Due to predicted severe weather this weekend, some areas of site will be closed for animal and visitor safety.

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Please note the Estuary Tower lift is currently out of order, we apologise for any inconvenience caused.

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Latest sightings

Swan fall

Swan fall

Rushy Hide A chorus of Bewick's Swan calls could be clearly heard from the car park at 0730, at last the clear night and favourable winds saw our first swan fall of the winter season. 21 Bewick's Swans (three juveniles) were present on the lake with a f

18 November 2018

Novemeber 17th Sightings

Novemeber 17th Sightings

Zeiss Hide Wigeon 496 Pintail 28 Teal 337 Shoveler 4 Pochard 7 Lapwing 300 Dunlin  118 Ruff 11 Black tailed Godwit 18 Snipe 23 Curlew 1 Grey Heron 1 Rushy Still only one Bewick on Swan Lake with the 10 captive birds. Pintail 41 Teal 43 Pochard 40 (Male F

17 November 2018

16th November Sightings

16th November Sightings

Zeiss Hide Ruff 7 Lapwing 300 Dunlin 8 Glolden Plover 1 Teal 322 Wigeon 867 Blackwit 39 Pintail 61 Snipe 10 Dumbles White Fronts 11 Barnacle Geese 217 Peregrine 1 Crane 1 (Kia) Tack Piece White Fronts 21 Curlew 1 Redshank 12 Lapwing 1000+ South Lake Po

16 November 2018

Another mild day

Another mild day

Holden Tower The European White-fronted Goose flock has increased to 32. Two Peregrine were also present on the foreshore fence. South Finger Filtration beds The sunny and still morning has encouraged passerines to show well. A Chiffchaff was touring the

15 November 2018

Great White Egret.

Great White Egret.

Rushy Starting to look busy here, a whopping 360 Tufted Duck, Pochard 68, Pintail 38, Teal 44 and single Redshank and Snipe. Watch out for Little Grebe on the top ppond and a Great White Egret has been coming in for a period around 15.00 over the past fe

14 November 2018

Today's sightings

Today's sightings

South Lake Great Crested Grebe (pictured) + Pochard, Tufted Duck, Grey Heron, Cormorant, Shoveler, Teal, Lapwing, Black-tailed Godwit, 6 Snipe (Hogarth Hide end). Rushy Hide 64 male and 14 female Pochard among 250+ Tufted Duck, 50 Pintail, 90 Shelduck an

13 November 2018

WeBS and a good day for herons

WeBS and a good day for herons

The monthly WeBS count was carried out today, across the site the totals were 14 Little Grebe  and 1 Great Crested Grebe (South Lake), 14 Cormorant (South Lake held 10), 6 Grey Heron, 1 Bittern (from Zeiss Hide at midday), 1 Cattle Egret (in the Rushy un

12 November 2018

Cattle Egret on South Lake

Cattle Egret on South Lake

South Lake A Cattle Egret was present mid afternoon, it may be feeding with the Longhorn cattle that are in the roadside fields. A Little Egret was also noted. On the deep lake a party of 10 or so Pochard were accompanied by Tufted Ducks. The Great Creste

11 November 2018

Rising floods and waterfowl numbers.

Rising floods and waterfowl numbers.

Rushy Good build up of numbers here, just need a few Swans. Tufted Duck 135 Pochard 65 Pintail 36 Redshank 3 Bewick Swan is with captive birds on Swan Lake. Holden and Walkway Canada Goose 240 Greylag 190 Barnacle 220 Whitefront flock to south near Kingfi

10 November 2018

Friday's sightings

Friday's sightings

Kingfisher Hide The flock of 29 White-fronted Geese were again on the Bottom New Piece along with 730+ Lapwing, 10 Curlew, 2 Golden Plover and 73 Dunlin.  Five Gadwall were on the water along the South Finger Extension, beyond the Kingfisher nesting bank

9 November 2018

It's a wet one

It's a wet one

South Lake Hides A small flock of Knot were on the wader scrape briefly this morning but flew off leaving behind a flock of 135 Black-tailed Godwit huddled up against the driving rain.  Also present were 125 Lapwing, 5 Redshank and 40+ Shoveler.  The de

7 November 2018

Busy Top New Piece

Busy Top New Piece

Zeiss Hide/Top New Piece The cut rides that were created by reserve staff last week worked has wonders once again, a Bittern showed for a few hours here yesterday. No sightings by 0930 today but that is quite typical, this species often shows later in the

6 November 2018

Goshawk and Bittern

Goshawk and Bittern

Holden Tower/Dumbles A male Peregrine was actively hunting the area this morning, female Marsh Harrier seen late morning and a female Merlin at Middle Point early afternoon. At least 14 E White-fronted Geese fed among Greylag Geese, the Barnacle Goose flo

4 November 2018

Saturday's sightings

Saturday's sightings

Don't forget to find all our latest sightings on Twitter, and you don't need an account yourself.  Find us here. Bewick's Swan Indri still on Big Pen outside Visitor Centre Holden Tower - 26 White-fronted Geese on Dumbles, also 224 Barnacle Geese and 131

3 November 2018

Frozen again

Frozen again

Another cold night leaving most of the shallower water bodies frozen again this morning.  New arrivals included a pair of Whooper Swan, one carrying a red darvic ring.  The bird was caught at WWT Caerlaverock in March 2014, sexed as a male and has been

31 October 2018