Sightings and news to week ending 7 December 2025
Sunday 7 December
Estuary Walkway
A Firecrest seen in the Withy bed alongside the path throughout the day, a second was also seen near Welly Boot land. Also spotted were 3 Blackcap, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 5 Goldcrest, Song thrush and a Redwing flock.
Estuary Tower
As the tide came in there were 65 Avocet and 300 Curlew on the Dumbles with Wigeon and Pintail out on the river.
South Lake
From Discovery Hide over high tide there were 577 Dunlin, with 26 Black-tailed Godwit, 15 Ruff, 1 Redshank, Lapwing, Teal, Gadwall, Shoveler and Pochard.
Zeiss Hide
Teal and Shelduck were regularly being disturbed by a female Marsh Harrier.
Kingfisher Hide
On the water there were 22 Gadwall, and 1 Water Rail was heard. On the Four score field there were 2 Roe Deer and 5 more were on the Bottom New Piece with a flock of Canada Geese.
Grounds
Through the Grounds there was a Great Egret, Grey Heron, Kingfisher and 17 Fieldfare.
South Finger Walkway
High in the trees a Song Thrush was singing, and Water Rail was seen in the Reedbed.
Rushy Lake
There were 27 Bewick's Swans at the morning feed.
Saturday 6 December
Tack Piece
20 Bewick's Swans, including the juvenile, 500+ Pintail, 1000+ Wigeon, 41 Redshank, 12 Ruff, 500+ Lapwing, 1 Buzzard and 40 Golden Plover.
Top New Piece
1400 Teal, 20 Wigeon, 55 Great Black-backed Gull, 4 Curlew, 2 Cormorant, 72 Avocets, singles of Marsh Harrier and Grey Heron, Ross’s Goose in the Barnacle flock seen from Zeiss Hide.
There was a Bittern in the reedbed and 22 Teal seen from Van de Bovenkamp Hide.
Bottom New Piece
Two Marsh Harriers were supervising a fox between Bottom New Piece and Top New piece at around 12pm.
Kingfisher Hide
23 Gadwall, 2 Teal and 3 Roe Deer.
South Lake
200 Lapwing, 150 Dunlin, 132 Black-Tailed Godwit, 89 Avocet, 3 Ruff, 182 Teal, 28 Pochard, 43 Gadwall, 18 Tufted Duck, 10 Shoveler, 1 Grey Heron, 10 Cormorant, 9 Herring Gull, 20 Black Headed Gulls and 2 Egyptian Geese.
A Firecrest was seen briefly at Robbie Garnett Hide and also at Decoy Hide.
Friday 5 December
Rushy Lake
A Sparrow hawk was hunting over the Rushy and there was 1 Little Stint among the Dunlin flock.
Tack Piece
From Robbie Garnett Hide there were 7 Ruff, 200+ Lapwings, 4, Dunlin, 2 Bewick’s Swans including the juvenile, 500+ Wigeon, 17 Redshank, 48 White-fronted Geese. Also 5 Goldcrests were seen outside of the hide and a Redpoll was heard.
South Finger Walkway
Song Thrush singing and Fieldfare chattering in the trees above.
Kingfisher Hide
One pair of Gadwall, 2 Little Grebe and a Shoveler.
Estuary tower
There were 242 Curlew on the Dumbles, 1 Marsh harrier, Buzzard, Pink-footed goose, 86 Great Black-backed Gulls, 8 Redwing and 137 Barnacle Geese.
Top new Piece
There were 200 Teal in front of Van de Bovenkamp Hide.
Thursday 4 December
Rushy Lake
131 Tufted Duck, 54 Pochard, 25 Pintail along with Shelduck, Mallard and Lapwing, Bewick's Swans have slowly drifted in to feed through the morning, 350 Dunlin and 1 Ruff
Tack Piece
from Robbie Garnett Hide 34 White-fronted Geese, 11 Redshank, 13 Ruff, 135 Pintail, 800 Golden Plover, Wigeon, Teal, Shoveler, Lapwing, Dunlin and 1 Marsh Harrier
Dumbles
from Estuary Tower 49 Great Black-backed Gull, Wigeon, Teal and Lapwing on the scrape, with Wigeon, Teal and Pintail out on the river too, 60 Black-tailed Godwit and 112 Curlew
Kingfisher Hide
16 Gadwall, 1 Little Grebe, 1 Shoveler, 1 Water rail and on the Bottom new piece field, 5 Roe Deer, 1 Curlew with the Canada goose flock and 1 Marsh Harrier
South Finger walkway
Song Thrush singing
Top New Piece
from Zeiss Hide 2 Water Rail heard, 11 Lapwing, 1 Ruff and 423 Teal, Cetti's Warbler heard and 4 Wigeon
Through the Grounds
8 Fieldfare in the treetops
South Lake
from Discovery Hide, 50 Dunlin, 38 Avocet, 6 Ruff, 1 Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Grey Heron, 17 Pochard and Lapwing
Wednesday 3 December
Tack Piece
From Robbie Garnett Hide 1 Water Rail ran between the reedbeds there were flocks of Wigeon and Pintail, 1 Buzzard, flocks of Golden Plover, Dunlin, Lapwing and Curlew, 15 Ruff, 7 Redshank, 17 White-fronted Geese and 3 Roe deer towards the back of the field.
Top New Piece
From Zeiss Hide there were 382 Dunlin, 3 Ruff, 6 Black-tailed Godwit, 592 Teal, 10 Wigeon, 1 Great Egret and a Buzzard.
South Lake
From Discovery Hide there were 84 Tufted Duck spotted with 36 Pochard, 1 Egyptian Goose, 189 Dunlin, 2 Ruff, 99 Teal, 250 Lapwing, 45 Shoveler and a few Black-tailed Godwit.
Estuary Walkway
Both Firecrest and Goldcrest were seen first thing this morning.
Tuesday 2 December
Rushy Hide- 29 Bewick's Swans early morning but 2 (including juvenile) flew to Tack Piece to feed, 80+ Pochard, 200+ Tufted Duck, 80 Shelduck, 40 Teal and 220 Mallard.
Tack Piece
18 Russian White-fronted Geese, 2 Little Stint, 12 Ruff, 18 Redshank, c60 Black-tailed Godwit, 30 Dunlin, flocks of Curlew, Lapwing, Wigeon, Teal with a few Pintail. Firecrest ranging along the hedge/path from Martin Smith Hide to Estuary Tower + 3 Chiffchaff.
Monday 1 December
Tack Piece
Black-tailed Godwits arriving to join the Lapwing, Dunlin, 1 Little Stint, 1 Ruff, 15 Redshank but the Golden Plover moved to the Severn, Sparrowhawk, Merlin, Buzzard and Peregrine all hunting over and keeping the flocks on edge. Pink-footed Goose among the Canada Geese, flocks Wigeon Teal and Pintail on the flood.
Rushy Hide/Peng Observatory
27 Bewick's Swans again, 55 m, 12 f Pochard, 200 Tufted Duck, 80 Shelduck, 220 Mallards.
Path between Robbie Garnett and Martin Smith Hides
At least one but probably two Firecrest in the ivy scrub again.
South Lake
15 Dunlin, 155 Black-tailed Godwit, 200+ Lapwing, Great Black backed Gull, 60 Black-headed Gull, 5 Herring Gull, 6 Cormorant, flocks of Pochard, Tufted Duck, Gadwall, Teal and Shoveler.
Top New Piece from Zeiss Hide
A single Otter fishing in the main fleet to S of hide, heading toward Kingfisher Hide, it's likely that the trio have taken up residence in the purpose built Otter holt below the Zeiss Hide. Very few birds here early morning due to hunting raptors, it tends to become busier later in the day.
