Latest sightings
Summer Walkway and the White-spotted Bluethroat
Image- W.S Bluethroat from a previous year.Summer WalkwayThe wintering birds have all but departed. The reserve team have been busy preparing the Summer Walkway for the 2024 season. Repairs to the path, trimming back vegetation, cleaning the Goose House H
25 April 2024
Brilliant Barwits
Image- Bar-tailed Godwit- stock photoIt's been a great week to catch up with Bar-tailed Godwits, we've seen 100s of them passing through or stopping off for the day to feed, peak count of 155 at any one point, but many more involved as birds move on towar
25 April 2024
Vismig!
Image- Shelduck on Bottom New Piece willow pollards- MJMThe VizMig (visible migration) was notable today, a number of species were recorded moving through the reserve or up the Severn or stopping off to rest, read on for details.Estuary TowerA Swift NE, a
23 April 2024
Red-breasted Mergansers and more
Image- Cuckoo near South Lake- MJMA pair of Red-breasted Merganser were floating on the Severn over high tide, an uncommon visitor here. Estuary TowerWhimbrel with three Curlew on the Dumbles (includes White Flag 28)+ 2 Redshank, male Wheatear at Middle P
22 April 2024
19-21 April roundup
Spring migration has been ticking along nicely, the NE winds led to our first large scale arrival of Bar-tailed Godwits today, just shy of 90 birds about the reserve and estuary today.Sightings for today include the following.South LakeTwo Common Sandpipe
21 April 2024
Latest sightings for 18 April 2024
Our first Cuckoo of 2024 from 16 April, as ever, most welcome.Estuary TowerSix Curlew including a colour ringed bird- Dark green over Yellow R above (Yellow has characters or a code that I couldn't read in the haze), Orange L above. 3 Redshank, 5 Lapwing.
18 April 2024
Braced for another windy day
Image - Spotted Redshank- MJMAny time spent watching wild birds today highlights how much effort is needed for them to stay on their feet, the very gusty winds (up to 50mph) were certainly challenging.Sightings for today as follows.Tack PieceTwo Common Sa
15 April 2024
Wader passage ticking over
Image- Common Sandpiper- MJMWe have a good variety of wading birds albeit in small numbers about the reserve, a few more passage birds arrived over the weekend. Estuary TowerWhimbrel, 14 Curlew, 4 Lapwing, 7 Avocet Ringed Plover and Great Crested Grebe on
14 April 2024
A few more warblers in and on territory
Image- female Eurasian Teal- MJMReed and Sedge Warblers have certainly increased this week and along with Blackcap have been very noticeable on site today, it could be that they were here and the strong winds dissuaded attempts at singing or they may be g
11 April 2024
Another big tide flooding the Dumbles
Image- Spotted Redshank, Rushy, MJMThe Dumbles and all foreshore areas flooded for the third day in succession on these very high spring tides. It wasn't as windy today so we didn't have the seabirds in our section of the estuary. A frake Common Scoter wa
10 April 2024
The Dumbles floods again on the high and storm driven tides
Image- Sandwich Tern with Black-headed Gulls on South Lake- MJM.A few more windblown Spring passage birds were about today with Sandwich and Arctic Tern noted. The Dumbles completely flooded on the high tides which were no doubt driven higher by the stron
9 April 2024
New migrants in
Image- Wheatear- MJMAn arrival of migrants was very noticeable, perhaps a few firsts of the year among them (in bold).Tack PieceSingle Snipe, Dunlin and Whimbrel, latter also visiting estuary and Dumbles, 11 Redshank, 20+ Wigeon, 30+ Teal, 40+ Shoveler an
8 April 2024
Very Windy April 2024 WeBS Count
Count affected by the very windy weather, notable seabirds blown up the estuary included Kittiwakes and a Guillemot and some gull passage as they headed NE. Notable sightings included a Whimbrel, two Greenshank and a Yellow-legged Gull. Canada Goose115Bar
7 April 2024
First Sedge Warbler of the year
Image- drake Eurasian Shelduck- MJMDeep in one of our reedbeds the first singing Sedge Warbler of the year was heard today, worth listening out near any of the reed bed areas as more will be arriving soon.Avocets also laid their first egg of the breeding
31 March 2024
Merlin on the Dumbles
Image- Willow Warbler in the Blackthorn blossom from Estuary Tower- MJM. Passage migrants continue to call in, although we have wintering birds that visit it's a great time of year to catch a passage Merlin on site. A female on the Dumbles this afternoon
28 March 2024