Sightings

Main sighting: Hobby

Highlights of 55 species recorded were swift, hobby, little ringed plover, at least 3 whinchat and wheatear including a greenland race, 2 yellow wagtails, kingfisher and sparrowhawk.

Main sighting: Barn owl

Barn owl flying across A4051 just between parkway hotel & rougment roundabout 05:45 this morning
Goshawk drifting north over greenmeadow golf club
Red kite regularly seen around henllys lanes

Main sighting: Ruff

1 ruff among 100 redshank on the gout; also heron, little egret; few hundred BHGs and 200 mallards on the estuary (very high tide), few juv shellduck, and then flock of 100 ringed plover + 50 dunlin; few linnets around; 2 painted lady butterflies

Main sighting: Marsh Harrier

Hightide visit 09:45 Two juvenile Marsh Harrier were quartering the fields at the back of the Golf Club House. Mallard 250 Oystercatcher 42 Ringed Plover 40 Ruff 1 Redshank 167 Dunlin 6 Black-tailed Godwit 7 Knot 2 Common Sandpiper 1 Common Gull 2 Black-headed Gull lots Swallow 20 Sand Martin 3 Jay 1

Main sighting: Rose Ringed Parakeet

The Parakeet flew into the Church grounds from a tree next to the the Church hall. Seen several times lately.

Main sighting: Citrine / migration

0545 – 1000 visit, 50 species, highlights male wheatear on the roof of hide 2. Snipe platform again proved the best spot with 18 little egrets being a good count, 3 sedge warblers, 29 teal, pair of wigeon, 2 herons, 17 black-tailed godwits, 7 redshank, cettis calling, 1 ruff, 2 curlew, pheasant, green woodpecker calling, 31 gadwall, only 1 mute swan, pair little grebes, buzzard, 3 snipe, 3 reed warblers, juv water rail, pair of kestrels (one juv bird), 5 yellow wagtails, the citrine showed at 0600 on the mud to the top left of the long line of reeds, 8 shoveler, green sandpiper over and calling, and around 0950 a single avocet came in to the lagoon. Seawall – good movement of sand martins (well over 300) and later in the morning a steady passage of swallows and house martins, 424 shelduck was a good pre-autumn count, 32 oystercatchers and linnets. Hide three – 42 ringed plover on the mud with 62 dunlin mixed in, juv whinchat and 2 pairs of stonechats and several meadow pipits along the fence line. Long hedge line – 2 chiffchaffs and a single willow warbler. Other: gatekeepers, southern hawkers, large white butterfly.

Main sighting: Little Egret

A Little Egret is the first seen on the river in Bedwas. A roving flock consisted of Blue Tit 10 Great Tit 2 Cole Tit 1 Long-tailed Tit 6 and Goldcrest 2. Others Goldfinch 16 Grey Wagtail 6 Blackcap 1 Robin 1 and Kingfisher 1 Mallard 12. Saturday 27th Kingfisher 3 Mallard 15.

Main sighting: Yellow Wagtail

An evening visit at hightide. A flock of 50+ Yellow Wagtails came in to gather on the East end of Priors probably roosting in the reeds. Viewing was difficult due to the strong sun. Kestrel 2 Sparrowhawk 1 Little Ringed Plover 3 Ruff 1 Lapwing 30 Black-tailed Godwit 10 a mixed flock of 200 Dunlin and Ringed Plover on Becs. Little Egret 10 roosting in trees near farm Black-headed Gull 300 insecting over seawall and Priors Teal Mallard Gadwall. Also Migrant Hawker 4

Main sighting: House martins

80 house martins, 10 swallows, a grey wagtail, 2 goldfinches, 2 mute swans with 7 cygnets

Main sighting: Citrine wagtail

After a 2 hour wait in the rain, the citrine wagtail appeared from the reeds to the right of snipe platform. Also, two yellow wagtail (and a couple of pieds), single ruff, two snipe, two very vocal green sandpiper, adult and juvenile kestrel.

Main sighting: Citrine

Bird showed exceptionally well this morning at one stage alongside a Pied Wagtail. It is noticeably smaller and slimmer than Pied when next to one. Ruff showing very well there too with Marsh Harrier, 3 Little Ringed Plover and at least 3 Whinchat elsewhere around the lagoons

Main sighting: Reeves pheasant

Male Reeves pheasant,Just over the county boundary, on the Gloucestershire Way at SO567997.