Sightings

Main sighting: Yellow-legged gull

Yellow-legged gull with lesser blackbacks on boys’ school cricket field

Main sighting: Wood Warbler

Wood warbler singing among hardwoods.

Main sighting: Sand Martin

Active colony with a number of nest holes in Welsh bank – birds seen entering and exiting. Around 35 birds in flight. Sadly the few that nested in holes by the old bridge at Monmouth no longer appear to be doing so – unless anyone knows differently.

Main sighting: Wood Sandpiper

WeBS count: Highlights, Wood Sandpiper 1 Great White Egret 4 Little Egret 30 Bar-tailed Godwit 2 Black-tailed Godwit 267 Greenshank 3 Avocet 25 Gadwall 67 LRP 3 Stock Dove 1 Warblers: Blackcap Reed Sedge Chiffchaff Whitethroat Cetti’s.
Other: Marbled White 1 Common Blue 1 Large Skipper 1 Meadow Brown 12 Emperor dragonfly 1 Common Darter 1 Blue-tailed Damselfly 6

Main sighting: WBBS Late Visit

Late visit for WBBS. Less notable species than early (no dipper & goosander). Main boating lake was teeming with mallards in eclipse at least 50-60+ as well as some females with ducklings of various ages. 2 pairs of coot with chicks, 2 cormorant and lots of LBB Gulls. 6 grey wagtails – a pair with 4 young feeding on rocks in faster flowing stretches of the river.

Main sighting: Tree Pipit

Stephanie Tyler led a successful walk around Trellech Heaths for 10 GOS members. Sightings included: Herring Gull, Woodpigeon, Great Spotted Woodpecker, House Martin, Tree Pipit, Wren, Robin, Redstart, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Garden Warbler, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Firecrest, Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Siskin and Linnet. Also seen were Fallow Deer, Broad-bodied Chaser dragonfly also Emperor dragonfly. Common Spotted Orchid in significant numbers. Thanks to Steph for an interesting walk.

Main sighting: Invisible Curlew chicks

Although the chicks were hidden in long grass two adult Curlews standing guard on the wall surrounding the nest field indicated that chicks were definitely present! Waiting to see how many. Keep your eyes peeled please, Gwent birders.

Main sighting: Green Sandpiper

Dawn – 9am visit. Hide one – Magpies, pheasant, wren, chiffchaff, blackcap, common whitethroat, crows, ewarbler singing, 4 herons, 3 swallows, skylark, 76 blak-headed gulls, linnets, 2 shelduck, coot, 3 oystercatchers, 26 little egrets, 2 great white egrets, Canada geese, 18 ringed plovers, 26 dunlin, 37 redshanks, 34 lapwing, 2 greenshanks, 3 cormorants, reed buntings, mallards, 2 curlew, lesser black-backed gulls, cettis calling. Hide two – 2 shoveler, 25 gadwall, 189 black-tailed godwits with bar-tailed mixed in, 3 avocet, greylags, marsh harrier, green sandpiper, starlings, blackbirds, 15 mute swans, family group blue tits, goldfinch and 11 sand martins.

Main sighting: Curlew chick

The first Curlew chick of the year was found this morning! Hopefully more to follow. Please keep your eyes open for chicks or agitated adults and send all sightings to Curlew@gwentbirds.org.uk .

Main sighting: Wheatear

Seven Wheatear territories, with some fledged young, on the Gwent part of the mountain. Count of thirty Linnets including a flock of twenty. Two male Cuckoos calling occasionally, one with some “cuck-cuck-oo” phrases.

Main sighting: Garden Warbler

On riverside path downstream from old railway bridge. At least 8 singing males, similar Blackcaps. 1 Dipper, 2 Kingfisher, 2 Bullfinch, number of House Martins collecting scarce mud at river’s edge. No Marsh Tits however. Several salmon (grilse) leaping. Also saw sizeable sewin (about 50 cm) under old Monnow Bridge in Monmouth.

Main sighting: Egrets

En-route to hides – magpies, pheasants, wren, chiffchaff, kingfisher in reen right of bridge, blackcap, 3 whitethroats, crow and blackbirds. Hide one – reed bunting, cettis, 2 gt white egrets (one ringed, lower left leg), 21 little egrets, 3 herons, 2 spoonbills, 38 redshanks, 5 cormorants, ls black-backed gulls, 194 black-tailed godwits, 6 gadwall, mallards, 1 swift, Canada geese, skylark, harriers, coot, 4 black-headed gulls, 2 oystercatchers, woodpigeons, 4 shoveler, 2 shelduck, greylags, 7 avocet, 7 ringed plovers, 2 dunlin, 1 curlew calling, reed warbler and starlings. Snipe platform – 2 pairs tufteds, 9 swans, 3 swallows. Marsh platform – unexpected male wigeon in amongst mallards and herring gulls. Hide three – 18 more avocet, male pintail, 11 more gadwall little grebe and 21 lapwing. Hide 2 on way back out – jackdaws, gt tit and a buzzard. A male cuckoo showed briefly.