Sightings

Main sighting: Migrants

One swallow, at least three willow warblers and a wheatear just below the summit

Main sighting: Garganey, Geese and Waders

Lots of birds this morning. Dawn Visit. 200 + Shelduck, throughout the reserve. Monks of note – 20 x Dunlin, 2 x Little Ringed Plover, 1 x Ruff. 10 x Redshank and 6 + Lapwing. Priors Lagoon – 3 x Garganey (2 M = 1F), 1 x Bean Goose, 1 x White Fronted Goose. First light 80 x Avocet ( moved to Becs). 1 x Buzzard. Becs – 2 x Wheatear, Reed Bunting, 300 + Black Tailed Godwits, 2 x Oystercatchers, Lapwings and Redshanks. Swallow x 2 , Sand Martin x 2
There was a report of a Brent Goose in with the Canada’s. Did not see it to confirm.

Main sighting: Garganey

Two male and a female Garganey seen from Snipe platform. Bean and White-fronted Geese still present.

Main sighting: Little Egrets

With J Marsh Superb view of 5 Little Egret at roost preening and moving around the trees
fantastic photo shoot.Also seen Grey lag ,Canada. Mallard ,Coot Moorhen Blackcap and Greenwoodpecker.

Main sighting: Swallow

Swallow seen over Pen y Fan Green near The Narth; many Black Caps + Chiffchaff singing.

Main sighting: Spotted redshank

Early(ish) morning visit to Goldcliff lagoons. Highlights were 5+ swallow, c.10 sand martin, 3 willow warber, chiffchaff, 6 LRP (first hide), spotted redshank (first hide, just in front), 17 grey plover and 2 knot together, from first hide. Also 4 species of geese from furthest platform (Tundra bean, white-front, Canada and greylag) lined up like a picture in a field guide. Lots of black-tailed godwits (150+), 50+ avocet and 3 bar-tailed godwit flying over, calling. Lovely seeing lapwing and redshank displaying too.

Main sighting: Tundra Bean Goose

In the field at the back of the Snipe hide 19:00 Tundra Bean Goose and White-fronted Goose. Also Black-tailed Godwit 260 Avocet 55 Shoveler 30 Gadwall 6 Tufted Duck 12

Main sighting: Lesser Whitethroat

Lesser Whitethroat

Main sighting: Common Whitethroat

High tide so not a great deal of water birds. AM visit saw a common whitethroat in partial song and showing sporadically, also noted 4 singing chiffchaffs, 1 willow warbler in song, 1 singing blackcap and a cettis calling. Other – skylark singing, 90 common redshanks (1 ringed bird) in the outfall poo. On the high tide 18 teal, 1 great black-backed gull and numerous herring gulls and several black headed gulls. In the ploughed field were 107 rooks with jackdaws mixed in, 2 buzzards overhead and a male reed bunting in the hedge. On the exposed grasses and mudflats – 3 little egrets, 141 shelduck, 126 curlew and 38 oystercatchers.

Main sighting: Lesser Whitethroat

Bird on shrub outside my patio window 6′ away thought it was my wren at first.

Main sighting: Soaring ravens and raptors

56 ravens, 13 buzzards and a sparrowhawk soaring. One other sparrowhawk, 4 swallows, grey wagtail, female yellowhammer, song and mistle thrush, 2 wrens, great spotted and green woodpecker, stock dove, chiffchaff

Main sighting: Swallow

Our first swallow over Vedw wood, a week earlier than last year, also Brimstone yesterday