BELVIDE 2026 ROUND-UP
July was another excellent month at Belvide, with Black-necked Grebes, a site-first Stone Curlew and the return of autumn wader passage providing the main highlights.
⭐ Bird of the Month – Stone Curlew
The standout record was undoubtedly the juvenile Stone Curlew on 25 July.
Belvide's first ever record
Present on the north shore throughout the day
Only the 4th record for Staffordshire
The first Staffordshire record of the species available to all observers
It was an exceptional find and arguably the highlight of Belvide's already impressive 2026.
Other major highlights
White-rumped Sandpiper – 26 July
An adult was found on the north shore at 7:54am.
Present for just 31 minutes before flying high south-east.
Only the 3rd record for Belvide, following records in 2022 and the remarkable flock of eight in October 2025.
Wood Sandpiper – 28–31 July
A juvenile arrived on 28 July and remained through the end of the month.
Joined by Green Sandpiper, Redshank, Snipe and large numbers of Common Sandpipers.
Common Scoter – 27–30 July
A drake off the dam was a new arrival and remained for several days.
Arctic Tern – 21 July
An adult was recorded off the dam.
Spotted Redshank – 17 July
Heard flying over but unfortunately could not be relocated.
Wader passage
The latter part of July saw a significant increase in wader activity, signalling the start of autumn passage.
Highlights included:
Black-tailed Godwit – up to 7
Common Sandpiper – up to 19
Little Ringed Plover – up to 27
Ringed Plover
Redshank
Greenshank
Dunlin
Turnstone
Snipe
Wood Sandpiper
Green Sandpiper
White-rumped Sandpiper
Whimbrel
Curlew
The month ended with 7 Common Sandpipers, 18 Little Ringed Plovers, 2 Snipe, Redshank, Green Sandpiper and Wood Sandpiper on 31 July.
Black-necked Grebe invasion
One of the most interesting features of July was the influx of Black-necked Grebes.
Four birds were present on 1 July.
By 4 July, seven and eight birds had been recorded during the preceding week.
Numbers reached five on 11 July.
Four birds, including three adults and a juvenile, were still present on 19 July.
The presence of juveniles made this particularly interesting, with the records described as part of a post-breeding influx from elsewhere.
Breeding highlights
Breeding continued to produce some great results:
Yellow Wagtail successfully bred, with at least three juveniles being fed on the north shore.
Common Tern – the remaining chick fledged on 5 July.
Oystercatcher – two pairs were still raising growing chicks.
Tufted Duck – the first two broods appeared, with 10 and 1 ducklings.
Shoveler – a new second brood of 7 ducklings appeared.
Little Grebe – a pair were feeding two chicks.
Stonechat – several juveniles were present.
Yellow Wagtail and other breeding species continued to demonstrate the value of the reserve.
Raptors
July produced a good selection of raptors:
Marsh Harrier – several sightings, including a juvenile and an individual with a yellow wing tag.
Peregrine – up to three recorded together.
Hobby
Red Kite
Goshawk – including a juvenile on 3 July and another sighting on 11 July.
Insects
The warm weather also produced some excellent insect records:
Clouded Yellow – recorded on several dates.
Red-veined Darter – numerous individuals.
Small Red-eyed Damselfly – at least 20 recorded on 18 July.
Willow Emerald – recorded on 31 July.
July was a brilliant transition month at Belvide – moving from the breeding season into the first real signs of autumn migration.
The headline records were:
🥇 Stone Curlew – 1st Belvide record
🥈 White-rumped Sandpiper – 3rd Belvide record
🥉 Wood Sandpiper – prolonged stay
Alongside these were the impressive Black-necked Grebe influx, Common Scoter, Arctic Tern, Marsh Harrier and increasing wader numbers.
After the exceptional May and a quieter June, July once again demonstrated that Belvide can produce major surprises at any time of year.