Sightings

Main sighting: Goshawk

Goshawk being mobbed by carrion crows at Bigsweir Bridge about 3pm. Four cranes flying east over Cadora Woods (Glos.) at 11am were presumably over Gwent a few minutes earlier

Main sighting: Goshawk

On the morning tide with a northerly breeze at 6.5deg C : Curlew 4, Redshank 152, Blkwit 3, Knot 15, Dunlin 8, Grey Plover 3, Pintail 114, Shoveler 74, Wigeon 47, Teal 7, Lgrt 2, Cormorant, Sparrow Hawk. From the track back to the car park, a circling Kestrel headed off NE, closely followed by a Goshawk at lower elevation for approx 1/3rd of a mile. Small flocks of finches in the area.

Main sighting: Barn owl

Flew over Nash road near Motorpoint and dropped down into waste ground at about 7pm

Main sighting: Red Kites

4 Red Kites flying towards Keepers pond at 11am.

Main sighting: Merlin

Morning visit – water levels still too high (can the 3rd lagoon be drained perhaps to allow exposed shallow mud), only waders seen were 10 lapwing which was very disappointing. Highlights included 28 greylag geese, 14 shoveler, wigeon, 4 little egrets, 1 cettis and 1 chiffchaff calling, male sparrowhawk, black swan, 6 gadwall, 28 mute swans, 1 heron, 15 teal, curlew, skylarks, cormorant, good find of a female merlin by Paul.. Seawall – 1 gt b b gull, 10 grey plovers with 5 dunlin and 15 oystercatchers. Hide 3- lovely close views of a female kingfisher fishing and landing on the fence from the hide, also a pair of kestrels hunting (adult female and a juv male), pair of stonechats and 6 swallows through. 33 long tailed tits in a roving flock. 1 male common darter, 1 painted lady, possible migrant or southern hawker? 1 stoat and rabbits.

Main sighting: Osprey

Osprey fishing on reservoir around 1300 17/10/2019.

Main sighting: Buzzards

3 buzzards, 40 mallards, 15 common gulls, a song thrush, 2 long-tailed tits

Main sighting: Waders on the mud

Lagoonswere quiet this evening. The water level is high. Monks – Shelducks x 10.
Priors – Mute Swans x20 and Black Swan x 1, Greylag x 1 Becs – Canada Geese 20+, Shelduck x 6, Shoveler x 10.
Foreshore mud – Curlews x 30, Black Tailed Godwits x 5c, Oystercatchers x 20, possibly some Knot. Shelducks x 20 and big flock of Canada Geese x80+
Other – flock of Linnets x 10, 3 Flocks of Starlings with 30+ birds in each.
Kestrel was shsowing well again and seen by me late in evening.

Main sighting: Canada geese

120 canada geese,GS and Green woodpecker, green sandpiper

Main sighting: Skylark

Skylark 40+ Stonechat 2 prs Peregrine male Will warb Chiffs 4 Wigeon 70 Sparrowhawk fem + only handfull finches/mipits

Main sighting: Whooper Swan

Whooper Swan Prior’s lagoon am flew off East. Mute Swan 20 Black Swan 1 Wheatear 2 Blackcap 2 Chiffchaff 1 Swallow 5 a good selection of waders on the foreshore. Others: Red Admiral Small Tortoiseshell Common Darter Migrant Hawker and Stoat.

Main sighting: Peregrine

1-Peregrine on the ground towards the sea wall hide for the duration of my visit,60+Swallows,1-Whinchat,2-Marsh Harriers,firstly a female and half an hour or so later a juv.flew around.They were not seen together.10h00-12h30.