Print pageSeasonal highlights
Each season brings a different experience at our nature reserves. In spring, the air is filled with birdsong as they compete to establish territories and attract a mate. In summer, look out for young birds making their first venture into the outside world. Autumn brings large movements of migrating birds - some heading south to a warmer climate, others seeking refuge in the UK from the cold Arctic winter. In winter, look out for large flocks of birds gathering to feed, or flying at dusk to form large roosts to keep warm.
Spring
Lingering flocks of brent geese. Great crested grebes in breeding plumage. Still good numbers of waders like dunlins, avocets and black-tailed godwits, with smaller numbers of knots, grey plovers and curlews.
Summer
Breeding seabirds like black-headed and Mediterranean gulls and common terns. Watch out for redshanks, reed buntings and meadow pipits on the saltmarsh.
Autumn
Migrant waders like whimbrels and greenshanks. Peak numbers of passage black-tailed godwits. Flocks of skylarks, linnets and reed buntings in the weedy fields beside the track. Rock pipits and stonechats along the shore.
Winter
Flocks of waders (avocets, black-tailed godwits, dunlins, grey plovers) and wildfowl (brent geese, shelducks, wigeons, shovelers). Off Motney Hill, ducks like goldeneyes and red-breasted mergansers; great crested grebes and occasionally rarer grebes like black-necked and Slavonian. Marsh harriers, merlins and peregrines all possible.