Sightings

Main sighting: Bittern

A varied day with blue skies interspersed with extremely heavy showers. 5 members braved the elements for an all day walk culminating in 47 bird species, 6 Butterfly and at least 3 Dragonfly/Damselfly species.
Mute Swan, Greylag Geese, Canada Geese, Gadwall, Mallard, Shoveler, Pochard, Little Grebe, Great-crested Grebe, Cormorant, Bittern, Little Egret, Great Egret, Grey Heron, Marsh Harrier, Buzzard, Kestrel, Moorhen, Coot, Lapwing, Black-headed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, Stock Dove, Woodpigeon, Swift, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Swallow, Wren Robin, Blackbird, Cetti’s Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Long-tailed Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Treecreeper, Magpie, Rook, Carrion Crow, Starling, Chaffinch, Goldfinch and Reed Bunting.
Butterflies: Red Admiral, Peacock, Green-veined White, Speckled Wood, Small White and Meadow Brown.
Dragonfly/Damselfly – Emperor Dragonfly, Blue-tailed Damselfly and Common Blue Damselfly.

Main sighting: Mandarin Duck

Female Mandarin Duck with four ducklings. Female Goosander with nine.

Main sighting: Common Sandpiper

Common Sandpiper 4 Redshank 162 Black-tailed Godwit 210 Ringed Plover 2 Little Ringed Plover 3 Little Egret 30+ GWE 3 Snipe 2 Little Grebe 3 Whitethroat Chiffchaff Reed Warbler Singing. And a very smart juvenile Whinchat from the seawall hide.
Other: Ruddy Darter 3 Blue-tailed damselfly 2 Gate Keeper Red Admiral and lots of Meadow Browns.

Main sighting: Barn Owl

Dawn visit: En-route to hides crows, pheasant, blackbirds, blackcap, wren, chiffchaffs, whitethroat and several brief calls from a lesser whitethroat. Hide one – Canada and greylag geese, skylarks, 5 oystercatchers, 43 little egrets with 2 great white egrets mixed in, 10 ringed plovers, 2 curlew, moorhen, mallards, grey heron, 62 lapwing, 3 common sandpipers, shelduck, magpies and 2 swallows. Hide two: 215 black-tailed godwits, goldfinches, cettis, 46 shelduck, woodpigeons, 1 stock dove, herring gulls, 6 dunlin, lesser black-backed gulls, barn owl (05.45hrs), great tits, reed warbler, pied wagtails, reed buntings, 9 sand martins, starlings, 3 swifts, 3 knot, black headed gulls (including the first juveniles of the year) and peregrine. Snipe platform – 1 little grebe, 11 mute swans and 3 cormorants.

Main sighting: Great White Egret

5-Great White Egrets,36+Little Egrets,5-Little Ringed Plovers.Also showing well from the third hide,1-Spotted Redshank in breeding plumage.10h30-12h30

Main sighting: Manx shearwater

100 to 200 Manx shearwater on estuary seen from sudbrook.

Main sighting: Common Redstart

Juvenile Redstart sighted around garden pond. May have been after insects or looking for somewhere to perch to take a drink.

Main sighting: Disturbance

There will be some disturbance today at Goldcliff Lagoons between 11.30am and 1pm when we carry out routine monitoring of water levels and salinities. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

Main sighting: Great White Egrets

5 Great White Egrets seen from Snipe platform. Also 34 Little Egrets, 150+ Black-tailed Godwits, 40+ Redshank, 50+ Lapwing, 8 Curlew, 6 Ringed Plover.

Main sighting: Nightjar

Nightjars churring faintly in the distance from direction of Beacon Hill at 22.30.

Main sighting: Mediterranean Gull

While driving over the bridge to visit my family home, an adult Mediterranean Gull flew WSW in front of the car over the bridge at 9.06am . I originally posted this on the South Glocs. Whatsapp group, but on reflection it was probably on the Welsh side of the bridge !
MN775

Main sighting: Red Kite

Red Kite circling overhead around mid-day, also on 24th June being mobbed by crow.