Sightings

Main sighting: Willow Tit

One heard, then seen, between Five Paths and Nine Wells.

Main sighting: Snipe

Quiet and water levels still very high. En-route to hide: crows, woodpigeons (larger groups now overhead of several hundred at a time), magpies, gt spotted woodpecker, goldfinches, 1 redwing only, 2 chiffchaffs, gt tit, robin, 1 stock dove, cettis and a moorhen. Hide two – 50 teal, 20 gadwall, 5 lapwing, 36 shoveler, 1 wigeon only, 2 cormorants, 3 curlew, starlings, 4 skylarks, 1 black-tailed godwit only, 3 fly-by ringed plovers, 1 greylag and a nice flock of 21 snipe flew past the hide. Snipe platform – almost devoid of birds with only 10 coot seen, 2 lt grebes and 4 more snipe. 6 house martins was nice to see as was a passage of 48 swallows aerial feeding. Seawall – herring gulls, wren, sparrows, Canada geese, shelduck, mallards, oystercatchers, 13 more wigeon, 10 more curlew, black headed gulls and a green woodpecker. Hide three – barnacle goose still present, 6 more shoveler, 9 more teal, 1 more gadwall, 3 lt egrets, 32 more lapwing, jackdaws and a pair of stonechats. Other: 2 red admirals and numerous common darters.

Main sighting: Redshank

Crows, mistle thrush, magpies, herring gulls, woodpigeons, 79 redshanks, mallards, 53 teal, 2 pintail, starlings, 1 heron, 1 cormorant, 48 wigeon, 142 black headed gulls, wren, 182 shelduck, 63 oystercatchers, 15 curlew, linnets, chiffchaff, 1 lt egret, chaffinch, blackbird, redwings and green woodpecker. Other: Numerous common darters.

Main sighting: Kingfisher

The first frost of autumn at the lakes but a fine, sunny morning. Most action around the ‘school’ pond, with Kingfisher, female/immature Goosander and three Tufted Ducks, with Redwings in nearby bushes.

Main sighting: Ruff

En route to hides: LT tits, chiffchaff and cetti’s singing, robin, 2 goldfinch, blue tit, 4 stonechat, meadow pipit, buzzard, jay, mute swans, 1 lapwing and woodpigeon overhead. 1st lagoon a single female ruff, shoveler and teal. 2nd lagoon, shoveler, teal, coot, 1 little grebe. Seawall: curlew, shelduck, blackwits, various gulls, Canada geese, little egret.

Main sighting: GOS members

The Magnificent Seven dodged the showers for a circuit of Gilwern Hill and a walk to Pwll Du quarry. Highlight, at the end of the walk, was a flock of 25 Fieldfares. Along the way Buzzard, Peregrine and Kestrel went over and a Raven kept a beady eye on us when we approached the quarry. Bushes laden with berries, except for Rowan (which seems to be the Ring Ouzel’s favourite). Stonechats showed well. Also several Red Admirals enjoying the sunshine.

Main sighting: Brambling

A corking male Brambling feeding with Chaffinches under our bird table.

Main sighting: Wheatear

Two Wheatears on the paths around the reedbeds. Distant Red Kite high over the river mouth. Bittern in flight seen from the hide. Flock of around 200 Black-tailed Godwits over. Low tide: about 150 Shelduck and 16 Curlews on the foreshore. Kingfisher performing directly in front of the visitor centre.

Main sighting: Redwing

Ten birds flying over – first of the autumn.

Main sighting: Hoopoe

Was lucky to separately run into the Hoopoe also reported by Geoff North. It posed briefly in the middle of the path, north side of the reedbeds, east from the VC. Still in the area a few hours later but mobile.

Main sighting: Water Rail

Quiet bird wise. En-route to hides: robins, sparrows, woodpigeons, magpies, blue tits, crows, 2 chiffchaffs and a rook. Hide one – 5 greylags only. Hide two – 2 herons, 66 teal, shoveler numbers now at 99, cettis calling, blackbirds, goldfinches, 13 wigeon, male marsh harrier, 2 gadwall, 29 lapwing, mallards and 1 mute swan. Snipe platform – 2 spoonbill still present, 12 coot only, another 14 gadwall, 3 lt grebes, male stonechat and 10 swallows over. Seawall – good passage of meadow pipits (in about half an hour there were 8 groups passing consisting of 35, 46, 36, 26, 17, 15, 45 and 25 birds), sure there would have been more throughout the day. Also over another 11 swallows, oystercatchers, 11 curlew, shelduck, black headed and herring gulls. Hide three – pair of stonechats, water rail calling, 60 more teal, wrens, 9 more shoveler, starlings, raven, skylark, flock of 53 linnets. Back by hide two 3 siskins overhead calling. Back from hide one – 8 redshanks with a single black-tailed godwit mixed in and 4 snipe in the reeds. Single cormorant on the bank.

Main sighting: Hoopoe

Hoopoe landed circular path around the reserve.