Sightings

Main sighting: Spotted flycatcher and Cuckoo

Spotted Flycatcher seen for the first time at this site, also Male Cuckoo flew over at the same time. Also lots of Willow Warbler song with Chiffchaff and Blackcap. Pair of Bullfinches, Coot on nest, Canada Geese with Goslings and a Cormorant.

Main sighting: Whimbrel

At high tide this evening,19-Whimbrels,4-Bar Tailed Godwits all still in non breeding plumage and 2-Turnstones.17h20-18h00

Main sighting: Waders

Visited just after dawn. Wader numbers dominated by Dunlins in their hundreds. Probably 1000+ off you include those out on the mud on the foreshore later.
Monk and Becs the busiest lagoons.
Lots of Dunlins, 6x Turnstone, 4 x Knot ( one red one), 13 x Bar-Tailed Godwits, 3 x Sanderling, 1 x Ruff ( reddy plumage) on Priors, 4 x Whimbrel, 16 x Black Tailed Godwits.

2 x Wheatear, 4 x Black Headed Gulls. 4 x Oystercatchers.
Avocets, Redshanks and Lapwings as usual.

Kestrel ( male) near Hide 2
Bean. Goose on Priors.

Main sighting: Seen at 09.00 hours today

Bird similar in size to a blackbird of sleek appearance feeding at ground level in field adjacent to road
Yellow/orange breast with darker face marking. colour of body pigeon grey with lighter underwing shading

Main sighting: Wheatear

Afternoon visit, very wet, slight winds. Pheasant 1, chiffchaff 1 singing, cettis 1 calling and raven. Hide one – avocet, redshanks, 1 bar-tailed godwit and 1 black-tailed godwit, 2 oystercatchers and 1 heron. Hide two – swallows, pair of reed buntings, pair of linnets and 2 cormorants. Seawall – single wheatear only. Hide three – very little wader activity with only 9 dunlin and 11 ringed plovers together with a single little ringed plover mixed in (another one on the island). 5 gadwall, 7 more oystercatchers and 51 black-tailed godwits, 1 little egret, 3 skylarks, 8 mute swans, female pintail (no sign of a male), 1 swift and 50+ swallows aerial feeding over the third lagoon.

Main sighting: yellow wagtail

solitary male yellow wagtail lingering

Main sighting: Little Tern

Single Little Tern on Becs Lagoon, seen from the Sea Wall hide. Flew several times, returning to the same spot. Seen between 5.30 and 6.30pm.

Main sighting: Goosander

Goosander with 7-juveniles on the Monnow,also 1-Red Kite over,1m-Kingfisher also on the monnow river.13h630-16h00.

Main sighting: Hobby

Hobby over the garden this morning.

Main sighting: Curlews.

Curlews seen and heard

Main sighting: Whinchat

1st Whinchat at top of the vale . Also Redstarts , Pied Flycatchers , Tree Pipits , Willow Warblers , Treecreepers , Nuthatches and a single Yellowhammer

Main sighting: Spotted Flycatcher

Following the mornings Bearded Tit survey at Uskmouth where we saw Cuckoo, Reed Sedge and Cetti’s Warblers and seven singing Whitethroat.
At the lagoons: Spotted Flycatcher 1 Snow Goose 1 (very smart adult) Swift House and Sand Martin Whitethroat Lesser Whitethroat.