed and 6 Great Black-backed Gulls. 2 Little Stint were seen in the Afternoon.

Rushy Lake

2 Bewick's swans, 2 Oystercatcher, 38 Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Curlew (White flag)

Knott Hide

1 Male Kingfisher

Friday 14 March

Car Park

Chiffchaff singing.

Decoy Hide

12 Tufted Duck, Shoveler 1 pair, Gadwall 3 males, Coot on nest.

Grounds

Little Egret opposite old Chilean Flamingo House. South Finger Walkway - Dunnock singing, Cetti’s by first Dragonfly Pool in full song.

Kingfisher Hide

1 Little Grebe, Kingfisher male, Tufted Duck 2 pairs, Gadwall 1 pair, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Blue and Great Tit on feeder.

Zeiss Hide

84 Wigeon, 14 Tufted Duck, Herring gull 1pair, 51 Shelduck, Gadwall 8 pairs, 87 Teal, 18 Lapwing, 1 Redshank and 1 Snipe.

Rushy Hide

8 Avocets, 2 Bewick's swans, 2 Whooper swans, 2 Oystercatcher

Martin Smith Hide

21 Wigeon, 3 Mallard, 2 Canada Geese

Robbie Garnett Hide

6 Cranes, 4 unringed adults and 2 juveniles that were practicing their dancing, Wigeon, Shoveler, Teal and Pintail too. Later on, a Spoonbill flew towards the river.

Estuary Tower

105 White-fronted Geese spread across the Dumbles, 6 Curlew, Skylark singing and 1 Little Egret, on the Scrape 2 Avocet and 1 Little Stint.

Discovery Hide

29 Gadwall, 80 Shoveler, 98 Avocet, 36 Black-tailed Godwit, 82 Teal, 2 Pochard, 1 Little Grebe and 11 Cormorant.

Van de Bovenkamp Hide

Male Marsh Harrier hunting along the fleet at the back of the Top New Piece.

Thursday 13 March

Car park

5 Chiffchaff, 1 Blackcap singing, 3 Greenfinch and 2 Goldfinch

Rushy Hide

2 Wigeon, 1 Black swan, 36 Pintail, 2 Shoveler, 62 Tufted Duck, 2 Oystercatcher

Tack Piece

2 Bewick’s swan, 2 Whooper swans, 784 Wigeon, 1 Spoonbill, 5 Cranes, 18 Curlew, 61 Shoveler, 2 Redshank. Pill Box pool 98 Wigeon

Estuary Tower

101 White-fronted geese on the Dumbles, 1 Little Stint on the Scrape, 134 Wigeon, 8 Great Black-backed gulls and 2 Avocet

Wednesday 12 March

South Lake/Discovery Hide

78 Avocet, 48 Tufted Duck, 78 Shoveler, 40 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Ruff, 55 Gadwall, 8 Pochard, Little Egret, Kingfisher and 2 Oystercatcher.

Kingfisher Hide

Kingfisher, 2 Little Grebe and 6 Gadwall.

Martin Smith Hide - on the Tack Piece

Two Bewick’s swans, two Whooper swans, Teal, Wigeon, Shelduck, 20 Curlew, 2 un-ringed adult Cranes and one juvenile, Peregrine in a tree along the back hedgerow.

Top New Piece

22 Lapwing, 4 Dunlin and 4 Redshank on the south island early morning, the Lapwing began moving to Bottom New Piece and Dumbles as it warmed up, a single Sand Martin through N in the snow flurry at 0853hrs, 10 Ruff flew through + c 10 Snipe in the field.

Estuary Tower

Avocet pair on the left hand island, singles of Lapwing and Redshank on the scrape, single Buzzard on the Dumbles.

Still at least 126 Russian White-fronted Geese on site, they were on the Four Score Ground early morning and then moved to the Dumbles.

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Tuesday 11 March

Kingfisher Hide

To the south in the Four Score field there were 11+ Russian White-fronted Geese, the rest of the flock were hidden behind the hedge. On the Bottom new piece there were 2 male Lapwing. Lots of activity from the 2 Kingfishers, including the male bringing a fish to the female.

Zeiss Hide

On the Top New Piece there were 26 Dunlin, 2 Oystercatcher and 8 Lapwing and 90 Wigeon, 2 Little Stint were also spotted here in the afternoon, likely the same individuals from in front of Estuary Tower.

Robbie Garnett Hide

Early morning on the Tack Piece there was the adult Spoonbill, which was joined later by the 2cy Spoonbill, 8 Redshank, 25 Curlew, 600 Wigeon, 2 Whooper Swans and 2 Bewick's Swans, an Egyptian Goose was also around but it flew off to the Dumbles. Later in the afternoon there were 8 Cranes on the Tack Piece too.

Estuary Tower

There were 2 Little Stints on the centre island on the Dumbles scrape, 2 Avocets, 4 Pintail with the Wigeon too. Chiffchaff and Skylarks were both heard singing.

South Lake

3 Sand Martins were spotted in the morning, 66 Black-tailed Godwit (one had a flag ring) 19 Cattle Egret were there late morning sheltering from the wind as well as 2 Little Egret and 80 Avocet.

Monday 10 March

Rushy Hide/Peng Observatory

Two Spoonbill, Two Whooper and two Bewick's Swans (also using the Tack Piece), 2 drake Pochard, 40 Pintail, 3 Avocet, 2 Oystercatcher.

Tack Piece

54 Shoveler, 635 Wigeon, 5 Pintail, 5m 2f Pochard, 3 Redshank + uncounted Teal.

Estuary Tower

14 Shoveler, 6 Pintail, 86 Wigeon, 2 Avocet, 2 Oystercatcher on the Dumbles scrape.

Pill Box Pool

53 Wigeon and 6 Gadwall.

Long Ground Pool

Six Shoveler.

Top New Piece

217 Wigeon, 10 Lapwing.

Bottom New Piece

3 Lapwing.

South Lake

14 Cattle Egret on the deep lake islands mid-morning, 43 Black-tailed Godwit, 86 Avocet, 55 Gadwall, 86 Shoveler, 8m 4f Pochard, 2 Lapwing, calling Green Woodpecker + flocks of Teal, Tufted Duck and Cormorant. Pair of Cranes with a juvenile.

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