Latest sightings
Last swan standing
At first we thought all the remaining Bewick's Swans had left overnight, but then one dropped in to the Tack Piece just before 9:30am
27 February 2019
Avocet increase
Tufted Ducks are displaying (pictured) with the Robbie Garnett Hide being a good place to watch and hear the unusual calls.South LakeThe Avocet flock on the wader scrape has increased to 62 with 64 Black-tailed Godwit, 22 Dunlin, 9 Redshank, 92 Lapwing, 1
26 February 2019
Glossy Ibis reported
A Glossy Ibis was reported and photographed from the Hogarth Hide this afternoon but wasn't present at 4.15pm. Hopefully it will decided to spend some time on the reserve and make the most of the warm sunshine and calm conditions.Rushy HideOnly 16 Bewick'
25 February 2019
Fogged in for the morning
Thick fog hampered viewing so there was little to report until after 1230pm, Kingfisher, Treecreeper and Great Spotted Woodpeckers could all be heard in the 'pea-souper'. Thankfully, for those visiting, the fog lifted and another glorious sunny afternoon
24 February 2019
Sun and Swans
A lovely sunny day with all the birds looking great in the sunshine
23 February 2019
Get your gull on
With an even bigger high tide on the river a lot of large gulls were pushed off the river and many of them finding the South Lake offering a great chance to brush up on ID and ageing at close range
22 February 2019
Next first for the year
Another sign that Spring is on its way with another new arrival for the year with a pair of Mediterranean Gulls back on the South Lake.
20 February 2019
Carpets becoming rugs
Duck numbers continue to drop and a few of our Bewick's Swans have also departed.
19 February 2019
Departures have begun
We've seen some large scale departures of our wintering bird flocks but also further arrivals of species that breed here (Avocet and Oystercatcher). Passage birds that stop over on their way through such as Black-tailed Godwit are also increasing. Rushy H
18 February 2019
February WeBS Count
The warm late winter weather and drying conditions have encouraged the first large scale migration departures. There was quite a difference in bird numbers compared to last weekend with some very low counts of certain species (like Teal). Behaviour indica
17 February 2019
Sparrowhawk chaos
Zeiss HideHundreds of Lapwing, Golden Plover and Dunlin being chased around by a crazy female Sparrowhawk. Also 2 Peregrines around so lots of disturbance. Just a single crane and one Little Egret, 92 Teal and 295 Wigeon were mobbing the Sparrowhawk. Thre
16 February 2019
A few more Avocets
As daytime temperatures peak in their mid-teens there have still been some cold nights with some ice around this morning, but we've still seen a few more Avocets arrive on the reserve
15 February 2019
Spring is coming
There are increasing signs of Spring around the reserve with more Oystercatcher and Avocet arriving, blossom and snowdrops flowering and even the first brood of Mallard ducklings of the year!
13 February 2019
Shelducks begin displaying in groups
We've reached that 'pre-spring' period when groups of Shelduck gather to display together. Listen for the subtle (and not so subtle) sounds that they produce when in courtship. The females have a rather harsh growl and the males peep softly. Rushy Hide110
12 February 2019
Lapwing count
A minimum count of 4472 Lapwing on the hide rounds this morning. At one point the South Lake delivered that rare event, a settled flock! The noise generated by 3022 Lapwing roosting on the wader scrape was pretty impressive. Rushy Hide105 Bewick' Swans, 1
11 February 2019