Sightings

Main sighting: Cuckoo's

En-route to hides: chiffchaffs, magpie, crows, chaffinch, pheasant, blackbirds, wrens, whitethroat, moorhen, cettis, goldfinches, lesser whitethroat, collard dove, buzzard with small bird in its talons and 6 cormorants in a skein. Hide one – skylarks, Canada geese and greylags (with young), 3 oystercatchers, coot, 6 redshanks, 13 gadwall, 12 avocet, gt tit, 2 shoveler, 4 lapwing, 3 lt egrets, mallards (pair with 7 young), jackdaws, meadow pipits, 2 ringed plovers, 3 swallows, 2 herons, 4 shelduck, ls black-backed gull, 18 black-tailed godwits, stonechat and 2 gt white egrets. Hide two – reed warbler and a female cuckoo chased by2 male cuckoos. Snipe platform – 14 swans, 4 pairs lt grebes, 2 more singing reed warblers, reed bunting, 2 black headed gulls, 5 males and 2 female tufted ducks. Hide three – pair ringed plovers on the island with 2 chicks, pair pintail, pair wigeon, pair of teal, 2 swifts and fem marsh harrier. Seawall – 7 dunlin only.

Main sighting: Yellow Wagtail

Yellow wagtail/gold crest/many skylarks/possible wood warblers/
Willow warbler/Tawney Owl.

Main sighting: Red kite

Red kite circling above my house at 10am. Celtic Horizon estate near Tredegar Park.

Main sighting: Great White Egret

Great White Egret, together with 4 Little Egrets, 4 Grey Herons and 3 Gadwall. Also present-nesting Coots, plus young Coot on water, 2 Little Grebes, 4 Moorhens, 8 Shelduck and 50+ Mallard.

Main sighting: Two red kites

Two red kites circling high above the Spar shop on Bassaleg Rd, Newport at 16.50 today. Only the second time I’ve seen a red kite in Newport. The first time was up at the Ridgeway during lockdown.

Main sighting: swifts

First 2 swifts over monnow bridge, a full week late this year, also a small passage of house martins yesterday before the storms over st arvans.

Main sighting: Garganey

En-route to hides – collard dove, linnets, pheasant, wren, blackcap, woodpigeons, blackbirds, whitethroat, crows, moorhen, cettis calling, chiffchaffs, heron, blue tits, jackdaws, mallards and dunnock. Hide one – pair of garganey were the highlight of the visit, greylags (with goslings), 5 shelduck, 16 avocet, meadow pipits, stonechat (male only), skylarks, 2 knot in breeding plumage, 1 bar-tailed and 64 black-tailed godwits, coot, 2 lt egrets, Canada geese, 10 redshanks, herring gull, 2 gadwall, 3 dunlin, gt tit, 4 lapwing, pied wagtail, gt black-backed gull, 3 sand martins, 2 shoveler, 5 swallows, cormorant, 2 ringed plovers and 1 lt ringed plover. Goldfinches, ls black-backed gulls and reed warbler singing en-route to platform. Snipe platform – 32 mute swans )my highest count here), 2 pairs lt grebes, 1 black-headed gull, 5 males and 2 female tufted ducks. Seawall – single whimbrel only. Hide three – 2 oystercatchers, 3 more singing reed warblers, 24 more avocet, 4 more shoveler, wigeon pair, pintail pair, reed bunting and a buzzard. Other: orange tip butterflies and hairy dragonfly.

Main sighting: Swifts

Swifts heard but not seen mid afternoon, previously seen by neighbor high over head on 7th May.

Main sighting: Lapwing

My first visit to Goldcliffe. Visited all hides and platforms. Birds seen avocet, coot, Canada goose, greylag goose, lapwing, tufted duck, grey heron, mallard duck, little egret, cormorant and oystercatcher. A few other birds seen that I could not identify, maybe next time

Main sighting: Tree Pipit

At least one male singing/displaying another probably different bird seen on the ground, also 4 singing Garden Warblers, 2 singing Whitethroats, Linnet song heard, 1 male Stonechat, at least 1 singing Firecrest nearby. Merlin said there was a Skylark but there definitely wasn’t.

Main sighting: Wood Warbler

2 birds calling close together where there were 3 singing males last year. Brief trilling song heard – so at least one a male.

Main sighting: Garden Warbler

A Garden Warbler heard and seen trees by the river. Sand Martin 20, not seen entering the newly installed nest boxes on the retaining wall.