Print pageStar species
Our star species are some of the most interesting birds you may see on your visit to the reserve.
Look among the black and white of the lapwing flocks for the golden glow of these smart waders. Up to 30,000 spend winter here. |  |
Watch the nesting lapwings here chasing predators that may come too close to their nests or show too much of an interest in their chicks. The protective parents regularly give chase to crows and do not stop their 'mobbing' attacks until the danger has passed. |  |
Thousands of pink-footed geese assemble here from late September-March. Up to 15,000 may be present in late autumn and March. |  |
Keep an eye out for the redshanks' towering display flights over the wet meadows in spring. They are sometimes known as 'the sentinel of the marshes' for their noisy habit of drawing attention to predators. |  |
During winter, flocks of wigeons are a daily sight, with 25,000 often on the reserve. Wintering birds arrive from early September and numbers build up to a peak, usually in January. |  |