Sightings

Main sighting: Avocet

This morning on the first island ,16-Avocets,1-Little Ringed Plover and 1-Spotted Redshank.102h30-11h40.

Main sighting: Warblers

Afternoon visit, heavy showers (wellies recommended) – en-route to hides, robin singing, wren, magpies, blackcap in full song, pheasant, house sparrows, crows, woodpigeons, 2 willow warblers and 2 chiffchaffs in song. Hide two – Canada and greylag geese, skylark singing, 46 shoveler, 22 wigeon, 7 avocet (3 pairs) 1 single bird, 14 teal, 2 pairs lapwing, 25 shelduck, 4 redshanks, 4 gadwall, raven and mallards. Snipe platform – 2 swallows battling the wind, 4 coot, cettis calling (rain stopped play).
Chapel Road Goldcliff – two fields had 58 lesser black-backs and 32 herring gulls, cettis calling, female kestrel, 1 little egret, 1 buzzard and 2 greylags resting.

Main sighting: 2 Red Kites

2 red Kite over south end of Tintern village and Tintern Abbey and over woodland south of Tintern mainly on Gwent side of Wye from 8.30 to 9.15.

Main sighting: Swallow

A single Swallow over this afternoon

Main sighting: Willow Warbler

Willow Warbler allotment Pandy Road, an early bird.

Main sighting: Night Heron

Sorry I know it’s not Gwent but unable to access Glamorgan birds site.Adult Night Heron flew from a tree across the reen to perch in a group of trees around 3.30 pm today.Not seen again but prob will roost there for the night.also willow warblers but no wheatears on sea wall or much else.

Main sighting: Garganey

Pair of Garganey on 1st lagoon. Also 4 redhead Goosander briefly before departing North. Spotted Redshank and Willow Warbler also present.

Main sighting: Turnstones

A group of 15 turnstones sitting out the high tide on the rocks below seawall, chiff chaffs calling from Redwick village down the seawall lane and all along coastal hedgerows.

Main sighting: Wheatear

Male Wheatear (5pm), Reed Bunting (fem); Chiffchaff; Skylark singing, Curlews out on the low tide.

Main sighting: 2 Red Kites

2 Red Kites displaying over south end of Tintern Village between 7.00 a.m and 7.30 over Tintern Abbey (and my garden) and on the Gwent side of the Wye. Mobbed by Corvids. Flew off to woodland on West side of Wye valley north of St Arvan.

Main sighting: Firecrest

Firecrest seen feeding in ivy in the case close to the bird hide, other birds of note, 5 Whimbrel and several Common Gulls moving over the sea at HT.

Main sighting: Chiffcahffs

AM visit, high winds so only 2 hides visited – En-route to hides – blue tits, crows, woodpigeons, pheasant, herring gulls and moorhen. Hide one – cettis calling, 3 skylarks (1 singing), 123 shelduck, greylags and Canada geese, 52 wigeon, fem marsh harrier eating remains of a male gadwall on the island (worryingly a Canada goose is now dead next to the uncollected mute swan), 5 oystercatchers, 45 shoveler, 4 gadwall, 4lapwing, 35 teal, male stonechat and lesser black-backed gulls. Hide two – 2 cormorants, 15 black headed gulls, 14 long tailed tits, chaffinch, starlings and good numbers of chiffchaffs again on the reserve – 13.