Sightings

Main sighting: Jack Snipe

Morning high tide, calm and overcast : Jack Snipe on rocks close to Redshank, also, possibly, 4 flew over. Wigeon 140, Teal 27, Shoveler 44, Shelduck 32, Mallard 8,Pintail 174( this count subject to problems of identification at greater distances ). Redshank , two separate flocks of 250 and 230, 1 Heron and 1 Lgrt, 40 to 60 Feldfare. Blackbirds continue to increase.

Main sighting: Barnacle Geese

AM visit: pheasant, good numbers of migrating woodpigeons (one group 1000+), male preregrine hunting, shelduck, shoveler, 85 wigeon (more on the saltings), 2 barnacle geese in with the Canada’s in the field behind snipe platform, chiffchaff contact call, cettis calling. (from snipe platform) -1 heron, 4 lt egrets, 52 teal, 68 gadwall, 2 drake common pochards, 2 lt grebes, 1 snipe, pair stonechats, skylarks, female goldeneye, 1 swallow seen three times (there was a pair flying around the entrance of the reserve also), 3 tufted ducks, meadow pipits, 300+ lapwing towards the power station and fieldfares. Seawall – migrating sisking overhead calling, kestrel hunting, 114 curlew, 2 grey plovers, 4 knot, 15 avocet, 63 oystercatchers, 2 gt black-backed gulls and a passing red admiral butterfly. Hide 3 – female marsh harrier hunting and 1 passing stock dove.

Main sighting: Goldeneye and Barnacle Geese

Dawn visit to mid-day. Hedgerows had Fieldfare and Redwings. Not huge numbers but quite a few around. Big flock of Starlings. Early on 3 Curlews on Monks but saw some more later. Peregrine Falcon perched up on Monks Island.
Priors lagoon had teal, Pochard, Shoveler, Wigeon and Gadwall Ducks. Later a Goldeneye put in an appearance. Flock of Canada Geese in field at rear of Snipe Platform had 2 Barnacle Geese. Male and Female Marsh Harrier seen on seperate occassions. Male Kestrel seen hunting. Large flocks of Woodpigeons and 2 x Stock Doves seen.
Other birds to note – Stone Chats x 2, Swallows x 3, 2 x Little Egrets, Meadow Pipits, Golden Plover x 3. Wren x 1. Out on the Pill were seen Curlew, Dunlins, Grey Plover, Avocets and Oystercatchers.
More seen by Dan Webb who saw Siskins and at the snipe Platform a Black Redstart.

Main sighting: Black redstart

Black redstart dropped in briefly at the snipe platform, 4 swallows through, 15 avocets, 6 knot, 6 grey plover, 120 curlew, 60 oystercatchers, 40 dunlin, 1 pintail, 1 female goldeneye, 2 drake pochard, 3 tufted duck, 2 feral barnacles with canadas, male and female marsh harriers, juv male sparrowhawk, 40 fieldfares, 20 redwing, 6 blackbirds, 4 goldcrests and 28 long tailed tits the highlights.

Visible migration from 8 to 10.40 included 574 woodpigeons, 2 chaffinches, 6 goldfinches, 2 linnets, 4 mipits, 1 pied wag, 4 siskins and 4 swallows south west and 4 skylarks north east.

Main sighting: Green Sandpiper

3-Green Sandpipers,5-Goosanders(4f+1m),2-Dippers,10h10-12h40

Main sighting: Little Grebe

Little Grebe, huge flocks of Fieldfares and Redwings.

Main sighting: Water Pipits

Minimum of 5 Water Pipits, Kingfisher, Stonechat, 3 Skylark, 105 Wigeon, 22 Pintail, 8 Teal, c.90 Lapwing, c.200 Dunlin, 30 Curlew, 9 Snipe, 2 Lgrt, Heron.

Main sighting: Goosander

An unusual sighting were 6-Redhead Goosanders in the gout lagoon.Also a large flock of Fieldfares in the surrounding hedges,over 60 maybe nearer 100 birds.12h30-13h00

Main sighting: Goosander

6-female Goosanders,also a flock of Fieldfares 60 to 100 in numbers.12h30-13h15

Main sighting: Goldeneye

An unusual sighting for goldcliff were 2-female Goldeneye from the snipe platform.Also,5-Snipe,1-Peregrine,1-Little Grebe and 42-Gadwall.10h00-12h00.

Main sighting: Hen Harrier

Male harrier hunting winter thrushes (unsuccessfully), disappeared on to Mynydd Llangatwg.

Main sighting: Kingfisher

Kingfisher and Grey Wagtail by the pond