Sightings

Main sighting: Great White Egret

Great White Egrets, 3 seen (0740), two flew away immediately, the third moved up the brook 200 metres where it continued to feed for a long time, dwarfing four Little Egrets nearby. Others: Lapwings, Redshanks, Gadwall (4), Tufted Duck (20), Shelduck, Coots. Buzzard; Blackcap singing. Water level draining steadily.

Main sighting: Garganey

Pair of Garganey on the Nedern floods in Caldicot

Main sighting: Curlew

Distinctive calls heard at 10.10 am from valley (Tresenny Brook) south of the village. First time since moving here 2 years ago but locals says the calls used to be far more frequent.

Main sighting: sand martins

20+ Sand Martins arrived today just up from Llanfoist bridge on my daily exercise walk . Also 1st Swallow of the year and 1st male Blackcap

Main sighting: Buzzard

Brief view of a Buzzard flying over with a slow worm or small snake? in its talons, mobbed by our resident Crows. Rook over the moor, an infrequent visitor here. One Swallow flying very high into the stiff southerly wind.

Main sighting: House martins

3 house martins just arrived back to their usual patch- nearly 3 weeks earlier than last year – nice to see something different other than magpies, wood pigeons, house sparrows, and jackdaws!!

Main sighting: Swallow

1-Swallow and 2m+f Wheatears.17h00-17h35

Main sighting: Willow Warbler

Heard Willow Warber then saw it, also heard several Chiffchaffs and saw 2 Redpolls.

Main sighting: Swallow

4 swallows over.

Main sighting: Mistle Thrush

Pair of mistle thrush (good views and sound of calls). 3 Linnet. 27 Oystercatchers. 150 Redshank. 2 ringed plover, 6 Herring Gull. 5 pairs of Pintail. 30-40 shelduck and teal, few widgeon, cormorant, 20 Canada geese. Plenty of chiff chaff heard, one seen! 1 great tit.

Main sighting: sand martins

50 sand martins (21 days late), pair of tree creeper in rapid manouvering flight.

Main sighting: Swallow

My first Swallow of the year. Also a vole (presumably Bank) standing on hind legs to reach a Candytuft flower which he/she nipped off and carried away; returned 30 seconds later and repeated the action so clearly intentional. Is this common behaviour?