Latest sightings

Egrets in Breeding Plumage

On Saturday morning there were three great white egrets onsite, the male is in breeding plumage. We have also spotted up to 23 cattle egrets in the mornings, several with that Trumpian orange tinges on head and back that is their breeding plumes. Photo ab

29 March 2025

Spring displays

This week we have been watching a pair of marsh harriers, seen rising up from the lost reedbed in the mornings. The male has been displaying a bit, then the pair head down the river, the female a bit later then the male. Could they be a pair staying on w

21 March 2025

Thousands of Gulls on Sunday!

Last Sunday morning over 4000 gulls were on the water, wet grassland and islands between the Sand Martin hide and the Ramsar hide. It was likely the largest number of gulls we have seen on-site at once! There were over 2000 common gulls and 2000 black-he

12 March 2025

Gulls moving through and oystercatchers arrive

Big numbers of black-headed gulls continue to move through this week, still a few common gulls, a Med. gull and a greater black-backed gull was in the mix.

7 March 2025

Water rails and an Oystercatcher

A pair of water rails have been sighted in front of the Coastal Creek Aviary this week.

27 February 2025

Snipe at Ramsar hide & Gulls moving through

We've seen big numbers of black-headed gulls (240) and common gulls (110) on the reserve, moving through, most on their way north after wintering in warmer climates. Some of the black-headed gulls do stay and form a colony on the islands near the Sand Mar

21 February 2025

Good winter for lapwing

We are already starting to see the males giving display flights on warmer days.

13 February 2025

Strong lapwing numbers

With a few catkins, snowdrops and primroses starting to flower and even the odd daffodil in bud, we are reminded that spring is just around the corner. Birds are starting to sing in earnest and there is much displaying from drakes in their finest plumage.

5 February 2025

Firecrests, pochard and wigeon

Goldcrests and firecrests are still onsite this past week.

29 January 2025

Pintails and Wigeon

On Tuesday afternoon we were in the Ramsar hide hoping to see the cattle egrets coming in for the roost. We only saw 5 cattle egrets while we were there but we did count 6 wigeon on the far side between the Scrape and Sand Martin hides. A kingfisher shot

23 January 2025

Roosting Cormorants

From the Ramsar hide a small flock of nine cattle egrets arrived around 3.30 pm yesterday, six landing on the large gravelly island while the last three stopped on the point of the wet grassland, opposite. These early arrivals for the evening roost drew m

16 January 2025

Kingfishers, Egyptian geese & Cold Weather

We had lots of ice on Wednesday morning – low temperatures are predicted for the rest of the week and will keep things chilly. Some of our water bodies are icing over. Lapwing flock numbers are up and down depending on the time of day. We had 150 on

8 January 2025

18 wigeon on New Year's Day

We were closed to visitors because of high winds on the first day of 2025 but our outdoor teams were in Jan 1 2025. Stopping into Ramsar , Sand martin and Scrape hides despite the winds to count 42 lapwing and 18 wigeon on the large lagoon. Saw a kingfis

1 January 2025

Barn owl, teal & lapwing flocks

We are seeing up to 25 teal from Ramsar & Sand Martin hides this week. The lapwing flock numbers were as high as 220, depending on the time of day. Last Thursday the peregrines were at it again, flushing up 118 lapwing from the islands between the two hid

23 December 2024

Bullfinches & Winter waterbird flocks

Bullfinches have been spotted in the hedgerows on the Tranquil Trail path near the Ramsar hide entrance.

18 December 2024