Sightings

Main sighting: Black-Tailed Godwits

Early morning visit to the lagoons. At first light big flock of geese – Canada Goose/Greylag Goose flew from the reserve as I walked in. All 3 lagoons are full of water. Monks – 2 x Shelduck and flock of 100c Lapwing. Kestrel ( female) hunting in front of Hide 2. Chiffchaff and Fieldfare ( 20c) at rear of Hide 2 and more Fieldfare throughout the hedgerows. Cormorants (x 2) flying around the lagoons. Viewed from the Marsh Platform – large flock of 300 + Black-Tailed Godwits. They stayed until just after firss light and flew out to the Saltmarsh near the Pill where they joined a flock of Curlews (30c) and Grey Plovers (20+) – these were very mobile flying out over the estuary regularly.
Becs had two Shelduck and was very quiet.
Other – Buzzard was hanging around the periphery of the reserve on fences and hedges.
Pied Wagtail, pair of Stonechats, Linnet flock, Starlings 100+, Herring and Lesser Black-Backed Gulls, Robin, Blue Tit, Wren , Moorhens, Goldfinch and Woodpigeon.

Main sighting: Yellow Hammers

8 YH in field edge on feed on moor edge above Bwilch. Also Nuthatches, a green woodpecker, coal tits ,blue and Great tits and mots of finches

Main sighting: Merlin

Morning visit was very quiet a few fieldsfares and stonechat on the way to Pwll du along the tumble.Single Peregrine falcon perched on the cliff of the quarry in the usual spot. Very pleased to get a great view of a female Merlin that flew along the cliff edge and passed below me.

Main sighting: 2 Snow Buntings

2 Snow Buntings just before the mile marker.

Main sighting: Wood Pigeon

1000+ Wood Pigeon moving through this morning, 100+ Fieldfare over!

Main sighting: Firecrest

A single Firecrest feeding in my garden this morning. A wonderful first!

Main sighting: Short-eared Owl

Dusk visit. Around 130 Fieldfares coming to roost on the moor. Pair of Ravens in the lone tree. At 4.50 pm, in near darkness, a Short-eared Owl appeared, hunting over the area below the road.

Main sighting: Fieldfare

1600hrs – Large flock of Fieldfares (circa 400) gathered around the quarry before descending into the trees to roost.

Main sighting: Water Rail

Car park – hide: jackdaws, pheasant, starlings, 3 redwings, crows, herring gulls, magpies, chaffinches, woodpigeons, 2 fly-by mute swans, moorhen, blackbird, wren and blue tit. Hide 1: Canada geese and 9 lapwing. Hide 2: cettis, 2 shelduck, 64 teal, 10 shoveler, 2 wigeon, 51 more lapwing with 26 dunlin mixed in, pied wagtails, 5 more mute swans, 1 heron, lesser black-backed gulls and 2 buzzards (1 light and 1 dark morph). Snipe platform: 526 black-tailed godwits which by 8am had taken off in small flocks heading high, meadow pipits, stonechat pair, ravens, chiffchaff contact call and greylags. Seawall: high tide and no salt marsh visible – more shelducks on the water. Remains oh hide 3: good count of 218 curlew with 1 redshank, 1 grey plover and 3 knot mixed in, water rail calling, flock of passing long tailed tits and mallards. Back at hide 2 the dunlin flock had increased to 317 with 3 juv ringed plovers mixed in. En-route back to car hide, kestrel seen, 2 mistle thrushes and 1 fieldfare.

Main sighting: Cettis Warbler

Cettis Warbler heard, this is the first time I have heard one in this area. Also Wigeon numbers increasing, 3 Great Crested Grebes, Grey Heron and 2 Cormorants. Brief sight of Kingfisher and also heard Goldcrest. 2 mute Swans back in residence. Also today Goosander along with good numbers of Coot and Tufted duck.

Main sighting: Great White Egret

Two Great White Egrets flew low over Gilwern heading south-east around 10:30 this morning.

Main sighting: Disturbance

Work to repair fencing and gateways damaged in the fire will take place this week. Work will not take place around high tide. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.