December 11th. Partly cloudy, with fresh south-westerly wind.
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| Skylark, 11th December 2025 Photo - Mike Watts |
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| Corn Bunting, 11th December 2025 Photo - Mike Watts |
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| Corn Buntings, 11th December 2025 Photo - Mike Watts |
Mid December 2025
Early December 2025
December 10th. Partly cloudy, with fresh south-westerly wind.
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| Gadwall, 10th December 2025 Photo - Paul Neale |
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| Marsh Harrier No1, 10th December 2025 Photo - Paul Neale |
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| Marsh Harrier No2, 10th December 2025 Photo - Paul Neale |
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| Wren, 10th December 2025 Photo - Paul Neale |
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| Brent Geese over Tennyson's Sands which is finally filling up again with all the wet weather. 8th December 2025, Photo - David Nutt |
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| Little Grebe, 8th December 2025 Photo - David Nutt |
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| A horse riding Magpie! 8th December 2025 Photo - David Nutt |
A morning sea watch resulted in 104 Pink-footed Geese and 22 Shelduck (South over the sea), 51 Eider, 1 Velvet Scoter, 14 Common Scoter, 8 Red-breasted Merganser, 2 Great Crested Grebes and 2 Red-throated Divers (North). Waders over the high tide included 2000 Oystercatcher, 2000 Grey Plover, 60 Curlew, 400 Bar-tailed Godwit, 5000 Knot, 150 Sanderling and 2500 Dunlin. On the beach were 17 Turnstone, 187 Cormorant, 280 Herring Gulls and 14 Great Black-backed Gulls. Greenshanks Creek held 110 Wigeon.
On Tennyson's Sands were 74 Shoveler, 500 Teal and 3 Black-tailed Godwits. The Mere held 2 Gadwall and 9 Tufted Duck. On Croft Marsh were 1200 Golden Plover, 2200 Lapwing and a Buzzard.
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| Lapwings over Croft Marsh, 8th December 2025 Photo - Mike Watts |
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| Lapwings and Golden Plovers (At the top) over Croft Marsh, 8th December 2025 Photo - Mike Watts |
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| Male Shovelers, 8th December 2025 Photo - Mike Watts |
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| Male Tufted Duck, 8th December 2025 Photo - Mike Watts |
The monthly WeBS count involved an impressive roost of just under 30,000 waders with over 1000 waterfowl. Offshore was busy too with 2 Great Northern Divers, a Slavonian Grebe, 14 Red-breasted Merganser, 90 Common Scoter and 435 Eider. Small numbers of Siskin, Chaffinch, Rock Pipit and Skylark were moving south.
December 6th. Partly cloudy, with occasional rain and fresh south-westerly wind.
December 5th. A cold start to the day with clear skies, becoming cloudier, with increasing south-easterly breeze.
The Mere held 6 Tufted Duck and 11 Gadwall. A Cetti's Warbler sang briefly near North Hide on Tennyson's Sands where there were also 71 Shoveler and 664 Teal. Ten Gadwall were on Jackson's Marsh whilst on Croft Marsh there were 1200 Lapwing and 30 Golden plover. Around the Plantation were 22 Siskins and another 14 went south. 200 Wigeon were on Field 10.
Other birds around included 2 Marsh Harrier, a Hen Harrier, 2 Merlin, Peregrine, a Snow Bunting and a Pale-bellied Brent Goose with the Brent flock
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| Siskins in the Plantation, 7th December 2025 Photo - Mike Watts |
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| Male Siskin, 7th December 2025 Photo - Mike Watts |
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| Siskin, 7th December 2025 Photo - Mike Watts |
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| Goldcrest, 7th December 2025 Photo - Mike Watts |
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| Teal, 5th December 2025 Photo - Paul Neale |
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| Gadwall, 5th December 2025 Photo - Paul Neale |
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| Shoveler, 5th December 2025 Photo - Paul Neale |
An hour's sea-watch early morning was productive with 92 Common Scoter, 95 Eider, 5 Whooper Swan, Goldeneye and a few parties of Wigeon. A Long-tailed Duck was loosely associating with a small raft of Eider. Along the beach 600 Sanderling and 57 Turnstone were feeding with other waders and gulls including a single Caspian Gull.
At the Weather Station were 2 Stonechats. A Cetti's Warbler was along the roadside. Also around were a Barn Owl, a Merlin, a Hen Harrier, a Marsh Harrier, a Red Kite and a Chiffchaff. 2000 Golden Plover came off local fields and moved to the Haven, 670 Teal were on Tennyson's Sands, and a Woodcock was around.
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| Barn Owl, 5th December 2025 Photo - Paul Neale |
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| Barn Owl, 5th December 2025 Photo - Paul Neale |
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| Marsh Harrier, 5th December 2025 Photo - Paul Neale |
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| Marsh Harrier, 5th December 2025 Photo - Paul Neale |
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| Marsh Harrier over Jackson's Marsh, 4th December 2025 Photo - Mike Watts |
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| Marsh Harrier over Jackson's Marsh, 4th December 2025 Photo - Mike Watts |
December 4th. Mostly cloudy, with fresh south-easterly wind and afternoon rain.
December 3rd. Cloudy, with light southerly wind.
A Long-tailed Duck was offshore. A Chiffchaff remained at Sykes Farm with a Water Pipit and a Mediterranean Gull over there. A Woodcock was flushed from under the roadside hedge.
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| Turnstones and Oystercatchers on the beach, 2nd December 20225 Photo - David Nutt |
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| Sanderling on the beach, 2nd December 2025 Photo - David Nutt |
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| Curlews, 2nd December 2025 Photo - David Nutt |
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| Cormorant, 2nd December 2025 Photo - David Nutt |
Records largely limited to what was seen from Sykes Farm: a Water Pipit, 350 Brent Geese and 200 Lapwing flew over.
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| Brent Geese on Jackson's Marsh, 2nd December 2025 Photo - Mike Watts |
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| Turnstone over the tidal wrack on the beach, 2nd December 2025 Photo - David Nutt |
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| Linnet, 2nd December 2025 Photo - David Nutt |
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| Blackbird, Redwing and a Blue Tit, all enjoying a bath! 2nd December 2025 Photo - David Nutt |
December 2nd. Mostly clear, then clouding over, with moderate mostly southerly wind.
December 1st. Cloudy, with morning rain and fresh south-westerly wind.
Another late pulse of visible migration involved the following heading south over the East Dunes in an hour prior to 0900: 110 Siskin, 66 Linnet, 41 Chaffinch, 44 Skylark, 23 Rock Pipit and 3 Greenfinch. 2 Snow Buntings flew north up the beach.
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| Goldcrest (With a ring on), 2nd December 2025 Photo - Mike Watts |
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| Chiffchaff, 2nd December 2025 Photo - Mike Watts |
Few reports today, but 5 Goldcrests and a Chiffchaff have made it through the bad weather period as well as managing to avoid the 2 Sparrowhawk that were seen.
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| Redwing, 2nd December 2025 Photo - Mike Watts |
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| Pied Wagtail, 2nd December 2025 Photo - Mike Watts |
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| The Gibraltar Point Calendar for 2026 is on Sale now in the Visitor Centre. Get yours quickly before they sell out! |
Late November 2025
November 30th. Partly cloudy, with fresh westerly to south-westerly wind.
Early visible migration involved small numbers of Finches again, 12 Whooper Swans, a Merlin, a Marsh Harrier and a Mistle Thrush. Offshore, a Black-throated Diver and several Red-throated Divers went north with small numbers of Common Scoter, Eider and Red--breasted Merganser. 11 Barnacle Geese headed north.
The male Black Redstart was again at the Visitor Centre and 2 Bearded Tits were new arrivals on Tennyson's Sands. Other birds around included male Hen Harrier and 5 Stonechats.
November 29th. A miserable day with rain from before first light for most of day in a moderate south-westerly wind.
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| Brent Geese, 25th November 2025 Photo - David Nutt |
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| Greylag Geese, 25th November 2025 Photo - David Nutt |
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| Sanderling and Oystercatchers feeding on the beach, 25th November 2025 Photo - David Nutt |
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| Goldcrest, 25th November 2025 Photo - David Nutt |
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| Still plenty of Blackbirds about around the reserve, 25th November 2025 Photo - David Nutt |
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| Linnet, 28th November 2025 Photo - David Nutt |
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| Waders over the Wash, 28th November 2025 Photo - David Nutt |
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| Pheasant, 28th November 2025 Photo - David Nutt |
Recent thoughts that visible migration had just about ceased were proved wrong today when 73 Siskin and 47 Chaffinch moved south in under an hour with several groups of Starlings, 14 Rock Pipit and the highlight being a single Waxwing. Passage over the sea remained somewhat slow but did include 3 southbound Pochard, a Shoveler and several Teal and unusually a party of three small Grebes (Slavonian/Black-necked).
The Purple Sandpiper remained distant with other waders on Greenshanks Creek. A Bullfinch was again vocal around the East Dunes and 2 Chiffchaffs were in regular haunts with several Goldcrests. The male Black Redstart showed well around the Visitor Centre but only for a brief period and 5 Corn Buntings were a welcome sight around Rock Ridge, although representing a further decline in a wintering flock that used to number 50.
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| Black Redstart, 27th November 2025 Photo - Rob Watson |
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| Corn Buntings, 27th November 2025 Photo - Mike Watts |
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| Gadwall, 26th November 2025 Photo - Paul Neale |
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| Black-tailed Godwit, 26th November 2025 Photo - Paul Neale |
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| Black Redstart, 26th November 2025 Photo - Paul Neale |
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| Stonechat, 27th November 2025 Photo - Paul Neale |
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| Muntjac Deer, 26th November 2025 Photo - Paul Neale |
The male Black Redstart remained around the Visitor Centre. 5 Stonechats were in typical locations and several Woodcocks were present.
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| Black Redstart, 26th November 2025 Photo - Paul Neale |
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| Black Redstart, 26th November 2025 Photo - Paul Neale |
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| Black Redstart, 26th November 2025 Photo - Paul Neale |
A juvenile Pomarine Skua was the highlight of an otherwise quiet sea-watch early morning. Also on the sea were 15 Eider, 20 Common Scoter and 9 Red-throated Diver, whilst on the beach were 200 Oystercatcher, 7 Turnstone, 193 Cormorant and a Peregrine. Highlight on the beach was a highly unusual for the reserve, Purple Sandpiper feeding with other waders on the beach wrack washed up after the recent rough weather.
Tennyson's Sands held 74 Brent Geese, 47 Shoveler, 2 Gadwall, 150 Wigeon, 600+ Teal and 1 Tufted Duck whilst over Croft Marsh a Marsh Harrier was hunting. Just a few Finches, Pipits and Skylarks were moving south and 2 Black Redstarts around the Visitor Centre were new arrivals. A Woodcock was in the East Dunes in the afternoon, a Kingfisher on Fenland Lagoon and 50+ Goldcrest and 5 Stonechat were around the reserve.
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| Black Redstart, 25th November 2025 Photo - Nige Lound |
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| Black Redstart, 25th November 2025 Photo - Nige Lound |
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| Purple Sandpiper (To the left of the Redshank), 25th November 2025 Photo - Tom Baker |
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| Waders galore and gulls feeding on the masses of seaweed and beach wrack washed up recently. A result of the recent rough weather. 25th November 2025 Photo - Tom Baker |
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| Teal, 25th November 2025 Photo - Jeremy Eyeons |
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| Shoveler, 25th November 2025 Photo - Jeremy Eyeons |
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| Female Shoveler in the rain, 25th November 2025 Photo - Paul Neale |
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| Shoveler, 25th November 2025 Photo - Mike Watts |
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| Gadwall, 25th November 2025 Photo - Paul Neale |
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| Fieldfare, 25th November 2025 Photo - Mike Watts |
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| Blackbirds still clearing the berries from the Hawthorns around the reserve. 25th November 2025 Photo - Mike Watts |
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| Goldcrest, 25th November 2025 Photo - Mike Watts |
On the water bodies around the reserve there were 2000+ Teal, 58 Shoveler, 35 Gadwall, 150 Wigeon, 32 Mallard, 1 Water Rail, 5 Black-tailed Godwit and 1 Redshank. Elsewhere there were 7 Whooper Swan, 100+ Shelduck (on the estuary), a Woodcock, 2 Sparrowhawk, 2 Marsh Harrier, 4 Buzzard, 1 Cetti's Warbler (Tennyson's Sands from North Hide), 45 Blackbird, 1 Stonechat (West Dunes near Mere Hide), 32 Goldfinch and 18 Siskin.
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| Goldfinch's enjoying a sunshine lunch break, 24th November 2025 Photo - Nige Lound |
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| Woodcock (Centre of picture!), 24th November 2025 Photo - Nige Lound |
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| Buzzard over the Plantation, 24th November 2025 Photo - Paul Neale |
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| Rock Pipit on Fenland Lagoon, 24th November 2025 Photo - Paul Neale |
November 23rd. Cloudy with rain on and off all day, feeling cold in a fresh south-westerly wind.
November 22nd. Cloudy and cold with rain for most of day and fresh south-westerly to southerly wind.
November 21st. A hard frost started the day with increasing cloud and a still bitterly cold south-westerly wind.
Due to the constant rain again we received no records today. No birders on site!
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| Greenshanks Creek outlet, up near the sleeper track now. Note the WW2 defences, now exposed for 100's of yards. 25th November 2025 Photo - David Nutt |
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| Tennyson's Sands slowly refilling with water with the heavy rains. 25th November 2025. Photo - David Nutt |
Constant rain for most of the day meant very few observers on site today. However one very good one was present and had a look in all the hides! The Mere held 14 Mallard and 1 Snipe with 1 Marsh Harrier over Freshwater Marsh. Jackson's Marsh held 84 Teal. Tennyson's Sands though was where all the action was with an incredible clicker count of 2712 Teal, (Making at least 2796 on the reserve for the day!), 46 Shoveler, 1 Brent Goose, 1 Water Rail, 1 Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Cetti's Warbler (North Hide) and 1 Water Pipit showing well just to the left of Harvey's Hide.
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| A wet day produced several rainbows through the day, 25th November 2025 Photo - Jeremy Eyeons |
Today there were 1300+ Teal, 60+ Mallard, 88 Shoveler, 4 Gadwall, 1 Kingfisher and 1 Stonechat on Tennyson's Sands. On Jackson's Marsh were 6 Whooper Swans and 3 Gadwall. The Mere was home to 11 Gadwall, 33 Mallard and 52 Teal. Another Stonechat was on Fenland Lagoon and another was around the boats on the river. Also around were 220 Pink-footed Geese, 11 Turnstone, 270 Sanderling, 1 Woodcock, 1 Snipe, 2900 Herring Gull, 42 Cormorant, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 3 Blackcap and 70 Blackbird.
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| Whooper Swans over Jackson's Marsh, 21st November 2025 Photo - Paul Neale |
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| Whooper Swans over Jackson's Marsh (Note the adult with a GPS tracker on its neck), 21st November 2025 Photo - Tom Baker |
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| Whooper Swans on Jackson's Marsh, 21st November 2025 Photo - Paul Neale |
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| A very smart looking Teal, 21st November 2025 Photo - Paul Neale |
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| Some of over 1000 Teal on Tennyson's Sands, 21st November 2025 Photo - Jack Hood |
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| A very smart looking Shoveler, 21st November 2025 Photo - Paul Neale |
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| Black-tailed Godwit on the beach, 21st November 2025 Photo - Tom Baker |
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| Stonechat on Tennyson's Sands, 21st November 2025 Photo - Jack Hood |
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