Sightings

Main sighting: Red Grouse

6 red grouse came up out of the heather in very wet weather. Plenty of meadow pipits ,a few skylarks plus 2 wheatears

Main sighting: Lesser yellowlegs

Lesser Yellowlegs found by Darryl Spittle. 3 Ruff, 3 Little Stint, Grey Plovers, Dunlin, Curlew, Snipe, Golden Plover

Main sighting: Little Egret

A low WeBS count on a glorious day: Little Egret, 2 Kingfisher, 7 Goosander, 160 Canada Geese in loose flocks downriver, domestic Mallard (probably Black East Indian – 2 were present last December), 4 Grey Wags and passage of c300 House Martin, fewer Swallows and c20 Mipits. Balsam still obscuring views.

Main sighting: Curlews and Waders

Attended Goldcliff Lagoons before dawn at 6.15 am to 11.30 am.
Assisting Mike Smart with Curlew Observations again.
Adding to Nevs report there was a very good showing of Curlews with several colour ringed birds noted on Priors and Monks Lagoon ( some of the pics on my blog).
In all we reckon 400 Curlews were roosting when the tide reached its peak.
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It was a real wader fest and I have been reviewing my pics of the flocks and noted –
1. Three Curlew Sandpipers
2. Two Little Stints
3. 1 x Sanderling
4. 1x Grey Knot
5. 2 x Ruff
It was good to see Bar Tailed Godwits in with the Curlews.

The Glossy Ibis seen I believe is “Flossy”. The new bird seen earlier in the week I have not seen since or heard of any reports of it being observed again on the reserve.

Main sighting: Ruff

7 ruff seen at about 1.00pm

Main sighting: Little Grebe

Six Little Grebe (4 and 2) on a very quiet river at lunchtime today.

Main sighting: Waders

Bar Tailed godwit 1 – Dunlin 11 – Curlew 6 – Raven 2 – Wigeon 31

Main sighting: Bar-tailed Godwits

Dawn – 11.30hrs. Rooks, kingfisher (Paul only), 2 buzzards (one light-morph), skylarks 8 passing over quite high, mute swans with 7 cygnets, 3 chiffchaffs in the hedgerow, female marsh harrier and 1 juv gt black-backed gull. Redshank Platform – 15 knot, 3 grey plovers, 415 dunlin (losing their black bellies now), 4 ruff, 51 ringed plovers, siskins overhead, 4 little egrets, small groups of swallows (averaging 15-20 per group) with some house martins mixed in, 5 common snipe, 46 shelduck (more over the sea wall), glossy ibis (flew off towards Uskmouth around 0900hrs), 3 gadwall, 2 greenshank, 41 teal and ravens. Snipe Platform – 343 black-tailed godwits (including the 2013 Solent ringed bird), 62 redshanks, 22 more knot, 1 water rail feeding along the edge of the reeds and a juv curlew sandpiper mixed in with some dunlin. Hide 3 – 172 curlew (6 of which were ringed birds) with 9 bar-tailed godwits mixed in, 18 avocet which came in over the seawall, 1 heron, female kestrel and a big movement of meadow pipits along the fence lines in excess of 200+.

Main sighting: Curlews and other Waders

Dawn visit.
Becs Lagoon – Curlews x 350 = at high tide ( 10 colour ringed), Knots, Avocets x 12, Dunlin Flock.
Priors Lagoon – The wader flock remains – Black Tailed Godwits 350+, Knot 80+. Avocet x 2, Lapwings 50+
Greenshank x 2., Ruff x 2, Dunlin Flock 30+ ( 1 Curlew Sand seen).
Monks Lagoon –
Ringed Plover 30 + and Golden Plover x 1 , Dunlin 100+

Marsh Harrier ( male) put the wader flock up several times.

kestrel was also around the sea wall (Priors) end.

One Glossy Ibis thought to be Flossy was seen on Priors early on and on Monks. later

Main sighting: Two Glossy Ibis and Great White Egret

What a suprise it was this morning to see two Glossy Ibis on Priors. I would provisionally say its “Flossy” the Glossy Ibis our resident bird and a new smaller juvenile. Only time will tell and I will do some comparison of recent archive pics of Flossy.
Later in the morning a Great White Egret landed on Monks Lagoon directly in front of Hide 1 affording great views.
Also seen-
Priors – The wader flock – 120 + Knots, 250 + Black Tailed Godwits, 2 x Ruff, 2 x Greenshank, 30x Redshank , 120+ Dunlin ( Curlew Sand and Little Stint reported seen on Monks by birders).
Becs – 67 Curlews at Dawn and 50+ on the saltmarsh. 2 x Avocet.

Marsh Harrier ( male) caused havoc, Peregrine and Kestrel seen.
Karge numbers 60c of Shoveler Duck.
Also – 4 x Long Tailed Tits, Wren, Blie Tits, Great Tits, ,eadow Pipits, Skylark and Pied Wagtails, 2 x Little Egrets, 2 x Grey Heron, Teal, Mallard, Shelducks and Raven
Good passge of Hirundines moving through the lagoons.

Main sighting: Osprey

Osprey seen fishing at low tide just west of carpark accessed from lane past Magorpill Farm and Water Treatment works. I had seen the bird here briefly two weeks previously. Perhaps it is here for a while, and certainly was fun to watch.

Main sighting: Hobby , Vismig and Waders

Dawn until almost duck visit yesterday.
At dawn there was a large number of Curlews on Monks 120+. There was probably a lot more and other Curlews on Becs Lagoon but I it was practically dark so I could not count them. They flew the minute it got a little light.
Throughout the morning the wader flock of Black Tailed Godwits, Knots , Lapwing,Dunlins,Redshanks and Waders remained on Priors quietly on Priors. Snipe were showing well on Priors.
A large flock of House Martins and Swallows were feeding and drinking over Priors and there were also some Sand Martins.
Vismig was being done by Dan Webb and Andy Strong – there was a flow of Meadow Pipits coming through but not as much as previous visits.
Wheatears were showing well around the SeaWall Area. The fencing was alos a favoutite of the StoneChats
PM visit – the wader flock moveed regulalry when startled. Gavin Vella spotted a Hobby near the farm and we had good views.
Later a Sparrowhawk had a goo at the wader flock.
Lots of Dragon flies – including migrant hawkers and Common Hawkers