Sightings

Main sighting: redstart

Had a good day at this beautiful location,despite a cold wind.Pied Flycatcher male,Tree Pipit heard and seen,3-Redstarts 2m 1f,Cuckoo calling from across the valley,a Wood Warbler heard trilling but i couldn’t locate it,Garden Warbler and Willow Warblers heard singing.Several Nuthatches and good numbers of Blue and Great Tits.

Main sighting: Cuckoo

Cuckoo seen perched on driftwood far eastern end of caldicot pill.

Main sighting: Wood Warbler

Woodwarbler singing near Maryland car park – the first I’ve heard this year.

Main sighting: swifts

3 swifts heading north at a rate of knots (pardon the pun)

Main sighting: Swift

A single Swift over Machen this morning is our earliest inland record. Sand Martin 8 near breeding site. Several Blackcaps and a few Willow Warblers Linnet 4 and Bullfinch 4.

Main sighting: Greenfinch

At last a singing male Greenfinch in the the garden, sad this is now unusual.

Main sighting: Bar Tailed Godwit

87-Bar Tailed Godwits today at high tide many in full breeding plumage,also 2-Black Tailed Godwits,2-Whimbrels and several Knot two of which were in breeding plumage.16h00-17h30

Main sighting: Swallow

Single swallow over mountainside south of Pontypool, 2.25 this afternoon. Also a Wheatear.

Main sighting: Swift

GOS outdoor meeting this morning to Dunlop Semtex Pond, Parc Nant-y-Waun and Beaufort gave a tally of 42 species (with a brisk easterly wind suppressing activity). The single Swift was a first for the year and there were just a couple of Sand and House Martins over the ponds. Three redhead Goosanders lingering at Beaufort Ponds with an overflying Lesser Redpoll there too.

Main sighting: Swift

Reed warbler singing, cettis calling, chiffchaff 3, blackcap 2, common buzzard, marsh harrier, pheasants, gt spotted woodpecker, skylarks singing. Redshank Platform – 3 greenshanks, shelduck (1 with a yellow leg ring A07 – a bird ringed on the Axe Estuary), 8 dunlin, avocet, common redshanks, 5 ringed plovers, 5 mute swans and a whimbrel overhead. Lapwing Platform – 2 cormorants, linnets, 7 gadwall (14 more from hide 3), 2 whitethroats singing and a pair of greylags with 5 goslings. Snipe Platform – the bean and white-fronted geese were mixed in with greylags sitting on the raised bank. 2 whimbrel in the field behind the platform. Seawall – productive with 1 white wagtail, 2 wheaters, 7 swallows, 2 whimbrel flying towards The Point, 2 great black-backed gulls, oystercatchers, curlew, 12 more dunlin, 1 little egret, grey heron and 4 teal. Hide 3 – pair of reed buntings nest building in the sedges opposite, 239 black-tailed godwits which started to fly off in 4 separate groups, gaining height and migrating (0800 – 0815), 3 bar-tailed godwits remained, 2 wigeon and 5 yellow wagtails – one of which fed within 15 feet of the hide. At this point I was stood with Dan Webb outside the hide watching the godwits moving off and he picked out a distant swift. Other: holly blue 1 and orange tip butterfly 1.

Main sighting: Swallows and House Martins

Swallows seen over Goldcliff on 13th and 14th and over Peterstone on 21st
House Martins over Peterstone on 21st and over Allt-yr-yn Newport on 22 but neither in great numbers
First House Martins 18 days later than last yearw

Main sighting: No Swallows/House Martins

Has anyone seen any swallows or house martins yet? Seems very strange this year