Sightings

Main sighting: Colour ringed avocets

En-route to hides – crows, woodpigeons, magpies, pheasant, robin, Canada geese, herring gulls and 7 fieldfares. Hide one – mallards, skylarks, 183 black-tailed godwits, 60 avocet (2 colour ringed – upper left green / right leg YA and 2nd bird upper left H9), 29 redshanks, 31 teal, 68 wigeon, 2 lt egrets, 9 shoveler, 2 pairs lapwing, coot, male stonechat, spotted redshank, heron, male marsh harrier (1st or 2nd yr bird). Hide two – 1 cormorant, 3 snipe, 4 shelduck, greylags, wren and moorhen. Snipe platform – 5 male and 3 female tufteds. En-route to seawall – dunnock, gt and blue tits and cettis. Hide three – oystercatchers, 12 gadwall, goldfinch, 16 more shoveeler, 56 more teal, 42 more wigeon, female marsh harrier, long-tailed duck, starling and 2 gt black-backed gulls.

Main sighting: Goldeneye

Numerous sites visited – BOAT LANE: jay, blue tits, gt tits, robin, jackdaws, moorhen, herring gulls, wren, crows, mallards, 6 wigeon, 2 skylarks displaying, magpies, long tailed tit, Canada geese, meadow pipits, cettis, 9 greylags, ls black-backed gulls, 1 cormorant, 2 herons, 3 curlew, 5 linnets, 2 female stonechats and a further pair later on, woodpigeons, fem marsh harrier, 2 stock doves, 2 redshanks, 2 snipe, 1 lapwing, 7 shelduck, 4 oystercatchers, 2 swans, chiffchaff contact call, song thrush, male kestrel, coot, house sparrows and chaffinches. SEAWALL: 1 lt egret, crows, magpies, 4 curlew, 41 wigeon, 8 turnstone, 5 oystercatchers, shelduck, cettis, 31 greylags sat in the field and a robin. GOLDCLIFF POINT: 19 more wigeon and 19 avocet. FIELDS (near Uskmouth) male kestrel, herring, ls black-backed and black headed gulls, blackbirds, woodpigeons, blue tit, song thrushes, jay, crows, chiffchaff feeding and 2 swans. FARMFIELD LANE: 2 males and 1 female goldeneye flying over. CHAPEL ROAD: approx 100 redwings and fieldfares feeding with around 30 starlings mixed in.

Main sighting: Great White Egret

Egret foraging along the edges of the pond throughout the time of my visit (12.15 – 12.30). Flew up twice, briefly landed on the floating island with a Cormorant before returning to the shoreline.

Main sighting: Spotted Redshank

Spotted Redshank seen from the first hide. Flock of 18 Avocets flew off to feed on the mudflats. Braved the quagmire to reach the seawall hide and was rewarded by good views of the long-staying female Long-tailed Duck which spent most of its time under water.

Main sighting: Red Kite

Red kite flying east over fields west of Pwllmeyric at about 11:30am

Main sighting: Brambling

More evidence of the “hungry gap”: the first Brambling of the year visiting feeders, with record numbers of Siskins still around. Meanwhile, a Magpie was carrying a stick for its nest.

Main sighting: Curlew

A Curlew pair, 200+ Canada Geese and a single Greylag this morning. Please remember to email all Curlew reports to curlew@gwentbirds.org.uk – there are still more to be found!

Main sighting: Siskin

Siskin numbers have been increasing, reaching an impressive 25 on/around the feeders today, joined by a pair of Lesser Redpolls.

Main sighting: Redpoll

4 Redpoll feeding on seed feeders

Main sighting: Greenfinch

An amazing count of 18 Greenfinch in the garden just now. Also at least 8 Reed Buntings in the winter seed crop.

Main sighting: Goosander

1 male and 2 female Goosander at 9.30. Not there at 17.15. Also Little Grebe

Main sighting: Long-tailed Duck / Weekly round-up

En-route to hide 1 – wren, chaffinch, collard dove, crows, gt tits, robin, blue tit, gt spotted woodpecker, herring gulls, magpies, song thrush, blackbirds, redwings, fieldfares, woodpigeon, starlings, pheasant and cettis warbler. Hide one – Canada geese, mallards, 41 teal, 119 wigeon, 2 gadwall, 1 cormorant, skylark singing, 18 shoveler, single ringed plover (on the island) and 1 heron. En-route to hide 2 – long tailed tit (1), female goldcrest and moorhens. Hide two – coot, greylags, stonechat pair. Flooded field opposite snipe platform – 15 pied wagtails. Snipe platform – 6 more gadwall, lt grebe, 4 male and 3 fem tufteds and a water rail calling. Seawall – high tide so not much exposed mud, 7 oystercatchers, 25 curlew and ls black-backed gulls only. Hide three – 69 more wigeon, 22 more shoveler, 51 more teal, 2 lt egrets, 2nd-year male marsh harrier, 2 lapwing only and the long-tailed duck diving and showing well.