Sightings and news to week ending 26 October 2025
Image- Robin at the Rushy gate
*Please note that we will undertake additional work in the area of the Rushy this week. Much of it will be out of general view so shouldn't cause too much disturbance but we are likely to be around both ponds on at least one day, aiming for a day later in the week, perhaps Wednesday or Thursday*
*Last week of access to the Summer Walkway, it will close end of the day on 26 October*. Hedge cutting is due here and may force us to close for an hour or so for safety if it goes ahead. The Shepherds Hut Hide was brought in for the winter on 20th October, before the tracks became too wet to tow it back in.
Saturday 25 October
Kingfisher Hide
1 Yellow Browed Warbler
Rushy Hide
Temminck’s Stint
Zeiss Hide
Quiet down south this morning so far- 10 Greylags, 74 Teal, 1 GBB Gull, 1 Avocet, 49 Lapwing, 11 Shoveler, circa 50 Dunlin (flew before count), Cetti’s & Water Rail heard, small flock of Canadas & Greylags on BNP.
Mid Point
150+ Dunlin, 500+ Golden Plover, 41 Curlew, 110 Shelduck, 15 Crane, 60 Lapwing, 6 Pintail in Teal flock, 4 Greater Black-backed Gull, 2 Grey Heron, 2 Egyptian Goose, 2 Reed Bunting, singles of Little Egret, Cormorant, Meadow Pipit and Stonechat
Stephen Kirk hide
Water rail
Tack Piece
2 Ruff, 1 Redshank, 1 Green Sandpiper, a few Teal and Wigeon.
Pill Box
7 Teal, Several Chiff chaffs calling and singing along path
Dumbles
Cranes: Ruby & Wilde, 3 unringed. 52 Curlew, c200 Dunlin, c150 Lapwing, 103 Barnacles, 1 Ross's goose, 1 Peregrine
Friday 24 October
Kingfisher Hide
1 Yellow Browed Warbler
South Finger and BNP,
3 Roe Deer, 100c Golden Plover, 5 Ruff
Zeiss Hide
75 Black-Tailed Godwit, 200c Dunlin and a Sanderling, 3 Shoveller, 87 Teal, 13 Pintail. 2 Bittern flew from island, one towards South Finger and the second landed in front of Zeiss. 2 Glossy Ibis to left feeding on waters edge.
Estuary Tower/Dumbles
143 Greylags, 65 Barnacles plus Ross’s and hybrid. 35 Curlew, 18 GBB Gulls, 131 Lapwing, 140 Wigeon.
Rushy
Temminck’s Stint, 1 Ruff, 8 Redshank, 10 Snipe, 3 Blackwit, 34 Wigeon, 18 Tufted Duck, 3 male Pochard, 2 Cormorant, 66 Teal, 43 Lapwing.
Thursday 23 October
Rushy Hide/Peng Observatory
Temminck’s Stint, 20 Tufted Duck, 7 Shoveler, 21 Shelduck, 151 Lapwing, 8 Snipe, 1 Ruff, 42 Wigeon, 14 Redshank, 54 Teal, 3 Spotted Redshank, 1 Sparrowhawk
Tack Piece
119 Greylag
Long ground pool
30 Shoveler
Estuary Tower
9 Crane, 480 Lapwing, 7 Ruff, 22 Great black-backed Gull, 1 Ross's Goose, 146 Barnacle Geese, 200 Dunlin, 21 Pintail, 20 Grey Plover, 500 Golden Plover, 6 Sanderling, 89 Curlew, 7 Bar tailed Godwit, 1 Green Sandpiper and 6 Little Egret
Kingfisher Hide
5 Gadwall, 2 Shoveler and 1 Little Grebe
Zeiss Hide - 380 Dunlin, 15 Sanderling, 1 Little Stint, 1 Great Egret and 20 Lapwing
South Lake
12 Common Gull in the Black-headed Gull flock, 136 Black-tailed Godwit, 22 Pochard and 3 Pintail
Wednesday 22 October
Rushy Hide/Peng Observatory
Temminck's Stint (pictured), 3 Spotted Redshank.
Kingfisher Hide
Yellow-browed Warbler, 8+ Chiffchaff and a few Goldcrests showing in the trees above the path.
Top New Piece
Two Glossy Ibis, 2 Bitterns, 12 Redwing. Four Little Stints, 23 Ruff, 352 Lapwing, 85 Blac-tailed Godwit, Marsh Harrier, 500 Golden Plover,137 Teal and 8 Sanderling among 432 Dunlin.
Middle Point
Five Little Stints among the waders off the point.
South Lake
Adult Mediterranean Gull, Avocet, 4 Black-tailed Godwit, Cattle Egret, 115 Lapwing, 16 Pochard, 44 Tufted Duck, 76 Teal, 10 Shoveler and Pintail.
Tuesday 21 October
Top New Piece
Single Glossy Ibis, Curlew Sandpiper, Little Stint, 300 Dunlin, Bar-tailed Godwit, 9 Redshank, 60 Black-tailed Godwit, 5 Pintail, 110 Lapwing, GBB Gull, 5 Sanderling but all put up by Peregrine, male and juvenile Marsh Harrier and 2 Buzzards. The waders were eventually spooked by hunting raptors and joined the birds along the foreshore. A Bittern was again showing.
South Lake
Cattle Egret, Mediterranean Gull, 400+ Black-headed, 50 Herring, 10 LBB, 2 Common Gulls, 25 Black-tailed Godwits, 3 Ruff, 2 Snipe, flock of Lapwings, Pochards and Tufted Ducks.
Grounds
A flock of mobile Siskins.
Estuary Tower
18 Cranes flew across estuary to Awre. A few Chiffchaffs in the bushes below the hide.
Middle Point (but also from Estuary Tower)
Over high tide- 33 GBB Gull, 80+ Avocet, 9 Grey Plover, 350 Dunlin, 20 Little and Great Egret, Ringed Plover, 20 Pintail, 150 Wigeon, 86 Lapwing including the leucistic individual, 5 Bar-tailed Godwit, 5 Sanderling, Ruff, 75 Curlew, flocks of Shelducks and Starlings.
The Dumbles had grazing Canada, Greylag and Barnacle Geese present with Ross's Goose, two Barnacle x Canada hybrids and the Snow x Bar-headed Goose hybrid. Flock of Linnets and Skylarks.
Tack Piece
Greenshank, 100+ Wigeon, 5 Pintail, Green Sandpiper and 60 Teal. Glossy Ibis from Martin Smith Hide.
Rushy Hide and Peng Observatory
Temminck's Stint still but can be hard to see on the islands, 3 Spotted Redshank, 12 Redshank, 2 Ruff, 10+ Snipe and few Black-tailed Godwits among the ducks. Little Egret and 2 Cormorants.
Monday 20 October
A Great Skua settled briefly on the water but eventually downriver on the ebb tide, seen from the Zeiss Hide. A Dark-bellied Brent Goose was seen floating up on the tide and may appear among the goose or Shelduck flocks.
Top New Piece
Two Glossy Ibis feeding along the far shore, 4 Redshank, a GBB Gull, 4 Sanderling and Curlew Sandpiper with the flock of 300 Dunlin, c70 Black-tailed Godwits, calling Water Rail, 4 Chiffchaff and a male Stonechat + Bittern along the fleet.
Grounds
Flock of c20 Siskins roaming.
Rushy Hide
Temminck's Stint still visiting the top and bottom pond islands and shorelines, single Ruff, eleven Redshank, a few Black-tailed Godwits and 10+ Snipe, three Spotted Redshank early morning.
Dumbles
An adult Dark-bellied Brent Goose was grazing among the Canada, Greylag and Barnacle Goose flock this afternoon. Two Cranes, c40 Linnets, Skylarks and Peregrine Falcon.
Middle Point
600 Golden Plover on the mud as the tide dropped. On the mud at low tide- 8 Sanderling, 300 Dunlin, 10+ Grey Plover, a few Bar and Black-tailed Godwits, Spotted Redshank, Great Egret, Little Egrets and Grey Herons. 24 Cranes on the sands this afternoon.
