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  • Hayle Estuary

Hayle Estuary

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Address
RSPB Hayle Estuary, Carnsew Pool, Hayle TR27 6JF
Grid ref
SW551364
What3Words
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Hayle Estuary, the most south westerly estuary in the UK, is home to a wide variety of wetland birds. Winter is easily the best time to visit, when you can see a vast flocks of teals and wigeons and maybe a vagrant ring-billed gull from North America.

Plan your visit

Opening times

Open at all times.

Entrance charges

Free entrance to RSPB members
Yes
Adults
Free, but donations are very welcome.
Children
Free, but donations are very welcome.

Facilities

  • Viewing point

Accessibility

How to get here

By train

Most trains stop at St Erth station. (Not all trains stop at Hayle Station).

By bus

From St Erth railway station, take the First Kernow Bus Service No.18 to Foundry Square in the town of Hayle. Take the No.14 bus if you are travelling from St.Ives, Hayle or Lelant.

By bike

The reserve is on National Cycle Route number 3.

By road

From Foundry Square in Hayle, head in a westerly direction along the B3301 Carnsew Road under the railway viaduct, past Asda and Jewsons on the right. Turn left on Chenalls Road, signposted St Erth and Hayle Estuary Nature Reserve. The reserve entrance is in 200m.

Sat nav POI file: If you have a satellite navigation system that can accept POI files, please see our POI page for a download link and instructions.

Get directions from Google Maps
View on What3Words
RSPB reserves on Google Earth

Downloads

Helping you find your way around. PDF, 1.2Mb

Hayle estuary guide

Contact Hayle Estuary

  • RSPB Hayle Estuary, Carnsew Pool, Hayle TR27 6JF
  • cornwall@rspb.org.uk
  • 01736 360624

What will you see?

Our star species

    Wading curlew illustration

    Curlew

    Curlews are large, brown wading birds with very long, curved bills ideal for probing in the mud on the Hayle Estuary.

    Little Egret

    Little egret

    These dainty little white herons can be seen throughout the year here.

    Oystercatcher illustration

    Oystercatcher

    You can see oystercatchers at the Hayle Estuary at any time of year.

    Male teal

    Teal

    Look for tiny teals among the wintering wildfowl on the lagoon in front of the hide and on the estuary.

    Male wigeon

    Wigeon

    During winter, flocks of wigeons are a daily sight.

Seasonal highlights

  • Spring
  • Summer
  • Autumn
  • Winter

In spring, the over-wintering wigeons, teals and waders start to return to their breeding grounds in March. Migrant waders are moving through the reserve, including oystercatchers, ringed plovers, sanderlings, dunlins and whimbrels. It’s always worth looking at Porth Kidney Sands nearby for migrant terns roosting on the beach.

The start of the summer is quiet as our wildfowl and waders are away breeding in the Arctic. Recently, a pair of oystercatchers have taken up residence and have bred at Ryan's Field. In recent years, ospreys have been regular visitors to the reserve later on in the summer but you would have to be very lucky to see one.

Autumn sees the main wader passage through the reserve. Vagrants often turn up here seeking refuge following gales around the coast.

Winter is the season when there are the most birds on the estuary. Enjoy the spectacle of the thousand or so teals and wigeons feeding on the algae-covered mudflats and flying back to the river. Hayle is one of the top British estuaries for the vagrant ring-billed gull from North America.

About Hayle Estuary

Habitat

The reserve comprises a mix of estuary, tidal pools and marsh in and around the Cornish town of Hayle. 

Conservation

Up to 18,000 migrant and wintering waterfowl flock to the Hayle estuary – especially during severe weather, when conditions here may be milder than elsewhere in the UK. But the reserve is under severe pressure from urban development and recreational activities. The RSPB is helping to safeguard the site as a refuge for birds and for its wider biodiversity.

We're working to maintain the inter-tidal habitat as a feeding and roosting refuge for wintering waterfowl, gulls and waders - working with local authorities and liaising with developers.

We're managing Ryan's Field as a high-tide roost for water birds by reducing disturbance and controlling visitor access. We've created a saline lagoon and islands, some of which are covered in shingle to attract roosting and nesting birds.

We're conducting ongoing research into the effects of visitor disturbance and habitat management on birds and other wildlife.

Site information

In cold winters, as many as 18,000 birds have been seen here, because this most south westerly estuary in the UK never freezes. During spring and autumn, it is an ideal place to see migrant wading birds, gulls and terns. In summer, if you are lucky, you may catch sight of an osprey. The reserve is good for walking, with pushchair-friendly paths.

The site has SSSI status in order to protect wintering wildfowl and waders.

Latest blog posts

  • Birdwatching for Beginners Walk

      Wednesday 7 & 14 November 2018 10am-1pm   Price: £5 per person (children free)   Please wear suitable clothing and bring binoculars if you have them.   Do you ever wonder what lives on the estuary? Well now’s your chance to find out. Join the RSPB ...

    Posted 19/10/2018 by Jane C
  • Found a Baby Bird?

    Posted 16/04/2018 by Jane C
  • Lost & Found

    A boxed item of jewellery has been found on Hayle Estuary Nature Reserve. If you believe this could belong to you please call 01736 360624 or email jane.comer@rspb.org.uk  Many thanks

    Posted 12/02/2018 by Jane C
  • Climate Coalition 'Show the Love' Gathering at Marazion

    #ShowTheLove Do you care about the environment? Are you passionate about protecting the people, places and things you love from Climate Change? Do you believe Climate Change is an issue which can no longer be ignored?   Then join us to show your supp...

    Posted 12/02/2018 by Jane C
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