Sightings

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.

Main sighting: Woodcock

Woodcock Roding; Nightjar churring (1); Snipe drumming (1); Tawny Owls calling (two males, one female).

Main sighting: Late Swift sighting

Late sighting record for May 1st around 16.45 hrs, single Swift over Ystrad Mynach. Also, May 4th around 10.45 hrs, Tawny Owl calling three times form a garden in Machen.

Main sighting: Tree Pipit

Singing and displaying near lane, also Grey Wagtail on house roof, Linnet song and House Martins and Swallows finally present in numbers around breeding sites.

Main sighting: Cuckoo

A quick evening walk. 2 mail cuckoos first I’ve seen this year. Good numbers of linnets and meadow pipits and stonechats 1 kestrel and buzzard.

Main sighting: Pied Flycatcher

6 (5 male) Pied Flycatcher in the oak woods (pair prospecting nest hole) and similar number Redstart this afternoon (no Wood Warbler though perhaps too late in the day), Treecreeper nest building. On the open hill / ffridd, 2 male Whinchat and good numbers (well into double figures) of Tree Pipit, Skylark, Wiillow Warbler, Stonechat, Meadow Pipit. A few Linnet, 1 Yellowhammer, 1 Reed Bunting, 1 Whitethroat, 2 Cuckoo. Woodland edge: 3 Garden Warblers, 1 Redpoll.

Main sighting: Wood Warbler

Several territories of Wood Warbler, Tawny Owl, numerous Tree Creepers, Song Thrush and Mistle, many Gt Spotted Woodpeckers. Far too many Squirrels, and surprisingly 2 Roe Deer. On the Rholben ridge, Cuckoo, Willow Warbler, Common Redstart, Skylark, Tree Pipit. I used to see Yellowhammer here.