Sightings

Main sighting: Hirundines

12 house Martins, 6 swallow, Jay, raven, blackcap, chiffchaff, whitethroat willow warbler, song thrush

Main sighting: Tree Pipit

Highlights of our walk today Tree Pipit singing, Red Kite 1 Blackcap 6 Willow Warbler 6 Chiffchaff 4. Dunnock 3 Song Thrush 3 Mistle Thrush 4 Swallow 6 House Martin 4 the latter two gathering mud. The Blackbirds are eating the ‘grapes’ of the Mahonia in our garden.

Main sighting: Redstart (male)

Just returned from my daily walk in the golf club. Spotted a male redstart performing its typical flickering dance high up in the branches of an oak tree. A beautiful sight as the bright sunshine made the colours come alive, both the bird and the leaves.

Main sighting: Peregrine

Highlights of a week off work spent in the garden were a Peregrine being severely harassed by a LBB Gull overhead , the return of Swifts to East Newport, the antics of the regular House Sparrows, Wood Pigeons, Collared Doves, and Blackbirds, but topping it all watching a pair of Magpies chase a cat out of my garden, and, as it sat on the roof of next door’s shed, one of them gave the end of the cat’s tail a tweak with it’s beak at least 3 times! The cat moved on and hasn’t returned yet.

Main sighting: Hirundines

At least 800 mixed flock of Swallow House Martin and Sand martin over newly ploughed college fields to the left Usk bound opposite the Equine centre plus at least 40 swift over the town Waters…they are late but they have arrived sporadically in number .

Main sighting: Marsh Tit

Calling by Boat Inn (working nearby). Siskin calls also heard.

Main sighting: Linnet

Seven Linnets, 4 Greenfinches, 1 Siskin busily feeding on the seeds of a rosemary bush at the same time. A useful plant!

Main sighting: Swallow

We had a strange sighting on Tuesday of a Swallow that seemed to be in juvenile plumage, It was first considered that it could be a hybrid, but others have now put forward the idea that it was a juv/winter plumage bird, whose plumage is somehow stunted (apparently similar seen in south Africa). The jury is still out at the moment. Managed to get some snatched photos it of perched on a telegraph wire. Could still be around.

Also 2 Com sand + 2 Whimbrel +5 Mute swans.

Main sighting: Swifts

On Tuesday evening there was a flock of approximately 30 Swallows, House Martins and Swifts ( at least 5 seen).

They all appeared to have found a good concentration of airborne insects to feed on and were flying at various heights above the fields and the junction with Golf Road.

This locality seems to be a hotspot for hirundines.

Main sighting: Curlew

Tally of 31 species on my morning walk. Heard Curlew call. Two Cuckoos calling in traditional sites. Redstart catching flies like Spotted Flycatcher. Tree Pipit display flight.

Main sighting: Yellow wagtail

A yellow wagtail was on Crumbland Farm field,also 2 swifts flew over house this morning.
One pair of house martins have started to build on house but no take up of the concrete HM nest boxes yet

Main sighting: Marsh Tit

Marsh Tit on my morning walk.