Sightings

Main sighting: Curlew Sandpiper

Incoming tide 3.30pm to 6pm:
Curlew Sandpiper (1)
Ruff (7)
Black Tailed Godwit (1)
Common Sandpiper (2)
Knot (12)
Lapwing (17)
Turnstone (8)
Curlew (5)
Ringed Plover (300)
Dunlin (300)
Redshank (450)
Oystercatcher (80)
Little Egret (2)
Shelduck (150)
Teal (6)
Kingfisher (1)

Main sighting: Green Sandpiper

River Usk at Gobion 1 Green Sandpiper (the only wader), 2 Little Egret, 3 Goosander (2 full grown juvs), Kingfisher, 9 Grey Wags, Chiffchaffs and a couple of Blackcaps

Main sighting: Yellow leg gull

Yellow leg gull Ad – was perched on top of Osprey perch, was concerned with something up in the sky which I could not see? – Gt BB gull 3 inc one juv – Com sands 2 inc bird with an injured right wing, not sure if it could fly? – Wheatear – Linnets c20 – Shellduck juv – meager offerings I’m afraid

Main sighting: Whinchat

(Bristol Ornithological Club) Whinchat and wheatear near gate past furthest hide; another wheatear on seawall. Red kite, kestrel, sparrowhawk, marsh harrier and 3 buzzard. 2 whimbrel on beach. 4 stonechat by carpark; nearby shrub had wren, chiffchaff, common whitethroat and lesser whitethroat. Southern hawker dragonfly photographed

Main sighting: Warbler migration

Water levels very low, lack of waders but small bird movement made the visit worthwhile. En-route to hides: woodpigeons, chiffchaff, magpies, 2 lt egrets (overhead), herring gulls, crows, jackdaws, Canada geese, robin, mallards, collard dove, wren, cettis, moorhen, green woodpecker and ls black-backed gulls. Hide 1: gt white egret flying towards seawall and 29 greylags. En-route to hide two: blue tits and pheasant. Hide 2: pied wagtails with a male yellow mixed in, 6 curlew (on the island), 33 ringed plovers, 8 dunlin (and 16 overhead), 5 teal, 1 lapwing, 1 redshank and a cormorant. En-route to platform: 6 sand martins and 4 stock doves flying over. Snipe platform: coot, lt grebes, 26 swans, 65 more teal, 2 shoveler. En-route to seawall: 12 more sand martins and 7 more stock doves (feeding on the ground), 1 buzzard, goldfinches, single siskin overhead calling and chaffinch. Seawall: 1 whimbrel, 34 curlew, oystercatchers, shelduck, male peregrine perched on the stump out on the grass / saltings and black headed gulls. Hide 3: pair of stonechats with the male again harassing a whinchat, 34 more lapwing, female wheatear on the left edge of the island, kingfisher passing through, 1 heron and linnets. Back between snipe platform and half way towards hide 1, the hedgerow was alive with a feeding party of long tailed tits, great tits, wrens, female redstart, 3 willow warblers, 15 chiffchaffs, 4 common whitethroats, 1 lesser whitethroat, more blue tits and 3 juvenile goldfinches. Overhead sand martin numbers had passed 100+ with at least 8 house martins and 21 swallows mixed in. Back at hide 2 a skylark was calling, starlings and a female marsh harrier close in. Other: Gatekeepers, migrant hawkers and 1 red admiral.

Main sighting: Parakeet

Trethomas

Main sighting: Sparrowhawk

Sparrowhawk high over village 1pm

Main sighting: Green Sandpiper

At hight-tide today there was a good selection of waders. Green Sandpiper 1 Common Sandpiper 4 Ringed Plover 180 Dunlin 540 Redshank 160 Turnstone 6 Knot 18 Curlew 10 Whimbrel 1 Sanderling 1 Oystercatcher 20 Mallard 30 Lots of Black-headed Gulls and Shelduck Little Egret 4

Main sighting: Sanderling

Hide 1: mallards, woodpigeons, chiffchaff (contact call), 15 swallows and crows. Hide 2: Canada geese, 14 greylags, ls black-backed gulls, 7 teal, house martin, 2 shoveler, 2 lt egrets, stonechat, 22 more swallows, starlings, 1 heron, 1 cormorant, fem marsh harrier (primary feather missing), 2 lapwing, herring gull, single black-tailed godwit, single ruff, wren, magpies, stock dove, reed warbler and buzzard. Seawall: 21 curlew, numerous shelduck and 1 whimbrel flying / calling. Hide 3: juv whinchat and common whitethroat both harassed by a male stonechat (female nearby), linnets, pied wagtails, coot, 42 more swallows with 3 sand martins mixed in. Snipe platform: 18 swans, lt grebes and 6 gadwall. Back at hide 2 (now high tide) waders included 7 sanderling, 2 redshanks, 134 ringed plovers (good number), 42 dunlin, 32 oystercatchers and single curlew sandpiper. Moorhen noted. Back at hide 1: 3 curlew feeding and bittern flying left-right towards Red Barn (10.55hrs). Reed warbler feeding juvenile by the stone bridge. Other: gatekeeper braving the weather.

Main sighting: Sanderling

Heavy showers: En-route to hides – mallards, woodpigeons, crows and 15 swallows. Hide 2 – Canada geese, 14 greylags, ls black-backed gulls, 7 teal, crows, 2 shoveler, 2 lt egrets, male stonechat, 22 more swallows and 1 house martin mixed in, starlings, 1 heron, 1 cormorant, fem marsh harrier (primary feather missing), 2 lapwing, herring gulls, single black-tailed godwit, 1 ruff, wren, magpies, stock dove, reed warbler, 2 buzzards and 3 curlew. Seawall: numerous shelduck and 21 more curlew and single whimbrel flying / calling. Hide 3 – juv whinchat being harassed by a male stonechat (female nearby), linnets, pied wagtails, coot, 1 common whitethroat (also harassed by the male stonechat), steady passage of 42 more swallows with 3 sand martins mixed in. Snipe platform: 18 swans, lt grebes and 6 gadwall. Back at hide 2 (high tide) pushed in 7 sanderling, 2 redshank, 134 ringed plover (a good number), 42 dunlin, curlew sandpiper and 32 oystercatchers. Moorhen also noted. Hide 1: another whitethroat by the hide entrance and a good count of 21 blue tits (guessing these are family groups mixed together). Bittern flew left-right towards Red Barn (1050hrs). Gatekeeper trying to brave the weather on the brambles by the hide. Reed warbler feeding a juvenile by the stone bridge at the entrance on the way out.

Main sighting: Waders

Yellow wag – Com sand 2 – Grey wag – Ring plover – probably Sanderling + Dunlin 1 of each but at very long range? – Yellow leg gull Ad again – Wheatear

Main sighting: yellow wagtails

late afternoon visit to the seawall gave 2 yellow wags flying overhead towards saltmarsh, hunting kestral and sparrowhawk, little egret and grey heron, swallows flying very low over the fields.