Sightings

Main sighting: Spotted Flycatcher

Pair previously reported by lane to Hoaldalbert nest building – so food in bill may have been a courtship offering. Four birds also seen around a probable nest site in overgrown tree stump by bridge over moat in castle grounds. All appeared to be adult so possibly a family with well grown juveniles. This species not seen at all around the village last year.

Main sighting: Greenshank

Blackcap 2, lesser whitethroat usual place, common whitethroat 1 and 1 buzzard. Hide one – 4 ringed plovers, 1 little ringed plover, 5 dunlin, common redshanks and shelduck. Redshank platform – 16 more dunlin, 5 skylarks in a chase, 2 grey herons, 4 gadwall (18 more from hide 3), 2 swallows, oystercatcher, reed warbler singing, cettis calling, 3 cormorants over and 2 little egrets feeding. Snipe platform – single greenshank, single black-tailed godwit, 7 mute swans, linnets, drake teal and 11 swifts. Seawall – 4 more black-tailed godwits on the mudflats and a single curlew. Hide three – grey wagtail over, ravens, pair of tufted ducks and a single male, male marsh and a pair of fox cubs further along the wall in the grass. Other: Large whites, 1 small copper, blue-tailed damselflies and a female broad-bodied chaser.

Main sighting: Buzzards

22 buzzards and 2 red kites over ploughed fields, Llansantffraid. 7 swifts 8 swallows, 10 house martins, 3 song thrush mistle thrush 2 stock doves, gsw, green woodpecker

Main sighting: Kingfisher

Kingfisher, gsw, female goosander, chiffchaff, blackcap

Main sighting: Curlew Sandpiper

Curlew Sandpiper 1 Greenshank 1 Little Ringed Plover 1 Redshank 20 Ringed Plover 20 Oystercatcher 8 Gadwall 12 (probably more) Green Woodpecker 1 Long-tailed Tit 6 Whitethroat Lesser Whitethroat Cetti’s Warbler Reed Warbler Chiffchaff all singing.
Azure Blue Damselfly 3

Main sighting: Spotted Flycatcher

Bird with food in bill seen along lane to Hoaldalbert on the edge of the village. Great to have this species breeding within a few hundred metres of my house.

Main sighting: Red kite

Red kite, 3 buzzards, 3 ravens, green woodpecker, song thrush

Main sighting: Curlew request

You may soon be seeing a little more Curlew activity than in recent weeks as any eggs may be about to hatch. Please keep your eyes peeled when out birding and send any reports to Curlew@gwentbirds.org.uk . Info needed is on the Home page.

Main sighting: Cuckoos

Not a great deal about but what was was quality. Highlight was a male cuckoo perched on the brambles by hide 3 joined by a second male before flying off calling. Elsewhere – cettis 1, lesser whitethroat 1, common whitethroat (pair possibly nesting), blackcap 2, chiffchaff 2, reed warbler 1. Male stonechat, pheasants, ravens and a stoat by hide 1 with 5 kits (taking them one by one in her mouth across the path). Hide one – stunning little stint, 1 curlew sandpiper (partial plumage), 13 ringed plovers, 15 dunlin, 2 little egrets, 4 black-tailed godwits only, singing skylark, redshanks, lapwing and no avocet. Redshank platform – 6 swifts, marsh harrier and oystercatchers. Hide three – 19 gadwall, 6 shoveler, 9 swallows, 3 cormorants, female kestrel hunting, 3 grey herons, reed buntings and a common buzzard. Other: small white butterflies and a caterpillar to be identified.

Main sighting: Female Wheatear

Studied female Wheatear in our front garden for 10 minutes. Flew away showing white area clearly. Returned later to sit on wall.

Main sighting: Swift

The wetland are certainly living up to their name and very windy. Currently there is a small amount of mud to the right of the Greenshank hide on Monks. At high-tide there were no large wader flocks in fact very few waders at all. Knot 2 seen flying with swifts Avocet 4 Redshank 6 Dunlin 8 Oystercatcher 6 Gadwall 18 Pochard 1 Swifts put on a great show flying low over the reserve. Whitethroat Lesser Whitethroat Chiffchaff Cetti’s Blackcap and Reed warbler singing.

Main sighting: Common Pochard

Cormorant 3, pheasant 2, chiffchaff 1 (contact call), common whitethroat 1, cettis 1 and a goldcrest. Hide one – shelduck 11, avocet, redshanks (pair copulating), skylarks, lapwing, linnets, 18 dunlin only and 2 curlew. Redshank platform – oystercatchers, 2 ringed plovers (on the island), marsh harrier and reed warbler singing close by. Hide three – 53 black-tailed godwits, reed buntings, good count of 17 gadwall, female common pochard, 6 more dunlin, 2 tufteds, 8 swans, 4 black-headed gulls over, 11 swallows and 1 little egret. Seawall – swifts came in aerial feeding and numbered around 20 birds with 2 house martins mixed in, 8 curlew flying over had 2 whimbrel mixed in. Common buzzard on the fence.