Sightings

Main sighting: Crossbill

Two birds flew over (notable regular occurrences of crossbills, up to several at a time flying over High Cross and Rogerstone through the autumn).

Main sighting: Mandarin Duck

A male Mandarin on Machine Pond was a surprise on a dismal murky afternoon. The first I’ve seen on any of the Heads of the Valleys ponds.

Main sighting: Merlin and species roundup

8am start, 42 species. En-route to hides – colard dove, starlings, herring gulls, magpies, crows, blackbirds, redwings, fieldfares, woodpigeons, chaffinch, siskin and by hide 1 a male reed bunting and a chiffchaff feeding. Hide one – Greylags, 299 lapwing, 159 teal, 70 shoveler, 50 wigeon, pair of kestrels perched on fence line right of the hide and the adult and 1st year female marsh harriers hunting. Hide two – Moorhen, cettis, 2 cormorants, mallards, 3 gadwall, coot, raven and pied wagtail. Seawall – House sparrows, 11 curlew only, 16 oystercatchers, 11 shelduck only, black headed gulls, meadow pipits, 35 dunlin flying past and a high count of 351 Canada geese. Hide three – 19 more shoveler, 9 more gadwall, 23 more wigeon, 28 more teal, pair tufteds, pair stonechats, wren, buzzard, ls black-backed gulls and a female merlin flew across becs lagoon then perched for some time on the fence line left of the hide.

Main sighting: Jack Snipe

Jack Snipe flushed from the edge of the bog below the old Brynmawr reservoir. Pair of Stonechats on perimeter fence posts.

Main sighting: Goldcliff roundup

Morning visit, 48 species. En-route to hides – robins, numerous fieldfares, wrens, large flocks of woodpigeons, crows, blackbirds, pied wagtail, smaller numbers of redwings, blue tit, magpie, goldcrest, kingfisher flying along the reen and 4 stock doves overhead. Hide one – 12 greylags, mallards, 5 knot, 224 teal (numbers building up now), 59 wigeon, single dunlin, 2 shelduck, 6 shoveler, 6 gadwall, 2 female marsh harriers hunting on and off all morning together (adult and 1st-year), skylark and starlings. En-route to next hide – cettis, chaffinch, long tailed tits, black headed and herring gulls. Hide two – 2 curlew, 1 heron, 2 mute swans, meadow pipits, male stonechat, 2 snipe, 2 cormorants and a female sparrowhawk which at one point harassed the adult marsh harrier. Marsh platform – coot, lt grebes and 5 more gadwall. Seawall – 31 more curlew, ls black-backed and 1 gt black-backed gulls, 183 Canada geese and a single grey plover. Hide three – barnacle goose and female peregrine which put up the 201 lapwing which did the ‘pumping’ action (i.e. flying high as a tight group to prevent the falcon diving from above).

Main sighting: Brambling

Male Brambling around all morning with many Chaffinches

Main sighting: Merlin

1f-Merlin perched on a log on the salt marsh before flying off.2-m+f-Peregrines perched on the wooden groyne within ten yards of each other.Also 32+Pied Wagtails on the field leading to the sea wall,party of 8-LTTs.10h40-12h30.

Main sighting: Fieldfare

Dusk visit. Flock of 150 Fieldfares over, to roost on the slope of Coity Mountain. A few more around Milfraen Pit. One Meadow Pipit. Earlier, a Woodcock flushed from the woodland near Hafod Road, Brynmawr.

Main sighting: Snow bunting

Single bird, very confiding – got very close (photo available)

Main sighting: Red-breasted Merganser

Raslas Pond – 84 herring gulls (adult and 1-3rd year birds), 1 common gull, 9 lesser black-backed gulls and 4 male tufteds. Butetown Pond – 179 Canada geese with a single white goose (assuming this is feral type as opposed to snow goose). Als female red-breasted merganser.

Main sighting: Brambling

At least two Bramblings amongst a small mixed flock of Great,Blue and Coal Tits and several Chaffinches just beyond the green barrier near the car park.10h40-12h20

Main sighting: Sightings roundup

En-route to hides – robin, crows, woodpigeons, chaffinches, fieldfares, redwings, gt spotted woodpecker, coal tit and magpies. Hide one – 3 skylarks, mallards, good count of 278 lapwing, male stonechat, 18 black-tailed godwits, 5 redshanks, 103 teal, 5 snipe, 15 dunlin, jackdaws, 33 shoveler, 5 gadwall, black headed gulls, 22 wigeon and 300+ starlings. Snipe platform – greylag goose, 6 mute swans, 2 lt egrets, 14 more gadwall, coot and wren. Seawall – 51 curlew, herring gulls, raven, oystercatchers, 11 turnstone with 5 dunlin feeding together on mudflats as tide was coming in, 2 distant grey plovers. Hide three – pair of pintail, Canada geese, male kestrel, 11 more teal, 12 more wigeon, 2 shelduck and meadow pipits. Back at hide 2 – the grey phalarope spotted by Alan Dowson still present at 1145hrs, showing well in left corner from hide. Not present when I first stopped off here so assuming this bird came in mid-morning? Female sparrowhawk also through and distant cettis calling. Other: Common darter and blue/green hawker type dragonflies (3) and 2 red admirals.