In winter ducks such as mallard, teal, wigeon, goldeneye and shoveller are on the lake. Other birds like the northern shoveller, stork and kingfisher are also found at the sanctuary. Nationally important wintering populations are supported such as gadwall, shoveller and pochard. This includes Bewick's swans, wigeon, gadwall and shoveller. Shelduck, shoveller and mallard are found on the river and teal further upstream. Thousands of Eurasian wigeon, northern pintail, northern shoveller also use the backwaters.