Sightings

Main sighting: Lots of Curlews and Oystercatchers

Evening visit until after sunset.
An hour before dawn the Black Tailed Godwits , Knot and Oysercatchers were feeding on the foreshore. At the mouth of Godcliff Pill large numbers of Curlews were seen and they were steadily joined by waves of Curlews as sunset neared.
At sunset the waders all came off the mud and headed int the lagoons to roost.
Becs= Mainly Black Headed Gulls and Curlews .
Priors Lagoon = Full of waders. Black Tailed Godwits 200+ , Knots 20c, Oystercatchers 100+ ( big flock), Lapwings 20+, Glossy Ibis, 40+ Redshanks. Grey Heron and Little Egrets.
Dunlin 20+
Monks Lagoon = 150+ Curlews , Black Headed Gulls 100c
More on my blog later www.thewildlifeoculus.com

The lagoons were very busy and great to see every lagoon full of birds.

Other – Seawall – Yellow Wagtails very active around the path to the Seawall Hide.
Wheatears.

Main sighting: Waders

Dawn visit until 1pm.
Priors Lagoons – 200 + Black Tailed Godwit, 10 + Knot, 10 + Dunlin, 1 Bar Tailed Godwit, 1 Wood Sandpiper ( Nev has pic), Green Sandpiper ( Nev has pic) (I have some distanct vid).
“Flossy” The Glossy Ibis showing incredibly well. 7+ Egrets, 2 Herons, 1 Cormorant, 3+ Yellow Wagtails, 2 Linnets, 2 Goldfinches. Mallard, Teal and Shovler Ducks. Coot and Moorhen. Oystercatchers, 30 + Black Headed Gulls and 2 x Lesser Black backed Gulls. Carrion Crows. 1 x Marsh Harrier, 2 x Ringed Plovers, 30+ redshank, 30 + Lapwing

Becs Lagoon – 50+ Black Headed Gulls 2 x Wheatars.

Monks – Dunlin, Curlew and Black Headed Gulls and Lapwings

Other – Green Woodpecker heard calling in the field near the farm.
Usual Canada and Greylag Geese.

Main sighting: Great White Egret

Great White Egret

Main sighting: Comic terns

c100 terns over river Severn gained height flew off over Second severn crossing high west mid afternoon – Passage pill Redshank 43 – Sudbrook Wheatear

Main sighting: Wood Sandpiper

Sat 8th – 55 species from 0645 – 1100. Of note 2 chiffchaffs and 1 common whitethroat en-route to first hide. Hide one – 1 little stint in partial breeding plumage, female sparrowhawk on the mud, 4 curlew, 10 ringed plovers and 1 common sandpiper. Redshank platform – 41 lapwing and small passage of swallows (31 counted with 20 house martins also). Snipe platform – very productive with 12 little egrets, 5 grey herons, 1 green sandpiper which flew off towards Uskmouth but a 2nd one located at the top end of the lagoon where I was pleased to also pick out an adult wood sandpiper. The glossy ibis at one point was very close in offering excellent views by all, 4 yellow wagtails over, sedge warbler going into the reeds, 1 stock dove, 21 teal, buzzard, 1 turnstone, 106 dunlin, green woodpecker calling, gt spotted woodpecker overhead, 1 bar-tailed godwit with some lapwings and a fem marsh harrier made a brief appearance, Marsh platform – huddled along the edge of the reeds were 206 black-tailed godwits with 1 ruff, 16 knot, 2 greenshank (1 juv) and a good count of 181 redshanks mixed in together., soveler and 2 sand martins also. Seawall – male wheatear moving along the wall and a raft of 280 shelduck on the water. Other: numerous gatekeepers, meadow browns, 1 red admiral, common darter (male), large whites, small blue and a possible southern hawker.

Main sighting: Common scoter

Looking out on the Severn this afternoon 4 scoter were found at approx 2.45pm floating out on the outgoing tide, when they got near to the Second severn crossing, they took off and flew back up river and repeated the exercise at least once, before flying off high s/w over the bridge. Also Med gull, Common buzzard and Common sand

Main sighting: Great White Egret

Walk around Garn Lakes at approx. 10.30 a.m.

Main sighting: Crossbills

Flock of around 10 crossbills this morning in Beechwood Park in the centre of Newport.

Main sighting: Young kesstrel

Newly fledged Fluffy kestrel perched, male stonechat with fledgling.

Main sighting: Siskin

Siskin on garden feeder – unusual at this time of year here. 42 juv house martins on wires this morning. 5 song thrushes on walk last evening (often pleased if we see one – must be doing well this year)

Main sighting: Crossbills

A party of about 10 crossbills were in Douglas Firs on the road from The Narth to Pen y Fan Green this morning.

Main sighting: Garden Warbler

River low, Himalayan Balsam high. Sand Martin colony still active, 56 Canada Geese including juvs, Garden Warbler, 2 well-grown juv Goosanders plus the head of a decapitated Goosander in the field. Be alert – ticks rife across the Severn.