Sightings

Main sighting: Spotted Redshank

Common Scoter (3 feeding offshore)
Merlin (female chasing Dunlin)
Spotted Redshank (1)
Black-Tailed Godwit (300)
Curlew Sandpiper (1)
Knot (60)
Turnstone (30)
Dunlin (400)
Redshank (350)
Curlew (15)
Oystercatcher (7)
Kingfisher (1)
Little Egret (1)
Wigeon (70)
Pintail (50)
Teal (15)
Shoveler (200)
Shelduck (250)

Main sighting: Cattle Egrets

En-route to hides – woodpigeons large flocks high overhead (Continental birds), mallards, pheasants, crows, robin, jackdaws, starlings, Canada geese, herring gulls, moorhen, ravens, swan pair (in the reen) and blue tits. Hide 1: single black-tailed godwit, 2 redshanks, 2 teal, magpies and 3 cattle egrets that dropped in on the island at 0732 then left at 0758. Hide 2: wren, 19 lapwing, 75 more teal, cettis (2), cormorant, reed bunting, pair stonechats, meadow pipits, song thrush, 2 snipe overhead and 3 skylarks. Snipe platform: 24 more swans, 32 more teal, 12 shoveler, 18 gadwall and 3 wigeon. En-route to sea wall: 3 curlew, male kestrel, chiffchaff contact call and chaffinch. Seawall: 8 oystercatchers, shelduck, black-headed gulls, 15 more curlew, 3 dunlin, 58 more wigeon and an immature common gull. Hide 3: water rail squealing, adult female sparrowhawk crossing the lagoon, 2 little egrets, 15 greylag geese, 5 rooks, juvenile male sparrowhawk perched on a post was mobbed by a passing female marsh harrier. Back on the seawall was a very showy and immaculate juvenile female northern wheatear (and a basking red admiral on the wall). En-route to the car park pied wagtails, goldfinches, great tit, linnet and 9 swallows. Other: speckled wood by the entrance and small white.

Main sighting: House Martin

Single House Martin at 10:25am.

Main sighting: Redwing

The first garden Redwings this morning.

Main sighting: Brambling

A nice male Brambling in the garden – the first of the autumn. A flock of 80-100 Goldfinches has been around for a week or so now, plus a few Linnets, Greenfinches etc.

Main sighting: Pair of goldcrest

Pair foraging in garden hedge along with 1# pied flycatcher, 2# robin, 2# blue tit and several house sparrow. All observations also captured in audio on BirdWeather.com monitor. Goldcrest present 0714 to 0902.

Main sighting: Little Stint

Wader roost.
100 + Dunlin, 1 x Little Stint, 1 x Turnstone.

Other sightings
4 x Pintail Ducks, 50 + Shelduck, 10 + Wigeon , 10 x Gadwall , 4 x Shoveler, 2 x Common Sandpiper, 2 x Cormorant, 30 + Redshank. 1 x grey heron, 1 x Little Egret.
20 x Canada Geese, Cetti Warbler heard. 1 x Kingfisher.

Main sighting: Willow Warbler

En-route to hides – Canada geese, jackdaws, raven, herring gulls, pheasants, moorhens, chiffchaff, crows, heron, woodpigeons, starlings, chaffinch, 2 swans (in reen), 3 little egrets overhead and blackbirds. Hide 1 – cettis, 90 restless black-tailed godwits flying out over sea wall, 1 gadwall and mallards. En-route hide 2 – magpies, blue tit, 2nd chiffchaff, buzzard, linnets, great white egret flying towards The Point and 2 snipe overhead. Hide 2 – grey wagtail, 32 teal, 52 lapwing, skylark, 2nd buzzard and robins. Snipe platform – male stonechat, rooks, wren, 30 swans, 56 more gadwall, coot, female marsh harrier and 4 house martins. Song thrush on the way to the seawall. Seawall – 6 swallows, shelduck, wigeon, black headed gulls, another little egret, 1 curlew only and shoveler. Hide 3 – 28 meadow pipits, pair stonechats, 51 swallows in small groups, water rail calling, 34 greylag geese, single ruff, 1 cormorant and goldfinches. Back by snipe platform 11 skylarks overhead calling and 4 snipe overhead. Back at hide 1 pair of redshanks briefly feeding before flying off. Back by the car park roving flock included 1 willow warbler, 3 chiffchaffs, long tailed tits, dunnock, wren, blue and great tits. Other: 2 commas, 1 red admiral, 2 large whites and migrant hawkers.

Main sighting: Great White Egret

Late morning / dinner time, single GWE flying through the Machen gap from the direction of Caerphilly (possibly been at the castle moat)? Following the river but high up heading towards the coast (possibly the Gwent Levels). Early afternoon a male goshawk drifted over.

Main sighting: Black Tern

A Black Tern feeding on Lisvane has been there a few days, also Common Sandpiper.

Main sighting: house martins

small passage of martins heading south at midday – 200 plus birds over 10 minute period

Main sighting: Redwing

30+ Redwing flying over heading East