Sightings

Main sighting: Swifts

First Swifts and House Martins have arrived with a mixed flock of 60+ over the house this morning

Main sighting: Ruff Knots and Dunlins

Attended couple of hours either side of high tide.
Very windy and some heavy rain showers.
Notably a lot more Dunlins on the reserve that moved about in two flocks over Monks and Becs. The water levels are now very low on these lagoons.
Dunlins 300+ , 4 Knot, 2 x Ruff ( one of which is turning a spectacular white colour almost breeding plumage). Small flock of 30c Black Tailed Godwits. 4 x Oystercatchers, Ringed Plovers and Little Ringed Plovers present. Avocets on Monks and Becs and Lapwings. Plenty of Redshank.
The Carrion Crows are really targeting the breeders. I watched a single Carrion Crow work the mobbing waders on Monks for over 20 minutes despite being physically pecked by Lapwings in dive bomb attacks it came away with an egg ( Photo on Twitter).
Several Lesser Black backed Gulls also loitering and a Grey Heron. A flock of Whimbrel was seen by one of my birding friends. Wheatear continue to hang about the seawall.

Main sighting: Marsh Harrier

Male marsh harrier seen flying from wetlands to lagoons at 1240hrs, also a few whimbrel at Goldcliff estuary, single cettis calling and sedge warbler heard.

Main sighting: Yellow Wagtail

Chiffchaff 3, Goldcrest 1 (singing again by the stone bridge), lesser whitethroat 1, common whitethroat 3, cettis warbler 1, reed warbler 1. Hide 1 – Canada Geese with 6 young, pair of Ringed Plovers with 2 chicks. Two Little Egrets seen, one with brown patch on the back looking a bit odd but turned out to be a Little and nothing else. Snipe Platform – Common Redshanks, 3 Ravens, pair of mating reed buntings, black headed gull, grey heron. Hide 2 – pair of greenshank and a single bar-tailed godwit and a male peregrine flew past with what looked like a gosling? Mallards one pair with 14 young and second pair with 6 young. Seawall – very active with 3 wheatears, single yellow wagtail, single white wagtail, common swifts aerial feeding and numbering 17 last going off, 2 house martins, 9 swallows. 1 grey plover on the mudflats before high tide with 3 whimbrel also seen and another bar-tailed godwit, female sparrowhawk overhead. Stoat showing well several times and at one point actually being chased by a rabbit. Hide 3 – one almost white ruff and 2 more feeding alongside, 9 oystercatchers, common buzzard on the post, linnets, shoveler 5, teal 5, wigeon 4, tufteds 6, lapwing, avocet, dunlin 51, black-tailed godwits 144. Other: 1 speckled wood and orange tip butterflies.

Main sighting: Curlew request

Please keep your inland Curlew records coming! We’re building quite a picture. If you can include the detail noted on the Home page that would be great but do send all sightings, even if you only have a date and location, to Curlew@gwentbirds.org.uk – every record counts.

Main sighting: Various

Oystercatcher on draw off tower best count from N and S end giving me over 28 GCG .Sedge Warbler calling at Greenpool 6 Common Sand. Influx of Hirundines Slow but all three present at dam wall ..Of note over 200 at town waters Usk yest.PM. North End access road .Tawny Owl calling in daylight and female sprawk on hide roof .

Main sighting: Hobby

sorry just posted saying saw lesser white fronted goose when should have said greater .

Main sighting: Hobby

first visit to Newport wetlands and goldcliff
hobby, L. White Fronted Goose and another non-greylag I assume was bean goose from earlier posts. 20+ Whimbrel along rocks at high tide. Cuckoo, marsh harrier, warblers – cettis, reed, sedge, whitethroat, blackcap. Bittern booming. Great day out.

Main sighting: Canada Goose

Very odd sight of 2 Canada Geese perched on the roof of a lone cottage – clearly believing themselves to be White Storks. Initially motionless and facing each other so looking like roof decorations!

Main sighting: Swift

After only seeing ones and twos of sand martin over the Monnow this year so far, a really big gathering of hirundines this evening. Tens of swallows, sand martin, house martin and at least 20 swift. Two big tangled masses of birds, with approx, ten swifts mixed in with each.

Main sighting: Curlew Sandpiper

Our visit with Alan Rosney. A nice selection of waders at the lagoons today including: Curlew Sandpiper 2 one transitional WP-BP and another in pristine winter plumage Ruff 2 Little Stint 1 Snipe 1 Greenshank 1 Ringed plover 12 Whimbrel 8 Sanderling 3. Also Swift 1 House Martin 10 Swallow 30Sand Martin 4 Lesser Whitethroat Whitethroat Reed Warbler Cetti’s Warbler Wheatear 1 and Linnet 2. Nice to meet up with some regular birding visitors too.

Main sighting: Common Swift

Single swift flying over. My second in a week now so hopefully some more are pushing through?