Sightings

Main sighting: White Wagtail

En-route to hides – herring gulls, robin, crows, starlings, lesser black-backed gulls, great tit, stock dove, mallard and woodpigeon. In the brambles by hide 1 were 3 chiffchaffs and a male stonechat. Buzzard flew past and 2 more (including the light-morph bird) landed in the poplars by the car park. Hide 1 devoid of birds. En-route to second hide, raven, collard dove and meadow pipits. Hide 2 – Canada geese, 3 little egrets, 36 lapwing, pied wagtails, 4 common gulls, 2 curlew on the island, female kestrel hunting and 3 shoveler. Snipe platform – 20 swans, good count of 67 greylags, coot, 10 gadwall, 12 wigeon (winter numbers starting to build), 42 teal, steady passage of swallows. En-route to sea wall great black-backed gull, skylark calling and dunnock. Hide 3 – goldfinches, family group of stonechats, moorhen, 1 heron steady stream of 21 sand martins through. Seawall – another 21 curlew, 15 oystercatchers, black headed gulls, shelduck and 2 cormorants. Marsh platform – looking to far left corner were waders tucked away including 1 bar-tailed and 35 black-tailed godwits and 31 more teal. Back at hide 2 male white wagtail feeding. Back at the bridge (by the entrance) cettis crossing the reen. Other: 5 green-veined whites, 1 gatekeeper, 1 speckled wood and numerous migrant hawkers.

Main sighting: Chiffchaff

Chiff-chaff Singing – Nuthach calling

Main sighting: Com sands

2 Com sands – Gt bb gulls inc 1 juv and two Ads – Shell duck 1 juv

Main sighting: Black-tailed Godwit

An update on the colour-ringed Black-tailed Godwit noted in a flock of 1,100 at St Brides on Monday last: the Iceland Wader Group have identified the bird, even though I only saw it at a distance. It had a Lime ring over an Orange ring on the left tibia, and a Dark Green ring over an Orange ring on the right tibia. The Orange ring on the right tibia should have been inscribed with a black “Z” but I wasn’t able to observe that. So if anyone sees it again, perhaps at Goldcliff, please check and if possible take a photo. The bird was ringed in Iceland on 9 June 2023, and had been seen November 2023 at Slimbridge, in February 2024 in Dorset, then several times at Slimbridge in March 2024. A sighting at Goldcliff in August 2024 is also reported.

Main sighting: Goshawk

Probable Adult male goshawk flew past Rholben. Also kestrel, 2 ravens, 8 stonechat, 6 wheatear, 20 meadow pipits, 2 nuthatch.

Main sighting: Black-tailed Godwit

On this morning’s high tide huge flock of Black-tailed Godwits, count of 1,100. One colour ring seen am trying to identify the individual. Surprised to find so many.

Only five Curlews, no rings seen. Also 20 Oystercatchers, 7 Knot, 5 Dunlin, 1 Ringed Plover, 1 Ruff.

Main sighting: Sparrowhawk

Sparrowhawk flew over the fields being mobbed by swallows; also raven on regular perch at the churchyard

Main sighting: great whire egret

late afternoon walk from Magor pill towards Undy gave GWE heading upriver, 20 oystercatchers, grey heron, flock of 200 + linnets and 6 wheatears.

Main sighting: Spoonbill

Monks
Black Tailed Godwits ( 40c) 3 x Knot 2 x Ruff. Lapwings 50C
Curlew x 4.
The foreshore
Big flock of Black Tailed Godwits 300c. In with them was a Spoonbill.
Reserve in General
Kestrel ( female), Hobby spooked many birds flew over to foreshore.
Marsh Harrier. Stonechats, Meadow Pipits, 2 x Black Caps, Chiff Chaff, Stock Doves, Raven.
Wheatears ( 4) on the sea wall near the farm.
Great Spotted Woodpecker. Lots of Swallows and House Martins.
Kingfisher, Cetti Warbler, Pied Wagtails, Wren and Goldfinches. Great White Egret, Heron and Cormorant. Black Headed Gulls, Mallards, Teal, Shoveler, Coot and 20 x Mute Swans.
Becs
2 x Dunlin. 6 x Ringed Plovers.
More water on the lagoons which was encouraging.

Main sighting: Barn Owl

Owl hunting over the ridge to the west of the bog at last light, between 7.45 and 8.00 pm

Main sighting: Marsh Harrier

Juvenile Marsh Harrier over the ‘Brynmawr Patches’ east of the Garnlydan reservoir this afternoon, perhaps the same bird that was around last month. Also five Wheatears and single Tree Pipit and Whinchat.

Main sighting: Curlew Sandpiper

Curlew Sandpiper, Ruff (7), Common Sandpiper (2), Black-Tailed Godwit (1) and Knot (12)