Sightings

Main sighting: Hen Harrier

Male Hen Harrier, also an unkindness of eleven Ravens enjoying some aerobatics

Main sighting: Turnstone

18 Turnstone resting on the old jetty posts (new patch tick for us); 4 whimbrel; hundreds of shelduck, few wigeon, pintail and shovelers; 90 oystercatchers; 40 redshank; 2 grey herons; 1 stonechat; BH gulls++

Main sighting: Yellow-browed Warbler

One yellow-browed today at the top of the lane up to the Deri woodlands at SO300168. First heard calling at 12.15 in trees around the garage marked ‘No parking’. I waited and it eventually showed really well down to about 10m out in the open at 13.15. A nice one for my local patch!

Main sighting: Kingfisher

Two Kingfishers by canal at Sebastopol around 2.30 pm.

Main sighting: Redwing

A single Redwing this morning, calling from a treetop and sounding very like a Great Spotted Woodpecker!

Main sighting: Jackdaw predation

Very surprised to see a Jackdaw fly close overhead carrying a very noisy Starling in it’s claws.

Main sighting: Migrants

Female Sparrowhawk hunting over 200 Swallow and House Martin nr Cwmcarvan Church with 18 redwing flying south above . 10:23am

Main sighting: wheatear

Walk along foreshore on ebbing tide, 5/6 wheatears, 6 little egrets, 2 shelduck, 12 wigeon, flock of 30 ringed plover, around 20 swallows over the hedgerows, flock of 120 goldfinches also possible merlin flying from foreshore and very low direct flight over the fields.

Main sighting: House Martin

a small flock at least 12 H Martins flying around river ebbw and car park
the latest i have seen this bird by this locality

Main sighting: Wheatears & Nature at scale

Close views of 4 Wheatears; also 12 meadow pipits, 6 swallows still here; large numbers of others: 1000 starlings murmurating, 400+ shelduck, 100 + shovelers, 140 redshank, 200+ mixed corbids, similar for mallards and BH gulls; 20 canada geese, few oystercatchers, wigeon now arrived, curlew, little egrets, pintails, GBB and LBB gulls

Main sighting: red kite

Red kite flying north

Main sighting: Bittern

Bittern, Kingfisher, Cetti’s Warbler, Stonechat, GS Woodpecker, Teal, Gadwall, Widgeon, large flock of Goldfinches, huge passage of Swallows. Plus Clouded Yellow and Small Copper.