Recent Sightings (6th-8th Dec)
British Steel Hide
A run of early high tides have brought in good numbers of waders onto the saline lagoons recently. Counts of c.800 Dunlin, c.450 Redshank, c.500 Curlew, c.710 Black-tailed Godwits, 13 Greenshank, c.500 Knot (estuary), c.300 Oystercatcher (estuary), 1 Spotted Redshank and 73 Lapwing have been recorded from the hide. Wildfowl have included 163 Wigeon, 260 Pintail (estuary), 33 Tufted Ducks, c.150 Teal, 11 Shoveler, 12 Gadwall, c.120 Mallard, 1 Great Crested Grebe (estuary), 2 Pochard, 1 Goldeneye (estuary), 2 Canada Geese, 3 Dark-bellied Brent Geese (estuary), 1 Greylag Goose and 480 Shelduck. Other species have included a Spoonbill (up until the 8th), a Skylark, c.20 Linnets, 2 Grey Herons, 10 Little Egrets, 2 Buzzards, a Peregrine, a Stonechat, a Fieldfare and 2 Mistle Thrushes.
Millennium Wetlands
Wildfowl counts from the Peter Scott Hide have included 85 Gadwall, 197 Teal, 9 Shoveler, 16 Pintail, 1 Wigeon, 3 Pochard, 9 Coot, 2 Little Grebes, 11 Tufted Ducks, 9 Mute Swans and a Shelduck. Waders have included 10 Snipe, 2 Black-tailed Godwits, 4 Curlew, 19 Lapwing and 2 Greenshank. Other seen around the Deep Water Lake have included a Kingfisher, a Grey Heron, 10 Black-headed Gulls and 21 Herring Gulls. Other notable species around the wetlands have included a Kestrel, 2 Canada Geese, 1 Siskin, 2 Lesser Redpoll 2 Ravens and 1 Fieldfare.
