Sightings

Main sighting: Ring Ouzel

A 1st-winter showing quite well in small rowan trees just below the road on the south side of the hill early afternoon then lost to view in bracken.

Main sighting: Spoonbill

Sorry forgot to mention that the 2 Spoonbills were both juv’s

Main sighting: Spoonbill

Spoonbill 2 juveniles, Garganey 2

Main sighting: Hen Harrier

Male harrier cruising over the moor below the old Brynmawr reservoir in the fresh westerly breeze. Two Stonechats and two Reed Buntings near the reservoir.

Main sighting: Bittern / Spoonbills/ Egrets

En-route to hide 2 – Robin, crows, chaffinch, gt spotted woodpecker, sparrowhawk being mobbed by jackdaws, magpies, starlings, woodpigeons, chiffchaffs (2 only), linnets and mute swans. Hide two – 79 teal, 61 shoveler, 2 gadwall, 1 lapwing roosting, moorhen, cettis, mallards, bittern flew in and landed edge of reeds to the left of the hide, skylarks, 4 ringed plovers which did not land, 2 pintail and a roosting garganey (possible second bird too). Snipe platform – herring gulls, shelduck, goldfinches, pair of spoonbill top right corner, great white egret close by them, 1 heron, 42 more lapwing, 22 coot, 12 gadwall, pied wagtails, 1 redshank only (did not land), siskin overhead calling, black headed gulls, lt grebe and a pair of tufteds. 15 curlew only birds from seawall. Hide three – pair of stonechats with a female whinchat, Canada geese, 9 greylags, pair kestrels, 1 barnacle goose, 18 more teal, 12 more shoveler, 11 more gadwall, 3 more lt egrets and a cormorant. 4 swallows seen only, no other hirundines. Other: 2 red admirals (quite breezy for butterflies).

Main sighting: 11 rabbits heavy infected with myximatosis

Machen

Main sighting: Spoonbill

Two Spoonbills flew in to Becs then moved on to Prior to feed.

Main sighting: Waders

With big high tides this weekend, a nice selection of waders on the beach by the lighthouse this morning: 3 Grey Plovers, 10 Ringed Plovers, 300 Dunlin, 1 Curlew Sandpiper, 1 Little Stint, 7 Knot, 6 Bar-tailed Godwits, 1 Turnstone. Only a few Curlews, no rings seen. Also very large numbers of Shelducks, at least 770.

Main sighting: Rock Pipit

En-route to hides: Jackdaws, sparrows, magpies, buzzard, goldfinches, robin, crows, 5 chiffchaffs in trees by stone bridge, 2 skylarks overhead, gt tit, starlings, chaffinch, blue tit, heron, gt spotted woodpecker, ls black-backed gulls and linnets. Hide one: Female marsh harrier, 4 mute swans passing, 17 shoveler, 4 snipe, 11 swallows and blackbird. Hide two: Female kestrel catching hawker dragonflies and devouring them on bushes left of the hide, 44 more shoveler, 22 teal, female wigeon, 8 gadwall, 1 lt egret, herring gulls and raven. Snipe platform: 45 coot, 5 lt grebes, 2 more lt egrets, mallards and cettis calling. Seawall: Male wheatear on the sea wall, meadow pipit numbers now at 35, oystercatchers, curlew, shelduck, black headed gulls and a rock pipit amongst the rocks by the information sign (looking down onto the estuary). Hide three: 25 more shoveler, 37 more teal, Canada geese, 1 redshank only and 47 lapwing (which re-settled on lagoon 2). Other: common darters, 18 red admirals, large whites, 1 small tortoiseshell, migrant hawkers.

Main sighting: Disturbance

There will be some disturbance at Monk’s Lagoon on Tuesday, between 9.30am and 10am when we carry out essential maintenance work. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

Main sighting: Coot numbers

En-route to hide: collard dove, 5 chiffchaffs together, robin, 31 swallows, magpies, 17 house martins, meadow pipits. Hide 2 – grey phalarope still present (far right hand corner of lagoon), 3 lt egrets, 48 teal mallards, 12 shoveler, 15 gadwall, jackdaws, 1 redshank only (water levels high again), crows, raven, 1 swan, 11 sand martins, curlew and Canada geese. Snipe platform – blue tits, starlings, 3 herons, goldfinches, high number of 43 coot, cettis, 15 more shoveler and 6 more gadwall, 5 lt grebes, stonechat, 5 skylarks and 7 red admirals on the hay bales, numerous migrant hawkers.

Main sighting: Wigeon return

Wigeon have returned with a flock of 9 feeding amongst Canada geese. Also seen, collard doves, house sparrows, cettis, woodpigeons, goldfinches, 8 skylarks, swallows, moorhen, 2 swans, starlings, crows, sand martins, fem marsh harrier, gt black-backed gull, 2 curlew, 240 shelduck, black-headed gulls, oystercatchers, flock of 53 linnets, mallards, teal, buzzard, meadow pipits (at least 25 so could be migrant birds), 35 knot feeding together, heron, wren, 4 dunlin, pair stonechats, house martins, 6 stock doves was a nice surprise as was a little owl pellet.