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| Shorelarks on the beach, 8th January 2026 Photo - Rob Watson |
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| Distant Little Stint (Left hand side) with Dunlin (Right hand side), 8th January 2026 Photo - Rob Watson |
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| Distant shot of White-fronted Geese, 8th January 2026 Photo - Nigel Lound |
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| Distant shot of male Red Breasted Merganser, 8th January 2026 Photo - Nigel Lound |
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| Turnstone, 8th January 2026 Photo - Mike Watts |
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| Linnet on the foreshore, 8th January 2026 Photo - Mike Watts |
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| Linnets on the foreshore, 8th January 2026 Photo - Mike Watts |
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| The River Steeping - 5th January 2026 Photo - Rob Aspeslagh It has been several winters since ice has formed across the River Steeping. A few may remember the winter of 1963 which was much colder! see pic below. |
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| The River Steeping - January 1963 Photo - Barrie Wilkinson |
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| Not much to look at with most of the water bodies still frozen! 5th January 2026 Photo - David Nutt |
Highlights today included a Great White Egret. On the River Steeping was the regular Great Crested Grebe, and a Kingfisher was on the boats. The Corn Bunting brigade (15 in total) was on the Sycamore by the Hump as usual. Also about were a Snipe, a Marsh Harrier, a Buzzard and a Barn Owl.
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| Snow Bunting, 5th January 2026 Photo - Stuart Ainsworth |
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| Snow Bunting, 5th January 2026 Photo - Stuart Ainsworth |
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| Great Crested Grebe on the River Steeping, 6th January 2026 Photo - Mike Watts |
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| Wigeon heading south over the beach, 6th January 2026 Photo - David Nutt |
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| Shelduck heading south over the beach, 6th January 2026 Photo - David Nutt |
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| Curlews over the foreshore, 5th January 2026 Photo - Stuart Ainsworth |
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| Barn Owl, 6th January 2026 Photo - Mike Watts |
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| 2nd year male Blackbird gobbling up Hawthorn berries, 6th January 2026 Photo - David Nutt |
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| Cold enough for Snow on the beach, 6th January 2026 Photo - David Nutt |
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| The River Steeping, 5th January 2026 Photo - David Nutt |
Highlights of the day were, again, the 2 Tundra Bean Geese which were on Field 10 all day on and off with 600 Pink-footed Geese also about. On the foreshore 2 Shorelarks were seen briefly feeding on the sea wrack along with a Snow Bunting and, also, at least 4 Stonechats (possibly 8 individuals) were around the foreshore.
On the sea there were 8 Common Scoter, 2 Eider, 2 Tufted Duck and a Great Crested Grebe, whilst heading South were 1 Red-breasted Merganser, 2 Red-throated Diver, a Kittiwake and a Gannet. The high tide roost involved 525 Oystercatcher, 250 Curlew, 440 Grey Plover, 7 Turnstone, 320 Sanderling, 160 Redshank, a Caspian Gull, 45 Great Black-backed Gulls and 4000 Herring Gulls.
On Greenshanks Creek were 45 Shoveler, 22 Gadwall, 350 Wigeon, 16 Mallard, 150 Teal, 140 Cormorant, 1 Merlin and 1 Peregrine.
On the Old Saltmarsh were 36 Shoveler. and 4 Whooper Swan went South with 2 more North over the river late afternoon. Also about were 250 Brent Geese, 2 Snipe, 24 Skylark, 60 Linnet, 14 Rock Pipit, 46 Reed Bunting, 4 Buzzard, a Tawny Owl, a Short-eared Owl and a Barn Owl. A Bullfinch and a Green Woodpecker were both in the East Dunes. There were 8 Woodcock recorded around the reserve with a a Merlin chasing a Redwing late afternoon into the Plantation.
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| Shorelarks on the foreshore, 5th January 2026 Photo - Richard Doan |
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| Shorelark, 5th January 2026 Photo - Nige Lound |
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| x2 Shorelarks, 5th January 2026 Photo - Nige Lound |
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| Goldcrest, 5th January 2026 Photo - Mike Watts |
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| Goldcrest - Where's that invertebrate? 5th January 2026 Photo - Mike Watts |
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| Curlew on the river bank, 5th January 2026 Photo - David Nutt |
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| The Mere nearly completely frozen up, 5th January 2026 Photo - David Nutt |
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| Even the Salt rich water of Fenland Lagoon has finally frozen up after a third night below -3C 5th January 2026, Photo - David Nutt |
A brilliant winters day with a lovely sunrise, lying snow widespread and the foreshore covered in Gulls and Waders. The effects of the biting cold on hands and feet made it challenging to stay put, counting one location for long, but the following counts were made: 2800 Herring Gull, 320 Common Gull, a Caspian Gull, 250 Eider, 1100 Grey Plover, 590 Sanderling, 130 Redshank, 30 Turnstone 340 Wigeon, plus Merlin and Marsh Harrier. Along the north end foreshore were 30 Skylark, 45 Linnet, 7 Snow Buntings and 3 Stonechat.
On the Mere were 48 Mallard, 28 Tufted Duck,13 Gadwall and 2 Mute Swans. Two Water pipits were on Fenland Lagoon. In the plantation there was a Green Woodpecker and a Chiffchaff was calling whilst in Field 10 the 2 Tundra Bean Geese were again present along with 410 Pink-footed Geese and 5 White-fronted Geese later on.
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| Tundra Bean Geese, 4th January 2026 Photo - Stuart Ainsworth |
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| Great Crested Grebe on the River Steeping, 4th January 2026 Photo - Stuart Ainsworth |
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| Glossy Ibis, 2nd January 2026 Photo - Paul Baines |
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| Marsh Harrier, 3rd January 2026 Photo - Mike Watts |
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| Marsh Harrier hunting Jackson's Marsh with male Reed Bunting fleeing above it! 3rd January 2026, Photo - Mike Watts |
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| Skylark on the foreshore, 4th January 2026 Photo - Nige Lound |
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| Muntjac Deer in the cold, 3rd January 2026 Photo - Mike Watts |
An early sea-watch recorded the morning Eider flight into the Wash with Red-throated Divers more distantly, 3 Red-breasted Mergansers and a Long-tailed Duck, before visibility was lost in a heavy snow shower. A Merlin was chasing a Song Thrush over the dunes and a Great Crested Grebe was on the river by the boats. Around the Hump were the resident winter flock of 16 Corn Buntings, whilst a Chiffchaff was at Sykes Farm and a couple of Water Pipits flew over.
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| Redwing, 3rd January 2026 Photo - Mike Watts |
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| Song Thrush, 3rd January 2026 Photo - Mike Watts |
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| The Mere in the arctic conditions, 3rd January 2026 Photo - Richard Doan |
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| Tennyson's Sands from Harvey's Hide in the arctic conditions, 3rd January 2026 Photo - Richard Doan |
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| The Cycle Track near the farm in the arctic conditions, 3rd January 2026 Photo - Richard Doan |
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| Mill Pond iced over and snowed on, 3rd January 2026 Photo - Stuart Ainsworth |
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| A devoid of life Tennyson's Sands before dusk, 3rd January 2026 Photo - Stuart Ainsworth |
The day began with a male Hen Harrier hunting over Tennyson's Sands, then 2 Glossy Ibis arrived on Jackson's Marsh. 500 Eider were spotted flying into the Wash over the sea. Then 2 probable Shorelarks were spotted at distance on Greenshank's Creek before they flew North. At lunchtime, 5 White-fronted Geese were on Field 10 again.
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| Glossy Ibis, 2nd January 2026 Photo - Kev Wilson |
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| Wigeon with a Bean Goose mixed in, 1st January 2026 Photo - Stuart Ainsworth |
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| Bean Goose, 1st January 2026 Photo - Stuart Ainsworth |
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| Curlew, 1st January 2026 Photo - Mike Watts |
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| Redshank, 1st January 2026 Photo - Mike Watts |
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| Little Grebe, 1st January 2026 Photo - Mike Watts |
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| "End of the day" 2nd January 2026 Photo - Rob Watson |
The year started with a bang when 3 Tundra Bean Geese were spotted on Croftmarsh. Shortly afterwards they were flushed by a Marsh Harrier and headed south although the returned to Croft Marsh close to dusk and were heard calling in the twilight. Some 800 Pink-footed Geese had left the roost earlier but 1500 were recorded later on.
Offshore, a good range of the usual sea duck etc including 800 Eider, a southerly passage of Gulls, an increase of up to 45 Red-throated Divers and a Great Northern Diver. A Marsh Harrier flew high south, well offshore and 4 Whooper Swans flew south. On the beach were 80 Turnstone. On Tennyson's Sands there were 84 Shoveler, 80 Teal and 10 Black-tailed Godwit. Jackson's Marsh held 194 Wigeon, 32 Gadwall. On the Mere were 32 Tufted Duck.
Elsewhere, there were 3 Water Pipits, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 2 Stonechat, 2 Merlin, a Peregrine, 4 Marsh Harriers, a Barn Owl and a Short-eared Owl, whilst a male Hen Harrier was hunting Croftmarsh.
Update for January 1st - the combined species list for New Years Day was 93.
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| End of the 1st day of the 2026, 1st January 2026 Photo - Stuart Ainsworth |
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| Tundra Bean Goose, 1st January 2026 Photo - Stuart Ainsworth |
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| Tundra Bean Goose, 1st January 2026 Photo - Stuart Ainsworth |
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| Shelduck, 1st January 2026 Photo - Mike Watts |
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| Corn Bunting, 1st January 2026 Photo - Mike Watts |
