Sightings for the week ending 22 December 2024
A running daily list of sightings for the week ending the 22 December.
Thursday 19 December
Another Sighting of the Bearded Reedling, this time it was seen from the viewing platform by the Dragonfly pool. Jonathan Bull got a brilliant photo of it as seen below:
Martin Smith Hide
From Martin Smith Hide there were 7 Snipe, 16 Teal and 9 Wigeon and then along the track at Willow Hide 1 Water rail was showing well under the feeders.
Tack Piece
First thing from the Robbie Garnett Hide there were 3 Stock dove, 32 Redshank, 36 Ruff, 487 Wigeon, 556 Teal, 27 Shoveler, 6 Tufted Duck, 1 Buzzard, 32 Pintail, 100 Dunlin, 32 Black-tailed Godwit and a large flock of mobile Lapwing seen. From Stephen Kirk hide in the afternoon, there were 42 White-fronted geese and 12 Cranes visible
Rushy Hide
Looking out onto the Rushy Lake there were 57 Bewick's Swans first thing and 1 Whooper that flew elsewhere after the feed. There were also 101 Tufted Duck, 98 Pochard, 164 Lapwing, 41 Pintail and 45 Teal.
South Lake
On south lake visible from Discovery Hide the juvenile Spoonbill was around and 22 Cattle Egrets were on the left-hand island. There was also a pair of Goldeneye on deep lake alongside the Great-crested Grebe. On the shallow lake to the right there were 24 Avocets feeding.
Kingfisher Hide
On the channel in front of the hide there were 2 Little Grebes, 9 Gadwall, 4 Shoveller, 4 Teal and a Great white Egret at the back of the channel. On the feeders there was the usual array of Blue Tit and Great Tit and well as a Coal Tit.
Decoy Boardwalk
Along the boardwalk in the alders there were some great views of 6 Lesser redpolls, 10 Siskin, 35 Goldfinch, 4 Chaffinch and 2 Great spotted woodpeckers.
There were quite a few sightings of Water rail through the day, a couple under the feeders by willow hide, one on the path in front of the Estuary tower as well as along the boardwalk.
Wednesday 18 December
South Lake
From Discovery Hide there was the juvenile Spoonbill, 27 Avocet, 12 Black-Tailed Godwit, c400 Lapwing, 92 Shoveler, 52 Pochard, 24 Gadwall, 15 Tufted Duck, 1 Great Crested Grebe and Ruff.
Zeiss hide
Visible from the Zeiss hide were 293 Teal, 92 Wigeon, a Marsh Harrier and a Green Winged Teal.
Kingfisher hide
First thing in the morning there were 2 Little Grebe and 22 Gadwall seen from the hide.
Rushy
As well as the Bewick’s there were c70 Redshank, 3 Dunlin and 9 Ruff.
Tuesday 17 December
Robbie Garnett Hide
On the Tack Piece there were 4 White Fronted Goose, 41 Redshank, 26 Ruff and c40 Pintail.
Willow Hide
A Water Rial was visible from Willow Hide throughout the day.
Kingfisher Hide
1 male Kestrel with prey, 3 Little Grebe, 11 Gadwall and a Coal tit on the feeders, 1 Pink-footed Goose among the Canada flock on the Bottom New Piece, 2 Water rail in the pool to left, 12 Snipe on the Four Score field as well as 3 Roe deer.
Grounds
In the Grounds there was a Little Egret by the Andean Flamingos.
Estuary Tower
On the Dumbles 1 Ringless adult Crane on riverbank with a Marsh harrier and Peregrine stirring up the wader flocks, including huge flocks of c3000 Golden plover overhead. There were also 61 Great Black-backed Gulls, 94 Curlew, a Peregrine on cross fence, large flocks of Black-tailed Godwit and Dunlin.
Rushy
First thing there were 53 Bewick’s Swans on the lake as well as 1 Whooper Swan.
Discovery hide
On South Lake there were 23 Avocet, 1 Spoonbill, 1 female Goosander, 1 Great Crested Grebe, along with the usual Lapwing, teal, Shelduck and 2 Common Gull.
Monday 16 December
Kingfisher Hide
On the Bottom new piece field there was 1 adult Crane with no rings calling and feeding, large flocks of Canada and Greylag geese on the bottom new piece field. On the channel in front of the hide there were 5 Gadwall, 6 Teal, 2 Little Grebe and on the four-score field, 11 Snipe.
Zeiss Hide
On one of the back scrape islands there were 7 Dunlin, 5 Ruff and 47 Lapwing. There was a Stonechat on the Willow pollards to the South and good numbers of Wigeon and Teal.
South Lake
On South Lake there were 21 Avocet, 22 Black-tailed Godwit, 3 Ruff, 3 Dunlin, 3 Grey Heron, large numbers of Shoveler, Teal, Tufted Duck, Pochard, Black-headed Gull and Lapwing as well as 1 Great crested Grebe and 28 Common Gull.
Rushy Hide
At the morning feed there were 62 Bewick’s Swan and the Whooper Swan that went to feed on the Tack Piece later in the morning. There were also 40 Pochard, 250 Lapwing and 10 Dunlin.
Tack Piece
From Robbie Garnet Hide there were 26 Ruff and 68 Redshank in a flock and 6 Bewick’s swans.
Estuary Tower.
On the Dumbles there were 66 Great black-backed Gulls, 380 Curlew, 419 Wigeon on the scrape with c100 Teal and a Little Stint feeding on the central island. On the river there were c100 Pintail.
