Sightings

Main sighting: Ring Ouzel

3 Ring Ouzels this am , also 12 Redwing

Main sighting: Merganser

5 immature birds swimming together on the river near Croesyceiliog school at 07.30.

Main sighting: Redwing

2 redwings passing with a mistle thrush in tow.

Main sighting: Goosander

Seven Redhead Goosanders.

Main sighting: Sparrowhawk

Female soaring over village mid afternoon

Main sighting: Little Grebe

7 Little Grebe – it’s unusual to see so many grouping together here. Also Little Egret and an otter but very few duck. Light passage of House Martin and Meadow Pipit.

Main sighting: little egret

Little egret feeding in shallows near bridge.

Main sighting: Fieldfare

2 isolated birds at the seawall farm on Hawthorn this morning alongside pre migration Swallows

Main sighting: Red Grouse

6 red grouse came up out of the heather in very wet weather. Plenty of meadow pipits ,a few skylarks plus 2 wheatears

Main sighting: Lesser yellowlegs

Lesser Yellowlegs found by Darryl Spittle. 3 Ruff, 3 Little Stint, Grey Plovers, Dunlin, Curlew, Snipe, Golden Plover

Main sighting: Little Egret

A low WeBS count on a glorious day: Little Egret, 2 Kingfisher, 7 Goosander, 160 Canada Geese in loose flocks downriver, domestic Mallard (probably Black East Indian – 2 were present last December), 4 Grey Wags and passage of c300 House Martin, fewer Swallows and c20 Mipits. Balsam still obscuring views.

Main sighting: Curlews and Waders

Attended Goldcliff Lagoons before dawn at 6.15 am to 11.30 am.
Assisting Mike Smart with Curlew Observations again.
Adding to Nevs report there was a very good showing of Curlews with several colour ringed birds noted on Priors and Monks Lagoon ( some of the pics on my blog).
In all we reckon 400 Curlews were roosting when the tide reached its peak.
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It was a real wader fest and I have been reviewing my pics of the flocks and noted –
1. Three Curlew Sandpipers
2. Two Little Stints
3. 1 x Sanderling
4. 1x Grey Knot
5. 2 x Ruff
It was good to see Bar Tailed Godwits in with the Curlews.

The Glossy Ibis seen I believe is “Flossy”. The new bird seen earlier in the week I have not seen since or heard of any reports of it being observed again on the reserve.