Sightings

Main sighting: Waxwing

14 Waxwings today at 10:45-11;:15 there were no berries on the trees the birds were seen insecting.

Main sighting: Waxwing

Ten Waxwing in trees by the pond in Jubilee Way, Rogerstone. (Near the school). Seen at 1pm.

Main sighting: Weekly roundup

3rd hide and seawall not visited due to frequent long heavy showers. En-route to hide 1 – robin, crows, chaffinch, blackbirds, mallards, pheasant and only a handful of redwings. Hide one – most of the activity was from here including 52 roosting curlew with 1 grey plover and 6 dunlin mixed in, 25 redshanks, 56 shoveler, 3 shelduck, 168 teal, 151 wigeon, Canada geese, greylags, 126 lapwing, starlings, magpies, wren and herring gulls. En-route to hide 2 – single fieldfare, moorhen and woodpigeons. Hide two – 1 common gull, 3 snipe, 1 little egret, male peregrine, 1 heron, cettis calling and a song thrush.

Main sighting: Waxwing

Four Waxwing on Rowan tree in Jubilee Way, Rogerstone. (Near the school). Feeding regularly and then flying off but returning every 10-15 minutes.

Main sighting: Firecrest

Single firecrest in hedge in lane

Main sighting: Long tailed duck

A late morning very muddy walk after the heavy showers was well worth it with a female long tailed duck showing well from the Marsh hide kindly mentioned by another birder.
A peregrine having brunch, possibly lapwing and a juvenile marsh harrier hunting over the reserve.
Also female sparrowhawk hunting over the hedgerows near Red Barn.

Main sighting: Great Northern Diver

Great Northern Diver 2 female Ring-necked Duck 1 Common Sandpiper 1

Main sighting: Great White Egret

Great White Egret on the meadows by Chepstow Road/Four Ash Street. Assume same as that sighted on 20th.

Main sighting: Weekly roundup

Quieter on the bird front today. Hide one – herring gulls, blackbirds, 2 male and 1 female pintail, nada geese, 61 greylags (my highest count here), 40 shoveler, 143 teal, 1 shelduck, 77 wigeon, 15 redshanks, crows, magpies, female marsh harrier, starlings, 3 cormorants and a pair of stonechats. Hide two – 124 lapwing, moorhen, 1 little egret and meadow pipits. Snipe platform – goldfinches, woodpigeons, coot, pair of tufted duck and another male and ls black-backed gulls. Marsh platform – cettis calling. Seawall – raven, 7 grey plovers, 9 dunlin, black headed gulls, 21 curlew and 37 oystercatchers. Hide three – long-tailed duck showing on lagoon to right of the hide, 20 more teal, 12 more shoveler, 54 more wigeon, 2 swans, 8 gadwall and pied wagtails. By the car park on way out, 2 fieldfare’s only, 2 wrens, robin and chaffinch.
Merry Christmas all and a happy new year…

Main sighting: Cross bills

Good numbers of cross bills feeding on the pine cones.

Main sighting: Great White Egret

A surprising location for this species. A single bird was feeding in a field on the Pontypool road out of Usk.

Main sighting: Sparrow Hawk

Sparrow Hawk
20+ bull finch
Green woodpecker
Yesterday 19th Dec 23, at Roath Park Lake, Cardiff feral pigeons – 2 chick’s in nest