Sightings and news to week ending 10 May 2026
Upcoming Events
Wildflower Walks - Wednesday 3 and Friday 5 June
4x4 Photo Safari - Wednesday 17 June
Sunday 10 May
Estuary Tower
The Bittern flew from the Pillbox Pool reedbed at 0850hrs to Top New Piece reedbeds and returned soon after, viewed from Knott Hide or Estuary Tower
Peregrine on a kill on the Severn estuary sands, 9 Cranes feeding on the Dumbles and a few Lapwing. Redshank on the scrape.
Long Ground Pool
Teal, five drake and one duck Tufted Duck, drake Shoveler.
Top New Piece
Crane, 6 Redshank, 5 Black-tailed Godwit.
Grounds
Two drake Pochard in with the collection ducks.
Rushy
Drake Pochard, 80+ Avocet (32+ nests), 200+ Black-headed Gull (70+ nests).
South Lake
Mute Swan with three young. Busy with hirundines, a feeding flock of c30 Sand Martin, c20 House Martin and c25 Swallows feeding over with a Swift for company, light but steady passage of the latter (50+) through the reserve heading NE today. Spoonbill on the scrape plus a drake and 2 duck Teal, a male Ruff in breeding plumage but flew off, 55 Black-tailed Godwits, 4 Oystercatchers, Common Sandpiper, 8 drake and one duck Shoveler, 23 drake and two duck Gadwall, 16 drake and 12 duck Tufted Duck, pair of Little Grebe + 44 Avocets.
Male Ruff from Discovery Hide (M.J.McGill)
Saturday 9 May
Dumbles
11 unringed Cranes, plus Oakie. (Sherbert on nest on Top New Piece). 2 Lesser Black-Backed Gulls on scrape. 15 Greylag Geese, 39 Canada geese, 1 Bean goose, 1 Shelduck, Skylarks displaying. Red Kite flew over.
South Lake
44 Black-tailed Godwit, 50 Avocet, 1 Common Sandpiper, 5 Shoveler, 23 Shelduck, 21 Gadwall, 4 Oystercatcher, Cetti's Warblers, 2 Little Grebe, Chiffchaff, 4 Tufted Duck
Tack Piece
Sparrowhawk on fence on Tack Piece boundary, 3 Avocet, 20 Gadwall, 1 Wigeon, 30 Shelduck, 22 Tufted, 2 Shoveler, Reed and Sedge Warblers, 1 Oystercatcher, 28 Greylag Geese, 4 Canada Geese, 1 Barnacle Goose.
Rushy Pen
75 Avocet, 3 Swift, Shelduck broods of 12 & 6
Dumbles
2 Redshanks, 10 Crane including Oakie and Sherbet, Swallows, Bittern, Brent Goose, Bean Goose and Sedge Warbler
Top New Piece
33 Shelduck, Reed Warbler singing, Crane on nest, 9 Avocet, 12 Gadwall, 4 Shoveler, 2 Teal, 3 Redshank
Kingfisher
Reed Warbler singing, Roe Deer on BNP, Male & female Kingfishers taking fish into the nest!
Decoy
5 Tufted Duck, 4 Shelduck, 3 Gadwall.
Friday 8 May
South Finger Walkway
Treecreeper by the double gates. Sedge and Reed singing from Reed beds. Pair of Bullfinch , listen for thin piping contact call.
Kingfisher Hide
2 Roe Deer. No sign so far of feeding flights from the Kingfishers
Top New Piece
5 Avocet, Greenshank, 4 Redshank, 8 Shoveler (7m), 10 Shelduck, Reed and Sedge Warblers singing
South Lake
Blackcap, Sedge, Cuckoo and Crane. Oystercatchers on Hogarth Hide roof. Garden Warbler singing by Discovery Hide, 40 Avocet, 43 Black-Tailed Godwit, 26 Shelduck, 15 Gadwall, 12 Tufted Ducks
Tack Piece
Cuckoo on tree line, 4 Great Egret (inc. ringed ‘AHH’). Kingfisher, Little Egret, Reed Warbler, 21 Shelduck, 23 Gadwall, Shoveler, 11 Tufted Duck, 2 Teal, Wigeon, 2 Avocet, 2 Oystercatcher, 2 Barnacles.
Dumbles
Dark-Bellied Brent with the flock of Canada Geese. ~10 Swallow. Sedge Warbler & Wren. 12 unringed crane + Oakie, 2 Oystercatcher.
Knott Hide
Bittern
Thursday 7 May
South Lake
Seven Tufted Duck, 2 Mute Swan with 3 cygnets, 1 Shelduck, 4 Teal, 7 Gadwall, 33 Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Oystercatcher, 2 Swallow, 1 Swift, 5 Mallard, 3 Greylag, 2 Cranes with 2 chicks, 1 Kingfisher and 1 Male Marsh Harrier.
Top New Piece
Four Shelduck, 1 Grey Heron, 2 Tufted Duck, 1 Great Egret, 3 Reed Warbler, 2 Teal, 19 Gadwall, 21 Shelduck, 12 Mallard, 4 Shoveler, 1 Crane on nest, 3 Avocet, 2 Lapwing, 5 Redshank and 27 Black-headed Gull.
Kingfisher Hide
Two Kingfisher seen outside the nest bank, 1 Cuckoo, 1 Chiffchaff, 3 Tufted Duck, 2 Gadwall.
Bottom New Piece
Twelve Greylag, 2 Reed Warbler and 1 Buzzard.
Rushy
88 Avocet, 1 Pochard, 5 Gadwall, 18 Tufted Duck, 2 Shoveler, 16 Shelduck, one pair with 7 Ducklings
Car Park
Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Lesser Whitethroat and Common Whitethroat as well as Cetti's Warbler all heard singing in the car park.
Dumbles
Linnet, 14 Crane, Swallow, Skylark, Meadow Pipit, 1 Dark-bellied Brent Goose, 1 Cuckoo heard, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, Reed Bunting and 2 Cattle Egret on the Lower Dumbles.
River
Thirteen Grey Plover spotted on the river in the afternoon.
Wednesday 6 May
A pair of Black-winged Stilts appeared further downriver at Pilning Wetland, we assume this is the same pair that visited us.
Tuesday 5 May
No sign of the Black-winged Stilts today.
Bank Holiday Monday 4 May
Black-winged Stilts
A pair of these elegant waders arrived overnight, initially seen on the South Lake wader scrape from Discovery Hide, they relocated to the Top New Piece. This constitutes the fourth record for the recording area. They closest views of the latest visitors are currently from Zeiss Hide at around 200m away as they feed in the flood. They can also be seen from the top level of the Estuary Tower at around 500m distance. A number of pairs have arrived in the UK this spring, there has been sightings across (mostly) the Midlands and Southern England as they explore any wetlands they find. Out last record was a single male that summered in 2023 with a flock of six around in 2017 and the first reserve record prior to that was in 2005, also a pair.
Although we allowed access a little earlier today, we resume regular opening times and access for members. From 0815-0930hrs via the members gate. Access to Rushy Hide/Peng Observatory, Martin Smith, Knott, Willow, Robbie Garnett, Stephen Kirk hides and of course the Estuary Tower. Please have membership cards available for checking and access.
*Please note the Grounds, Decoy and Zeiss Hide South Finger and South Lake hides do not open until 0930hrs. After this time access is via admissions in the visitor centre*.
Kingfisher update
All three pairs are now feeding young, regular visits by the males at least to the visible nest sites/holes at the Kingfisher Hide and Decoy Hide. The former is busier with the female in/out as well, the young here are older. It's a good time to try to catch a view but you may have to wait for one to appear.
Estuary Tower
Dark-bellied Brent Goose with the Canada Goose flock. Around 8 Cranes feeding and occasionally dancing in display.
Knott Hide
A Bittern seen in the Pillbox pool reeds again around 1400hrs.
Top New Piece
Pair of Cranes, Greenshank, three pairs of Redshank, a few Avocets and the Black-winged Stilts.
South Lake
Common Sandpiper, 2cy Mediterranean Gull, six pairs of Avocet, 23 Black-tailed Godwit, pair of Cranes with two chicks.
Tack Piece
Pair of Teal, 15 Gadwall, pair of Shoveler, 2 Cranes, 2 Roe Deer and Shelducks and Black-headed Gulls.
