Sightings

Main sighting: Lesser Whitethroat

Dawn – mid morning visit: Entrance – Goldcrest singing, treecreeper taking nesting material into nest site, pheasants, 3 chiffchaffs, blackcap singing and a lesser whitethroat contact call heard. Redshank Platform – shelduck, common redshanks (several pairs copulating), 15 black-tailed godwits, male goshawk mobbed by crows was flying just above the hedge line before dropping out of sight, cettis calling, willow warbler singing in the hedge line, female marsh harrier hunting for over half an hour, 2 skylarks singing, 4 swallows, lapwing, avocets (some copulating), 31 ringed plovers and 4 dunlin mixed in and a great black-backed gull trying to eat the remains of what may have been a peregrine kill. The white-fronted goose was feeding with a few Canada geese in the field behind the platform. Lapwing Platform – pair of ruff. Snipe Platform – linnet overhead, 12 mute swans, 8 tufted ducks, 8 gadwall, reed buntings and 2 grey herons. Marsh Platform – the bean goose dropped in and was showing well. Seawall – the brent goose was on the saltings but later came onto the top of lagoon 2 with the Canada geese, 6 white wagtails, ringed plovers with 20 dunlin mixed in, 42 curlew, 48 shelduck and 6 teal. Hide 3 – male wheatear on the fence post, 2 buzzards overhead circling, 1 little egret, 9 wigeon, 1 little ringed plover, shoveler, 3 oystercatchers ‘piping’ and at least 426 more black-tailed godwits and male marsh harrier making an appearance.

Main sighting: Cettis warbler

First water course as you walk from centre to wards lighthouse on RHS
Cettis singing in small bush behind screen showing well – then flew across to reeds – – nice to see one after hearing about 20 on my travels

Main sighting: Common Gull

Common Gull 8 mainly first summer one adult Gadwall 8 Shelduck 142 White-fronted Gosse 1 Bean Goose 1 Kestrel 1 Ringed Plover 22 Little Ringed Plover 2 Spotted Redshank 1 Ruff 2 Blackcap 2 Chiffchaff 2 one pale individual.

Main sighting: Common Gull

Common Gull 8 mainly first summer one adult Ringed Plover 22 Little Ringed Plover 2 Spotted Redshank 1 Knot 1 Ruff 2 Shelduck 142 Pintail 4 Tufted Duck 9 Bean Goose 1 White=fronted Goose 1 Blackcap 2 Chiffchaff 2 ( one pale individual)

Main sighting: Red kite

Red kite soaring over Vauxhall Meadows 4pm.

Main sighting: mixed Hirundines

Mixed flock of 20-30 Hirundines ( partially out of sight behind trees) passing up the Usk. Included one Swallow, 2 House Martins (minimum numbers) and Sand Martins. About 3.00 pm.

Main sighting: spotted redshank

Cracking couple of hours at Goldcliff, with spotted redshank right in front of first hide (coming into summer plumage), 2 ruff from second hide, 2 great white egret from second hide, one flying to join a little egret, providing a nice comparison. Further along were several swallow and sand martin, a pair of pintail from last hide, as well as many (60+) avocet. Behind last hide on path and sea wall, were at least 8 lovely adult male white wagtails, a wheatear and two reed bunting. A couple of meadow pipit also with the wagtails.

Main sighting: Great White Egret

2-GWEs around the small reed bed in the north west corner of the reserve,6-White Wagtails on the ground near to the sea wall hide,2-Ruff,1-White fronted goose,no sign of Bean goose,20 or so Swallows,2+LRPs,2-Wheatears on sea wall and lots of Avocets too many and too spread out and mobile to make a count,but 70 to 80 possibly.11h30-13h25.

Main sighting: Swallows

A late afternoon passage of swallows observed along the river @ 1 mile upriver from the bridge, several groups of 500 + birds heading upriver also feeding low over the sheep fields, a few house martins also, 25 sand martins over their nesting site, a pair of goosander, single green sandpiper, single common sandpiper, pair of grey wags, little egret and grey heron.

Main sighting: Merlin

0725, shortly after arriving at first (Greenshank) hide, a small group of Redshank took to the air as a Peregrine flew in chasing a Redshank (which it subsequently missed) , followed closely by a Merlin (female). Both flew off beyond the sea wall. Other sightings: Swallows (3); Gadwall; Widgeon; a few Teal; Tufted Duck; Dabchick; Black Tailed Godwit (250+), Avocet (50+); single Curlew (no leg rings); Ruff (2); Little Ringed Plover; Bean Goose and White Front Goose sat together in adjacent field; Reed Bunting; Skylark singing. Rather cold and windy.

Main sighting: Brent goose

regarding report of Brent goose at Sudbrook, date should have read 1st April, sorry

Main sighting: Curlew request

Please go to the Home page to see details of GOS’s request for all inland Curlew sightings in Gwent. It’s essential to know where they might be breeding if we’re to do anything to prevent the appalling decline in numbers of this lovely bird.