Sightings

Main sighting: Smew

The male smew tucked well into Sor Bay on west side of Reservoir at 12.30. The bird appeared to retain a little eclipse plumage (a little streaking), though was generally very white. C. 15 wigeon also in this bay and c. 80 teal. Three female goldeneye on the reservoir and a handful of mandarin. Kingfisher on dam side.
At Pen y clawdd farm (Dingestow) early morning, c. 15 meadow pipit on track (not recorded here before). Several hundred redwing in hawthorns around farm and up to 20 or so fieldfare.

Main sighting: Various

2 buzzard 1000+starling 5 goldcrest 8 muppet 6 stonechat fem sprawk 50 plus redwing and fieldfare mute swan . Flats ..curlew dunlin redshank little egret 85 wigeon mallard teal greying goose shelduck

Main sighting: Various

48 wigeon fem kestrel 14 mallard 2 teal 21 redshank 1 oystercatcher 2 curlew .meadow pulpit pied wagtail .LBBGull

Main sighting: Various

2 pochard 3 little grebe 4 lbbgull 1 grey heron 1 little egret 3 snipe (bottom half drained res) 5 mallard 1 gadwall 1 GBBGull male sparrowhawk

Main sighting: Male Smew

Posted on Twitter by Craig Constance and later by Gavin Vella both illustrated by photographs. “Near Osprey pole, with pair of Goldeneye”.

Main sighting: Water Pipit

At least 3 Water Pipits this morning along with Meadow Pipits also many thrushes feeding in the hedgerows especially nice to see good numbers of Song Thrush here and at Peterstone Gout.

Main sighting: Little egret

2 little egret, buzzard, grey wagtail, 3 cormorant, pheasant, 3 long tt.

Main sighting: Hen Harrier

Just before the starling murmuration began a Hen Harrier ( female) cruised into the reserve and circled heading off towards the lighthouse over the reeds ( pics on various media). Murmurtion was pretty good.
Also – 2 x Marsh Harriers seen. Fieldfare and Redwings in hedgerows throughout reserve.

Main sighting: Various

It was relatively quiet today – lack of waders on the lagoon witha few Curlew. Peregrine spent time perched up on isalnds of Monks and Becs. Kestrel was hunting on Becs viewable from seawall hide. On priors were 5 Snipe and the usual collection of ducks. Notably a swallow on Priors skimming across the water.
Stonechats, Meadow Pipits, Pied Wagtails, Starlings and Fieldfare and Redwings in hedgerows.

Main sighting: Waders

On the Pill at dawn and high tide on the mud – Avocet x 22, Dunlins 100c, Curlew x 20, Oystercatcher x 17. Starlings 1000c in various flocks. Wigeon, Shoveler and Shelduck. 20 c Redshank.
Looking towards Redbarn. 1 x Marsh Harrier and big flock of Lapwings 300+ . Boat Lane hedgerows full of winter thrushes – Fieldfare and Redwings.

Main sighting: Swallow

3 (pos 4)Swallows feeding near the round house with occasional visits to Prior’s Lagoon. Also;Chiffchaff 2 Peregrine 1 Good numbers of Teal, Galdwall, Wigeon and Shoveler Lots of geese with serveral hundred Lapwing towards Saltmarsh Lane. And Red Admiral.

Main sighting: Merlin

High tide at Pill was fabulous for waders on a cold morning with biting easterly breeze. The peak counts of the roost were 63 grey plover, 7 knot, c140 dunlin, 1 golden plover, c300 lapwing, c70 curlew, 3 blackwit, 21 avocets, 36 oystercatcher, 7 snipe, 2 pintail, c340 wigeon, 106 shoveler, 3 gadwall and 12 shelduck. 2 merlins were hunted through the Pill during the morning, a female marsh harrier disturbed the roost and plenty of redwings, fieldfares and starlings in the hedges and on the pasture.