Sightings

Main sighting: Cuckoo

South end of valley.

Main sighting: House Martins

At least 3 House Martins back over house today.

Main sighting: GOS members

A pleasure to welcome ten fellow GOS members to Garn Lakes and Waunavon Bog on a sunny spring morning. A decent tally of 42 species in all. Highlights included a party of three Red Kites and a Buzzard over together, a pair of Ravens with the male performing back-flips, an obliging pair of Wheatears and a Lesser Redpoll.

Main sighting: Redstart

Breeding Bird Survey early visit. Six Redstarts singing but only one Tree Pipit. No Cuckoo, yet (fingers crossed). Swallows back at a traditional nest site. Encouraging numbers of House Sparrows around the farms.

Main sighting: Short-eared Owl

A SEO and a Lesser Whitethroat were at Saltmarsh Lane this afternoon. At Goldcliff Point there were 25 Whimbrel, frequently giving their version of the bubbling song, also 3 Curlew.

Main sighting: Curlew

It’s World Curlew Day tomorrow (21st April)! Why not celebrate by birding pastures or moorland where you might see one? And if you’re lucky send your sighting to Curlew@gwentbirds.org.uk . Every single report counts.

Main sighting: Hobby

The highlight of a mornings visit was a Hobby over the eastern end of the reserve,earliest i’ve seen one.Also a Whimbrel.

Main sighting: Redstart

Good mix of species seen, with highlights being 1 male common redstart, 1 male wheatear, 2 pairs stonechats, 2 singing willow warblers, skylarks displaying / singing, drake mallard and group of 21 sand martins aerial feeding over the heads of grazing horses. On the way back home, a male peregrine passed close by with what looked to be a pipit in its talons.

Main sighting: Egyptian Goose

One Egyptian Goose and a male Mandarin Duck with Greylags, Canada Geese and Mute Swans in the meadow on the south side of the river upstream from the railway bridge. Two Goosanders. Sand Martins numerous and busy around nesting colonies. A few Swallows. Common Sandpipers and Oystercatchers on shingle island.

Main sighting: Bar-tailed Godwit

Evening at the lagoons: Bar-tailed Godwit 3 flew in of the foreshore GWE still present. Cold wind so passerines were few. Sand Martin and House Martin.

Main sighting: Migrants

Sand Martin, Swallows, House Martins, Reed Warblers, Chiffchaffs, Willow Warbler, Blackcaps, Wheatear.
Cetti’s Warbler, Marsh Harrier (female), Linnets, Dabchick, Coot, Moorhen, Canada Geese, Mute Swans, Wren, Mistle Thrush, Goldcrest, Greenfinch, Great Spotted Woodpecker.
(As a treat: an Otter in the SW Reedbed, patrolling the right hand reedbed from the far end, then passing slowly, right up in front of the viewing screen just ten feet away (just after 10am!)).

Main sighting: Wheatears

West and northwest Gwent were heaving with Wheatears today. Also Redstart, Swallows and, of course, a few Curlews.