Sightings

Main sighting: Dabchick

Dabchick – adult in a strange place yesterday evening

Main sighting: Barn Owl

The owl was on a post near the reen. It moved to the next fence post before diving into the long grass. It emerged with its prey and flew low level towards the nearby farm.

Main sighting: Curlew

If you see or hear Curlews calling in alarm or chasing off Buzzards & crows please email Curlew@gwentbirds.org.uk to report the sighting, giving the location & date. At this time of year these sadly declining birds may well have chicks. We’ve found three sites with miniscule chicks but need to locate all our breeding Curlews – your help could make a huge difference. #gwentbirds

Main sighting: Grey Lag Geese

Pair of grey lag geese with 3 well developed goslings. Where have they bred?

Main sighting: Little Ringed Plover

Low tide 10:00-13-00 Little ringed Plover 4 adults Lapwing 40 Ringed Plover 2 Redshank 40 including one juvenile Dunlin 8 Mallard 60 (some hybrid types) Mute Swan 14 Tufted Duck 2 Swift 8 Sand Martin 20+ Raven 5 Reed warbler 3 Whitethroat 3 Chiffchaff 3 Sparrowhawk 1 Buzzard 1. Not so good for butterflies and dragonflies today very windy. Marbled White 1 Meadow Brown 10 Blue-tailed Damselfly 1.

Main sighting: Mediterranean gull

Afternoon visit, 44 species seen with highlights being (hide 1) – skylark singing, 2 chiffchaffs, 3 swallows, lesser whitethroat calling and a male house sparrow. Redshank platform – 5 oystercatchers, common whitethroat calling, 1 ringed plover, 1 white wagtail and cettis calling. Snipe platform – 15 mute swans, gt spotted woodpecker calling, 2 male tufteds, 45 mallards, 2 grey herons, 3 redshank and 1 male gadwall. Seawall – 25 curlew on the saltings and 27 sand martins flew in from along the wall and were aerial feeding over lagoon 2. Hide 3 – another 32 mallards on the bank with a male tufted and a pair of teal mixed in, 149 black headed gulls (1 juvenile bird) and an adult Med gull mixed in with the flock, single dunlin, 2 shelduck, 74 lapwing, reed warbler singing and 4 little egrets. Other – excellent mix of butterflies including numerous meadow browns and ringlets, 1 small tortoiseshell, large skippers, large and small whites, 1 marbled white, 5 painted ladies, burnet moth, 10 spot ladybird, 2 commas, male broad-bodied chaser, several migrant hawkers and 1 male common darter

Main sighting: Lesser whitethroat

Quiet today but 3 swallows, 1 blackcap, 1 lesser whitethroat, 1 redshank, 1 little egret and skylark seen.

Main sighting: Curlew

Watched one of five Curlews mobbing a Red Kite, scoped 2 Curlew chicks and at another site saw 2 adult Curlews perched on a wall presumably standing guard over chicks – what a day! So, so lucky. Also Whinchat, Wheatear; Skylarks and pipits galore.

Main sighting: shelduck

High tide walk from Magor pill, 250 + shelduck on foreshore, 55 curlew, 22 little egrets, flock of 20 linnets, a few goldfinches, whitethroat, a few swallows near the stables and return to van just as heavy rain started.

Main sighting: Pied Flycatcher

A very interesting & educational GOS walk this morning led by Steph Tyler. Only two members braved the much cooler day with heavy rain forecast from 9.00 am which didn’t materialise until 11.00 am.
Limited bird species the highlight being a Pied Flycatcher nesting in a bird box and visiting to feed young. Other species: Robin, Woodpigeon, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Wren, Carrion Crow, Grey Heron flying over, Song Thrush, Goldcrest, Blackbird, Treecreeper, Willow Warbler, Garden Warbler, Stonechat, Blue Tit and possible Redpoll.
Amongst the many plant species pointed out to us were: Zig-Zag Clover, Fairy Flax, Hedge Woundwort, Glaucous Sedge, Tormentil, Lesser Spearwort, Hard Fern, Marsh Thistle, Silverweed, Water Figwort, Marsh Bedstraw, Brookline Speedwort, Corn Mint, Bell Heather, Eared Willow,Scarlet Pimpernel, Yellow (Wood) Pimpernel, and many others. (Apologies to Steph if I have mis-spelled any.)

Main sighting: Disturbance

There will be some disturbance at Goldcliff Lagoons on Sunday afternoon, when volunteers cut vegetation around the fox fence. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

Main sighting: Disturbance

There will be some disturbance at Goldcliff Lagoons on Thursday between 12pm and 1.30pm when we carry out our monthly monitoring. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.